Unravelling the Ctenocephalides felis felis-Bartonella henselae interactome by proteomic approaches

Abstract

Among the several Ctenocephalides felis felis-borne pathogens, Bartonella henselae, the main etiological agent of cat scratch disease (CSD), stands out. This Gram-negative Alphaproteobacteria is naturally transmitted by C. felis felis among cats, which represent its main vertebrate reservoirs. Besides CSD, B. henselae has also been associated with endocarditis, osteomyelitis, neuroretinitis in immunocompetent persons, and bacillary angiomatosis, bacillary peliosis and endocarditis in immunocompromised individuals. Despite the importance of B. henselae as an emergent pathogen, the control of the diseases caused by this agent mostly relies on the use of ectoparasiticides against cat fleas. A vaccine targeting both flea fitness and pathogen competence is an attractive and environmentally-friend choice, requiring the identification of flea molecules with a dual effect. Therefore, it is desirable to gain more knowledge about the relationship between C. felis fleas and B. henselae, to better understand flea and pathogen biology, pathogen transmission dynamics, and new potential control approaches. The present work aims to investigate the proteins differentially represented in non-infected and B. henselae-infected C. felis felis fleas, representing the first step on the selection of potential anti-fleas and B. henselae vaccine candidates. (AU)