Term of Award
Fall 2022
Degree Name
Master of Science in Biology (M.S.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Biology
Committee Chair
Lisa Brown
Committee Member 1
Joshua Gibson
Committee Member 2
Lance Durden
Abstract
Despite their continued medical and veterinary importance, the vectorial capacity of fleas (Order Siphonaptera) is often underestimated. Fleas are best described as ectoparasites of a variety of mammalian and aviary hosts. In humans, fleas are infamous for the transmission of several detrimental agents, including those that cause plague, murine typhus, and cat-scratch disease. Although their significance in flea immune responses remains unknown, phagocytic immune cells, known as hemocytes, are important players in the cell mediated immune response of insects. Among invertebrates, hemocytes provide defense against foreign microbes via phagocytosis, cellular encapsulation, and the production of humoral immune factors. As mentioned above, current information on the types of hemocytes fleas produce, their relative abundance, and their functions is limited. This is a significant gap in knowledge, as improved understanding of how fleas defend themselves from infection could lead to the refinement of disease control strategies. To investigate the role of hemocytes in flea immunity, cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) were infected with the Gram-negative bacterium, Escherichia coli. Specifically, an E.coli infection was delivered via a septic pinprick, and the following parameters were measured: (1) in vivo bacteria killing efficiency; (2) quantification of circulating hemocytes; and (3) the relative capacity of hemocyte phagocytosis. The data show that hemocytes proliferate in response to a bacterial infection, and that these immune cells are highly phagocytic. Overall, this study provides important insight into how fleas interact with Gram-negative bacterial pathogens in their hemocoel, which can directly affect transmission of flea-borne diseases.
OCLC Number
1361715064
Catalog Permalink
https://galileo-georgiasouthern.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01GALI_GASOUTH/1r4bu70/alma9916469949102950
Recommended Citation
Muñoz, Melanie, "Hemocyte-mediated immune response to a bacterial infection in the cat flea (Ctenocephalides Felis)" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2512.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/2512
Research Data and Supplementary Material
Yes
