ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2019
Inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channels mediate salivary gland function and blood feeding in the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 35 citations in OpenAlex.
- Inward Rectifier Potassium (Kir) Channel Inhibitors Protect Citrus from the Asian Citrus Psyllid by Inducing Toxicity and Inhibition of Feeding.Journal of agricultural and food chemistry · 2026Article
- Discovery of mCMV280: An Oral Ectoparasiticide in the Isoxazoline Class with Reduced Mammalian Brain Exposure.Journal of medicinal chemistry · 2026Article
- Two types of axonal muscarinic acetylcholine receptors mediate formation of saliva cocktail in the tick Ixodes ricinus.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Contribution of glial inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels to potassium buffering in insect neural systems.iScience · 2025Article
- Characterization of Transstadial Transmission of Rickettsia Amblyommatis in Haemaphysalis Longicornis Using Optimized Artificial Membrane Feeding System.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Article
- A silicon-membrane based artificial feeding system for Amblyomma sculptum nymphs.Experimental & applied acarology · 2025Article
- Involvement of Inwardly Rectifying Potassium (Kir) Channels in the Toxicity of Flonicamid toInsects · 2025Article
- Repellent activity of essential oils to the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Optimization of artificial membrane feeding system for lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae), and experimental infection with Rickettsia amblyommatis (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae).Journal of medical entomology · 2024Article
- Key molecules regulating the blood meals ofVeterinary research forum : an international quarterly journal · 2024Article
- Potassium ion channels as a molecular target to reduce virus infection and mortality of honey bee colonies.Virology journal · 2023Article
- Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems forMicroorganisms · 2023Article
- ATP-sensitive inward rectifier potassium channels reveal functional linkage between salivary gland function and blood feeding in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti.Communications biology · 2022Article
- Phylogenomics of Tick Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels and Their Potential as Targets to Innovate Control Technologies.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2021Review
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTick feeding causes extreme morbidity and mortality to humans through transmission of pathogens and causes severe economic losses to the agricultural industry by reducing livestock yield. Salivary gland secretions are essential for tick feeding and thus, reducing or preventing saliva secretions into the vertebrate host is likely to reduce feeding and hinder pathogen life cycles. Unfortunately, the membrane physiology of tick salivary glands is underexplored and this gap in knowledge limits the development of novel therapeutics for inducing cessation of tick feeding. METHODOLOGY: We studied the influence of inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channel subtypes to the functional capacity of the isolated tick salivary gland through the use of a modified Ramsay assay. The secreted saliva was subsequently used for quantification of the elemental composition of the secreted saliva after the glands were exposed to K+ channel modulators as a measure of osmoregulatory capacity. Lastly, changes to blood feeding behavior and mortality were measured with the use of a membrane feeding system. PRINCIPAL
findingsIn this study, we characterized the fundamental role of Kir channel subtypes in tick salivary gland function and provide evidence that pharmacological inhibition of these ion channels reduces the secretory activity of the Amblyomma americanum salivary gland. The reduced secretory capacity of the salivary gland was directly correlated with a dramatic reduction of blood ingestion during feeding. Further, exposure to small-molecule modulators of Kir channel subtypes induced mortality to ticks that is likely resultant from an altered osmoregulatory capacity.
conclusionsOur data contribute to understanding of tick salivary gland function and could guide future campaigns aiming to develop chemical or reverse vaccinology technologies to reduce the worldwide burden of tick feeding and tick-vectored pathogens.
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