Characterization of tick cell lines and their use as substrate for the growth, maintenance and protein expression profile of Anaplasma marginale

Ticks are arthropods of great medical and veterinary importance, with many species responsible for transmitting viruses, bacteria and protozoa to their hosts. Some of the tick-borne pathogens are difficult to culture in vitro and do not grow in artificial media. Tick cell culture has represented an excellent tool for isolating and studying pathogens, allowing the production of antigenic material for diagnostic tests, production of antibodies and vaccines, and for studies of the relationships between host-vector-pathogens. In this sense, this study aims to characterize tick cell lines and use them as a substrate for the growth, maintenance and protein expression profile of Anaplasma marginale.

蜱虫（Tick）是一类具有重要医学与兽医学意义的节肢动物，众多蜱虫物种可将病毒、细菌及原生动物传播至宿主。部分蜱传病原体难以进行体外（in vitro）培养，且无法在人工培养基中增殖。蜱细胞培养已成为分离与研究病原体的优异工具，可用于制备诊断检测所需的抗原物质、抗体及疫苗，同时也可用于开展宿主-媒介-病原体三者间相互关系的研究。基于此，本研究旨在对蜱细胞系进行特征鉴定，并将其作为培养底物，用于边缘无浆体（Anaplasma marginale）的生长、维持及蛋白质表达谱分析。