MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Detection of Pathogens in Vectors: The Borrelia crocidurae/Ornithodoros sonrai Paradigm

摘要: Background In Africa, relapsing fever borreliae are neglected vector-borne pathogens that cause mild to deadly septicemia and miscarriage. Screening vectors for the presence of currently requires technically demanding, time- resource-consuming molecular methods. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) has recently emerged as a tool rapid identification cultured borreliae. We investigated whether MALDI-TOF-MS could detect directly in ticks. Methodology/Principal Findings As first step, Borrelia database was created house newly determined Mean Spectrum Projections four Lyme disease group ten reference yielded unique protein profile each 14 tested species, with 100% reproducibility over 12 repeats. In second proof-of-concept custom software program subtracts uninfected O. sonrai were used crocidurae 20 Ornithodoros ticks, including eight ticks positive B. by PCR-sequencing. A crocidurae-specific pattern consisting 3405, 5071, 5898, 7041, 8580 9757-m/z peaks found all crocidurae-infected not any un-infected ticks. final blind validation exhibited 88.9% sensitivity 93.75% specificity detection 50 18 took 45 minutes be completed. Conclusions/Significance After development an appropriate database, can identify tick species single assay. This work paves way use dual vectorized pathogens.