Anthropogenic electromagnetic radiation alters the transcription levels of the genes encoding the SIFamide and myoinhibitory peptide and their receptors in Ixodes ricinus synganglion.
Lívia Šofranková, Miroslav Baňas, Natália Pipová, Igor Majláth, Juraj Kurimský, Roman Cimbala, Ján Zbojovský, Ladislav Šimo, Viktória Majláthová
Author Information
Lívia Šofranková: Department of Animal Physiology, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04180, Košice, Slovakia. ORCID
Miroslav Baňas: Department of Animal Physiology, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04180, Košice, Slovakia. ORCID
Natália Pipová: Department of Animal Physiology, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04180, Košice, Slovakia. ORCID
Igor Majláth: Department of Animal Physiology, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04180, Košice, Slovakia. ORCID
Juraj Kurimský: Department of Electric Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engeneering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice, Mäsiarska 74, 04120, Košice, Slovakia. ORCID
Roman Cimbala: Department of Electric Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engeneering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice, Mäsiarska 74, 04120, Košice, Slovakia. ORCID
Ján Zbojovský: Department of Electric Power Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engeneering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice, Mäsiarska 74, 04120, Košice, Slovakia. ORCID
Ladislav Šimo: Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Unitè Mixte de Recherche de Biologie Molèculaire et d'Immunologie Parasitaires (UMR BIPAR), École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, INRAE, F-94700, Maisons-Alfort, ANSES, France. ORCID
Viktória Majláthová: Department of Animal Physiology, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Šrobárova 2, 04180, Košice, Slovakia. viktoria.majlathova@upjs.sk. ORCID
The research of the influences of man-made electromagnetic fields on tick physiology has been very sparse and long neglected since the pioneer studies published in 1996 and 2000. Once multiple behavioral tests confirmed an attraction and possible perception of electromagnetic fields in ticks, a new interest in this topic erupted in recent years. In this study, qRT-PCR is utilized to determine the changes in the mRNA transcript levels of neuropeptides SIFamide and myoinhibitory peptide (mip and sifa) and their representative receptors (mip-r1 and sifa-r1) in the synganglia of the tick Ixodes ricinus irradiated by 900 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic field. It was determined that 40 V/m intensity has a significant suppressory effect on the transcript levels of all genes after at least 60 minutes of constant exposure in both sexes. Commonly occurring intensity of radiation in urban areas (2 V/m) produced an elevation in mRNA levels after various timespans in every gene. A significant decrease of transcript abundances was detected in females after one hour of exposure to 2 V/m. Results of this study widen the knowledge of EMF-induced alterations in the neurophysiology of I. ricinus, the most commonly distributed hard tick in Europe.
