Mandal Alivia, Paul Bishwajeet, Bhowmik Biswanath, Gundreddy Raja Reddy, Mirzaieva Adolat U, Bhadra Kakali
Department of Zoology, University of Kalyani, Nadia 741235, India.
Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi 110012, India.
Biosensors (Basel). 2025 Jun 4;15(6):358. doi: 10.3390/bios15060358.
Chemosensation in ticks opens a novel and unique field for scientific research. This study highlights ticks' chemosensory system to comprehend its host-searching behavior and other integrated chemistry and biology involving Haller's structure. This study combines microanatomical, electrophysiological, and behavioral experiments to investigate the role of Haller's organ in adult ticks in response to different classes of organic compounds. We showed the microscopic anatomy of Haller's organ in , present at the terminal segment of the first pair of appendages. Haller's structure serves a vital function in perceiving odor. The electrophysiological activity of adult ticks to different classes of organic compounds via electroscutumography was explored at five different concentrations: / 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, and 2.0%. Among 55 organic compounds, moderate to high stimulation was recorded with pyruvate (13.28 mv at 2%), ammonia (12.26 mv at 2%), benzoic acid (1.99 mv at 0.001%), isobutyric acid (1.39 mv at 0.001%), 2,6-dichlorophenol (1.34 mv at 0.001%), p-Tolualdehyde (1.26 mv at 2%), tetradecane (1.23 mv at 2%), docosane (1.17 mv at 2%), citronellal (1.13 mv at 0.1%), isopropyl acetate (1.05 mv at 0.01%), cyclohexanol (1.03 mv at 2%), 1-octane-3-ol (1.02 mv at 2%), and 1-octanol (1.01 mv at 0.001%). Olfactometric bioassays at / 2.0% concentration further confirmed that ammonia, pyruvate, 1-octane-3-ol, hematin porcine, p-Tolualdehyde, methyl salicylate, uric acid, tetradecane, carbon dioxide, propanoic acid, 3-hexanol, hexanoic acid, adenine, 2,6-dichlorophenol, hexadecane, heptanoic acid, pentanoic acid, octadecane, guanine, and nonanoic acid acted as strong attractants, while citronellal, eugenol, butyric acid, geraniol, benzaldehyde, and tiglic aldehyde showed an active repellent effect against the tick species. This investigation provides knowledge of the olfactory sensilla of Haller's structure as biosensors behind tick olfaction and the possibility for chemical detection of diverse attractants and repellents for future development of anti-tick compounds.
蜱虫的化学感应为科学研究开辟了一个新颖独特的领域。本研究着重探讨蜱虫的化学感应系统，以理解其寻找宿主的行为以及涉及哈勒氏器的其他综合化学和生物学过程。本研究结合微观解剖学、电生理学和行为实验，来探究成年蜱虫哈勒氏器在对不同种类有机化合物做出反应时所起的作用。我们展示了位于第一对附肢末端节段的哈勒氏器的微观解剖结构。哈勒氏结构在感知气味方面起着至关重要的作用。通过电盾片记录法，在五个不同浓度（0.001%、0.01%、0.1%、1.0%和2.0%）下探究了成年蜱虫对不同种类有机化合物的电生理活性。在55种有机化合物中，丙酮酸（2%浓度时为13.28毫伏）、氨（2%浓度时为12.26毫伏）、苯甲酸（0.001%浓度时为1.99毫伏）、异丁酸（0.001%浓度时为1.39毫伏）、2,6 - 二氯苯酚（0.001%浓度时为1.34毫伏）、对甲苯醛（2%浓度时为1.26毫伏）、十四烷（2%浓度时为1.23毫伏）、二十二烷（2%浓度时为1.17毫伏）、香茅醛（0.1%浓度时为1.13毫伏）、乙酸异丙酯（0.01%浓度时为1.05毫伏）、环己醇（2%浓度时为1.03毫伏）、1 - 辛烷 - 3 - 醇（2%浓度时为1.02毫伏）和1 - 辛醇（0.001%浓度时为1.01毫伏）记录到了中度到高度的刺激反应。在2.0%浓度下的嗅觉生物测定进一步证实，氨、丙酮酸、1 - 辛烷 - 3 - 醇、猪血晶素、对甲苯醛、水杨酸甲酯、尿酸、十四烷、二氧化碳、丙酸、3 - 己醇、己酸、腺嘌呤、2,6 - 二氯苯酚、十六烷、庚酸、戊酸、十八烷、鸟嘌呤和壬酸是强引诱剂，而香茅醛、丁香酚、丁酸、香叶醇、苯甲醛和惕各醛对蜱虫种类表现出积极的驱避作用。这项研究提供了关于哈勒氏结构嗅觉感受器作为蜱虫嗅觉背后生物传感器的知识，以及为未来抗蜱化合物的开发进行多种引诱剂和驱避剂化学检测的可能性。
