In vitro cultivation of Anaplasma marginale and A. phagocytophilum in tick cell lines: a review

Abstract

<jats:p>Continuous cell lines have been established from several ixodid and argasid tick species, representing an excellent tool suitable for the isolation of pathogens and their subsequent propagation, which in turn allows the production of antigenic material for diagnostic tests, antibody and vaccine production, and also for studies on host-vector-pathogen relationships. This paper reviews the use of tick cells for culture initiation and maintenance of two obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens, Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. These in vitro cultivation systems have been used in a wide range of studies, covering morphological ultrastructural analysis, genetics, proteomics and biological differences between strains, including genome transcriptional and protein expression approaches, enabling comparisons between host and vector cells. Thus, such systems open a new window for a better understanding of interactions between pathogens and tick cells. Last but not least, such systems contribute to the reduction in usage of animals for experimental research, as antigenic material can be produced in reasonably large quantities without the use of in vivo species-specific systems.</jats:p>

Detection of relapsing fever Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp. and Anaplasmataceae bacteria in argasid ticks in Algeria

“…marginale and A . phagocytophilum in argasid ticks cell lines has been achieved [ 41 ]. As discussed above, the detection of DNA in a tick does not mean that this tick is an efficient vector of the bacteria.…”

Propagation of the Israeli vaccine strain of Anaplasma centrale in tick cell lines

“…Availability of continuous in vitro culture systems for other Anaplasma species resulted in a rapid expansion of knowledge on many different aspects of, in particular, A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum , reviewed by Blouin et al (2002) , Bell-Sakyi et al (2007) and more recently by Passos (2012) . The ability to grow A. centrale in tick cells will facilitate a similar expansion of knowledge of this enigmatic bacterium and, importantly, opens up the possibility of producing A. centrale vaccine in an in vitro system that will be much safer and more controllable than the current in vivo system ( OIE, 2014 ).…”

European Network for Neglected Vectors and Vector-Borne Infections COST Action Guidelines: What Is This About and What Is This For?

“…The continuous culture of A. marginale was first achieved in an Ixodes scapularis embryo-derived cell line (IDE8) (Munderloh et al 1994. Since then, many isolates have been established in the IDE8 cell line, as well as in other tick cell lines (Munderloh et al 2004, Zivkovic et al 2010, making possible a more intense study of A. marginale biology, as reviewed by Blouin et al (2002) and Passos (2012). Very recently, continuous cultures of the vaccine strain of A. centrale were established for the first time in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus RAE25 and Dermacentor variabilis DVE1 cell lines .…”