Faith Kozisek, Jonathon Cenovic, Savannah Armendariz, Subbaratnam Muthukrishnan, Yoonseong Park, Vinai C Thomas, Sujata S Chaudhari
Ticks, ectoparasitic arachnids, are prominent disease vectors impacting both humans and animals. Their unique blood-feeding phase involves significant abdominal cuticle expansion, sharing certain similarities with insects. However, vital aspects, including the mechanisms of cuticle expansion, changes in cuticular protein composition, chitin synthesis, and cuticle function, remain poorly understood. Given that the cuticle expansion is crucial for complete engorgement of the ticks, addressing these knowledge gaps is essential...
March 23, 2024: Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology