Cloning and molecular analysis of voraxin-α gene of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

Abstract

To identify suitable targets for development of cross-protective tick vaccine, in silico analysis was attempted and male tick derived molecule, voraxin-α was targeted. The voraxin-α homologue of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was cloned, sequenced and analyzed employing standard methods. The deduced amino acids sequence analysis of the 419 bp cloned voraxin-α gene of R. (B.) microplus indicated very high (94.6 %) similarity with voraxin-α of the R. appendiculatus and moderate to low identity with Amblyomma hebraeum, Dermacentor silvarum and Haemaphysalis longicornis. The results suggest that recombinant voraxin-α might be a good candidate as cross-protective anti-tick vaccine.

Keywords: Anti-tick vaccine; Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus; Voraxin-α.

Fig. 1

Amplification and molecular analysis of voraxin-α gene. A and B: PCR amplification and nucleotide sequence of voraxin-α homologue of R. (B.) microplus (419 bp), respectively. DNA ladder: 100 bp plus DNA ladder (MBI, Fermentas, USA). C and D: Sequence alignment and neighbour-joining analysis of deduce amino acid sequences of voraxin-α (orf only) gene of different species of hard ticks, respectively. The amino acid residues that differ from R. (B.) microplus are highlighted by black solid shade. The evolutionary distances were computed using the Poisson correction method. Branch value indicated in 0.1 point scale