Differential gene expression in laboratory strains of human head and body lice when challenged with Bartonella quintana, a pathogenic bacterium

D. Previte, B. P. Olds, K. Yoon, W. Sun, W. Muir, Ken N Paige, S. H. Lee, J. Clark, J. E. Koehler, Barry Robert Pittendrigh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Human head and body lice are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites that belong to a single species, Pediculus humanus. Only body lice, however, are vectors of the infectious Gram-negative bacterium Bartonella quintana. Because of their near identical genomes, yet differential vector competence, head and body lice provide a unique model system to study the gain or loss of vector competence. Using our in vitro louse-rearing system, we infected head and body lice with blood containing B. quintana in order to detect both differences in the proliferation of B. quintana and transcriptional differences of immune-related genes in the lice. B. quintana proliferated rapidly in body lice at 6 days post-infection, but plateaued in head lice at 4 days post-infection. RNAseq and quantitative real-time PCR validation analyses determined gene expression differences. Eight immunoresponse genes were observed to be significantly different with many associated with the Toll pathway: Fibrinogen-like protein, Spaetzle, Defensin 1, Serpin, Scavenger receptor A and Apolipoporhrin 2. Our findings support the hypothesis that body lice, unlike head lice, fight infection from B. quintana only at the later stages of its proliferation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)244-254
Number of pages11
JournalInsect Molecular Biology
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2014

Keywords

  • Pediculus humanus capitis
  • Pediculus humanus humanus
  • disease vector
  • ectoparasite
  • insect
  • trench fever

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Insect Science

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