Identification of a synthetic peptide inducing cross-reactive antibodies binding to Rhipicephalus ( Boophilus ) decoloratus , Rhipicephalus ( Boophilus ) microplus , Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus BM86 homologues

Abstract The BM86 antigen, originally identified in Rhipicephalus ( Boophilus ) microplus , is the basis of the only commercialized anti-tick vaccine. The long-term goal of our study is to improve BM86 based vaccines by induction of high levels of tick gut binding antibodies that are also cross-reactive with a range of BM86 homologues expressed in other important tick species. Here we have used a BD86 derived synthetic peptide, BD86-3, to raise a series of mouse monoclonal antibodies. One of these mAbs, named 12.1, recognized BM86 homologues in immuno-histochemical analyses in four out of five tick species including R. ( B. ) microplus , Rhipicephalus ( Boophilus ) decoloratus , Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus . Our results indicate that broadly cross-reactive tick gut binding antibodies can be induced after immunization with a synthetic peptide derived from the protein BD86.