Front Biosci. 2009 Jan 1;14:3064-73.

Piroplasmids and ticks: a long-lasting intimate relationship.

Florin-Christensen M, Schnittger L.

Institute of Pathobiology, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Los Reseros y Las Cabanas,
1712 Castelar, Argentina. mflorin@...

The tick-transmitted Babesia and Theileria spp. parasites are detrimental for
animal health and cattle production in vast tropical and subtropical areas of
the world. Additionally, human babesiosis increasingly raises public health
concern. Most of the research on these piroplasmids has been focused on
mammal-infecting stages, while the interaction with their tick vectors has been
widely neglected. For millions of years, piroplasmids have been able to
effectively exploit the tick milieu to carry out critical parts of their life
cycle; including self propagation, sexual reproduction and recombination,
development of infective forms capable of returning to their mammalian hosts
through tick saliva, and in many cases, perpetuation into the next tick
generation. Although piroplasmid colonization can seriously damage tick tissues
and organs, innate immune mechanisms seem to be able to control these effects.
This paper reviews the molecular interactions between ticks and piroplasmids
from different perspectives. A deeper understanding of this interface might lead
to the design of new control strategies.

Publication Types:
    Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

PMID: 19273257 [PubMed - in process]