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An Ixodes scapularis cell line with a predominantly neuron-like phenotype

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Abstract

The Ixodes scapularis embryo-derived cell line ISE6 is the most widely utilized tick-derived cell line due to its susceptibility to a wide variety of tick- and non-tick-vectored pathogens. Little is known about its tissue origin or biological background. Protein expression of ISE6 cells was compared with that of another I. scapularis-derived cell line, IDE12, and dissected tick synganglia. Results demonstrated the presence of a neuronal marker protein, type 3 β-tubulin, in all three samples, as well as other shared and unique neuronal and immune response-associated proteins. Of neuronal proteins shared between the two cell lines, ISE6 expressed several in significantly greater quantities than IDE12. Stimulation of ISE6 cells by in vivo exposure to the hemocoel environment in unfed larval and molting nymphal ticks, but not unfed nymphal ticks, resulted in the development of neuron-like morphologic characteristics in the implanted cells.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by grants from the US National Institutes of Health, Numbers R01AI042792 and R01AI049424 to Ulrike G. Munderloh. Mass spectrometry was performed at The Center for Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics at the University of Minnesota.

Ethical standards

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Minnesota. Hamsters were maintained in accordance with an approved University of Minnesota IACUC protocol.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, 219 Hodson Hall, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Jonathan D. Oliver, Roderick F. Felsheim, Timothy J. Kurtti & Ulrike G. Munderloh

  2. UMR CMAEE, Agricultural Research Centre for International Development - Control of Animal Diseases, Emerging and Exotic, CIRAD, Site de Duclos, Prise d’eau, 97170, Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, France

    Adela S. Oliva Chávez

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  1. Jonathan D. Oliver
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  2. Adela S. Oliva Chávez
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  3. Roderick F. Felsheim
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  5. Ulrike G. Munderloh
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Correspondence to Jonathan D. Oliver.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Online resource 1

Tab-delimited text file listing the proteins found by mass spectrometry in I. scapularis synganglia, ISE6, and IDE12 cells. Data listed include GI number protein name. (TXT 33 kb)

Online resource 2

Tab-delimited text file showing protein annotations exported from Blast2GO for I. scapularis synganglia. (TXT 57 kb)

Online resource 3

Tab-delimited text file showing protein annotations exported from Blast2GO for ISE6 cells. (TXT 107 kb)

Online resource 4

Tab-delimited text file showing protein annotations exported from Blast2GO for IDE12 cells. (TXT 116 kb)

Supplemental Table S1

Shared and unique proteins related to neuronal location and/or immune function. Details include protein name, genInfo identifier (GI), annotation type (GO term or manually added), cell/tissue identification, normalized spectral count ratios for significantly different proteins found in both ISE6 and IDE12 cells, and the Fisher’s exact test p-values of those significant differences. (PDF 51 kb)

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Oliver, J.D., Chávez, A.S.O., Felsheim, R.F. et al. An Ixodes scapularis cell line with a predominantly neuron-like phenotype. Exp Appl Acarol 66, 427–442 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-015-9908-1

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