de la Fuente José, Kocan Katherine M, Almazán Consuelo, Blouin Edmour F
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
Trends Parasitol. 2007 Sep;23(9):427-33. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2007.07.002. Epub 2007 Jul 25.
Ticks are ectoparasites of wild and domestic animals, and humans. A more comprehensive understanding of tick function and the tick-pathogen interface is needed to formulate improved tick-control methods. RNA interference (RNAi) is the most widely used gene-silencing technique in ticks where the use of other methods of genetic manipulations has been limited. In the short time that RNAi has been available, it has proved to be a valuable tool for studying tick gene function, the characterization of the tick-pathogen interface, and the screening and characterization of tick protective antigens. This review considers the applications of RNAi to tick research and the potential of this technique for tick functional studies, and to elucidate the tick-pathogen and tick-host interface. It is probable that the knowledge gained from this experimental approach will contribute to development of vaccines to control tick infestations and the transmission of tick-borne pathogens.
蜱是野生动物、家畜和人类的体外寄生虫。为了制定更好的蜱虫控制方法，需要更全面地了解蜱的功能以及蜱与病原体的相互作用。RNA干扰（RNAi）是蜱虫中使用最广泛的基因沉默技术，而其他基因操作方法的应用则受到限制。在RNAi出现后的短时间内，它已被证明是研究蜱虫基因功能、蜱与病原体相互作用的特征以及蜱虫保护性抗原的筛选和特征的宝贵工具。本文综述了RNAi在蜱虫研究中的应用，以及该技术在蜱虫功能研究中的潜力，以阐明蜱与病原体和蜱与宿主的相互作用。从这种实验方法中获得的知识可能有助于开发控制蜱虫侵袭和蜱传病原体传播的疫苗。
