Date of Award
Spring 2026
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Biological Sciences BS
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Alexandre Marques
Advisor Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract
The lack of effective preventive measures for tick-borne diseases represents a major public health challenge. Transmission-blocking vaccines targeting tick molecules essential for feeding or reproduction could provide a sustainable and broad-spectrum solution. In this study, we evaluated two tick-derived proteins as potential vaccine antigens, subolesin, a key regulator of blood-feeding and cellular processes, and vitellogenin, a protein involved in egg development. Using bioinformatic tools, we identified immunogenic peptide sequences from each protein and chemically conjugated them to virus-like particles (VLPs) to enhance antigen presentation. C57BL/6 mice were immunized intradermally with VLP-peptide conjugates, followed by a booster dose. Blood and spleen samples were collected after the final immunization to evaluate humoral and cellular immune responses. Serum IgG levels were quantified by ELISA, and spleen cell supernatants were analyzed for cytokine production, including interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Both peptide constructs elicited robust IgG antibody responses and significant IFN-γ production, while TNF-α levels were not significantly elevated. These findings suggest that the selected subolesin- and vitellogenin-derived peptide antigens induce strong humoral immunity and IFN-γ–associated cellular activation. The results provide encouraging preliminary evidence that these antigens are promising candidates for the development of transmission-blocking vaccines to control tick-borne diseases. Future work will include further immunological characterization and efficacy testing in challenge models.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Futral, Madelyn, "Evaluation of Tick-Derived Peptides for Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Candidates" (2026). Honors Theses. 1117.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/1117
Comments
Blanket Permission for Future Readers: Uncertain, please contact me with future requests at the following NON-USM email address: madelynalyssa7@icloud.com