Rickettsia peacockii, an endosymbiont of Dermacentor andersoni, does not elicit or inhibit humoral immune responses from immunocompetent D. andersoni or Ixodes scapularis cell lines

摘要: Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor andersoni cell lines were stimulated with heat-killed Escherichia coli Micrococcus luteus to investigate whether infection by Rickettsia peacockii, an endosymbiont of D. andersoni, modifies humoral immune responses. Radial diffusion assays, western blotting, flow cytometry, quantitative reverse-transcription PCR used determine if expression bacteriolytic peptides, including lysozyme defensin, was upregulated bacterial stimulation or R. peacockii. The I. line IDE12 defensin following stimulation. DAE15 also expressed lysozyme, but only peacockii alone, in cells bacteria, did not modify either line. These results suggest tick endosymbionts may avoid recognition the system, affect responses bacteria normally associated ticks.