The characteristic analysis of ribosomal protein l12 in haemaphysalis longicornis (acari: ixodidae) ticks

Ribosomal protein L12 (RpL12) plays an important role in ovarian development and engorgement in vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the functional characteristics of RpL12 in ticks are not clear. Here, an open reading frame of the RpL12 gene was cloned from cDNA of Haemaphysalis longicornis. Th e sequence was analysed, and expression levels were determined in diff erent tissues and developmental stages using qPCR. To assess the immunization and challenge of ticks, the recombinant protein rRpL12+GST was used in immunological experiments. Th e results showed high conservation of RpL12 among species and comparisons of the amino acid sequence from H. longicornis. RpL12 was approximately 60% expressed in the ovary among the examined tissues of unfed adult female H. longicornis, and the expression level of RpL12 in unfed ticks was signifi cantly lower than that in H. longicornis at the egg and engorged stages. Western blotting showed that rabbit antiserum against H. longicornis adult ticks recognized RpL12, with an average egg weight of 49.94% and a 17.22% reduction in the engorged weight of adult ticks, but the mortality increased only 6.00%. Th ese results suggest that RpL12 could be used to generate anti-tick vaccines and provide novel information on the RpL12 gene of ticks, providing a better understanding of its mechanisms in reproduction and oogenesis.