Evaluation of anti‐tick efficiency in rabbits induced by DNA vaccines encoding Haemaphysalis longicornis lipocalin homologue

Abstract Haemaphysalis longicornis is an obligate haematophagous ectoparasite, transmitting a variety of pathogens, which brings great damage to human health and animal husbandry development. Lipocalins (LIP) are a family of proteins that transport small hydrophobic molecules and also involve in immune regulation, such as the regulation of cell homeostasis, inhibiting the host's inflammatory response and resisting the contractile responses in host blood vessels. Therefore, it is one of the candidate antigens for vaccines. Based on previous studies, we constructed the recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.1‐HlLIP of LIP homologue from H. longicornis (HlLIP). ELISA results showed that rabbits immunized with pcDNA3.1‐HlLIP produced higher anti‐rHlLIP antibody levels compared with the pcDNA3.1 group, indicating that pcDNA3.1‐HlLIP induced the humoral immune response of host. Adult H. longicornis infestation trial in rabbits demonstrated that the engorgement weight, oviposition and hatchability of H. longicornis fed on rabbits immunized with pcDNA3.1‐HlLIP decreased by 7.07%, 14.30% and 11.70% respectively, compared with that of the pcDNA3.1 group. In brief, DNA vaccine of pcDNA3.1‐HlLIP provided immune protection efficiency of 30% in rabbits. This study demonstrated that pcDNA3.1‐HlLIP can partially protect rabbits against H. longicornis , and it is possible to develop a new candidate antigen against ticks.