Stage specific transcriptome profiling of castor bean tick Ixodes ricinus

Arthropod borne diseases are ubiquitously discussed topic whose relevance increases with ongoing changing climate, which extends the area of their incidence and affects profoundly the size of vector population, as well as its reproductive capacity, the abundance and spread of reservoir hosts and other variables that are generally tightly correlated with the spread of zoonoses.

The life cycle of arthropod borne pathogens are tightly bound to the life cycle of their host as well as to their vector organism. Therefore, the description of the vector life cycle should elucidate some questions related to the vector-pathogen dynamics including the factors important for successful disease transmission.

Tick has complex life cycle and for its completion it requires feeding on several host organisms, which is abused by the pathogen for its spreading within reservoir and host organisms.

Thus, more thorough description of factors driving tick developmental processes controlling its life cycle will be instrumental in understanding the nature of I. ricinus and its pathogens interactions and may also shed light on the process of blood feeding as an integral event in tick development as well as in potential pathogen transmission.

In our study we perform transcriptional profiling of all life stages of I. ricinus and provide a list of genes associated with particular life stages of I. ricinus and hence extend our knowledge in pursuit of potential acaricidal strategies.