Cellular immune response of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma americanum to entomopathogenic fungi: Implications for biological tick control
Data files
Mar 27, 2026 version files 29.93 KB
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DATA_Differential_cells.zip
9.22 KB
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DATA_Hemocytes_quantification_Amblyomma_americanum.zip
4.17 KB
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DATA_Phenoloxidase_activity_A._americanum.zip
4.53 KB
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DATA_Survival_Amblyomma.spp.zip
4.81 KB
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README.md
7.19 KB
Abstract
Amblyomma spp. (Acari, Ixodidae) serve as primary vectors for numerous pathogens and exhibit notably less susceptibility to entomopathogenic fungi, which are widely used as biological control agents. This dataset contains experimental data generated to characterize the cellular immune response of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma americanum following exposure to the entomopathogenic fungi. The dataset includes total hemocyte counts, frequencies of morphologically identified hemocyte types, survival data of adult unfed ticks after fungal infection, and measurements of phenoloxidase enzymatic activity. Data files are provided in structured tabular formats with variables describing species, fungal strain, and treatment conditions. These datasets support comparative arthropod immunology research and host-pathogen interaction studies. No sensitive or personally identifiable information is included, and all biological procedures were conducted in accordance with institutional biosafety and ethical guidelines.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2547d7x5f
Description of the data and file structure
These data were generated from experiments designed to evaluate the cellular immune responses of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma americanum to infection by the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium robertsii ARSEF 2575 or Beauveria bassiana ARSEF 9588. The dataset includes total hemocyte quantification, hemocyte-type identification, and phenoloxidase activity assays performed on hemolymph samples collected from engorged females. Survival was monitored following the immersion of unfed adult ticks in conidial suspensions. A control solution was used in all experiments. Measurements were collected across three independent biological replicates and organized into files documenting fungal strains, treatment conditions, and response variables.
Files and variables
File: DATA_Hemocytes_quantification_Amblyomma_americanum.zip
Description: This compressed file contains a CSV data file (DATA_Hemocytes quantification_A. americanum.csv) used to tabulate hemocyte counts in Amblyomma americanum following fungal infection with Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium robertsii, or a control treatment. The dataset includes hemocyte quantification for each replicate within each treatment group. Empty cells occur because the mean and standard deviation of replicates are reported per treatment group and are not repeated for individual replicate entries. The file also includes the statistical analysis report (One-way ANOVA of Data_Hemocytes quantification_A. americanum_GraphPad report.txt) exported from GraphPad Prism, documenting the results of a one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's post hoc test.
Format: .zip
Variables included:
- Replicates: identifier for each biologically independent replicate.
- Treatment: control solution or fungal suspension (B. bassiana or M. robertsii).
- Cell count: hemocyte quantification measured following treatment.
- Mean: mean hemocyte count calculated across all replicates within each treatment.
- Standard deviation: standard deviation of hemocyte counts within each treatment group.
File: DATA_Survival_Amblyomma.spp.zip
Description: This compressed file contains the GraphPad Prism reports used to compare survival curves of Amblyomma sculptum (R_Survival_of_A.sculptum.txt) and Amblyomma americanum (R_Survival_of_A.americanum.txt) following fungal infection with Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium robertsii. The statistical analyses were performed using the Log-Rank (Mantel-Cox) test. CSV files containing the time-to-death records (days) for each treatment group, including data for Amblyomma americanum (DATA_Amblyomma americanum survival.csv) and Amblyomma sculptum (DATA_Amblyomma sculptum survival.csv), are also included. Empty cells indicate individuals for which no death event was recorded during the observation period.
Format: .zip
Variables included:
- Tick species: A. sculptum or A. americanum.
- Treatment: control solution or fungal suspension (B. bassiana or M. robertsii).
- Time (days): time point at which individuals were recorded as alive or dead.
- Statistical outputs: Log-Rank test results (p-values and chi-square values).
File: DATA_Phenoloxidase_activity_A._americanum.zip
Description: This compressed file contains a CSV file (DATA_Phenoloxidase activity_A. americanum.csv) presenting tabulated phenoloxidase activity in Amblyomma americanum following fungal infection with Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium robertsii, or a control treatment. The dataset includes absorbance measurements for each replicate within each treatment group. Empty cells occur because the mean and standard deviation of replicates are reported once per treatment group and are not repeated for individual replicate entries. The file also includes an R Markdown report (R_Phenoloxidase activity_A. americanum.txt) containing the statistical analyses performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc test for multiple comparisons.
Format: .zip
Variables included:
- Replicate: identifier for each biologically independent replicate.
- Treatment: experimental condition (control solution, B. bassiana or M. robertsii suspension).
- Mean of absorbance: mean absorbance values measured for phenoloxidase activity following treatment.
- Standard deviation: standard deviation of absorbance means within each treatment group.
- Mean of replicates: mean of absorbance measurements across all replicates for the same treatment.
File: DATA_Differential_cells.zip
Description: This compressed file contains CSV files presenting tabulated hemocyte differential counts (cell type characterization) in Amblyomma americanum (DATA_Differential cells_A.americanum.csv) and Amblyomma sculptum (DATA_Differential cells_A. sculptum.csv) following fungal infection with Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium robertsii, or a control treatment. The dataset includes detailed hemocyte characterization for each replicate, consisting of three slide counts (slides 1, 2, and 3) per treatment group. The file also includes statistical analysis reports (R_Differential cells_A. americanum.txt; R_Differential cells_A. sculptum.txt) generated in R for both tick species. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc test for multiple comparisons.
Format: .zip
Variables included:
- Cell type: hemocyte types characterized in Amblyomma spp. post treatment. The five categories include: granulocyte, plasmatocyte, prohemocyte, oenocytoid, and spherulocyte.
- Replicate: identifier for each biologically independent replicate.
- Treatment: experimental condition (control solution, B. bassiana or M. robertsii suspension).
- Slides 1, 2, and 3: number of cells of each type observed in each of the three slides prepared per replicate.
- Mean: mean number of hemocytes across the three slides prepared for each replicate and treatment.
- Standard deviation: standard deviation of hemocyte counts across slides within each treatment group.
Code/software
The data analyses were performed using R software version 4.4.2. Datasets were verified for homoscedasticity using the Bartlett test and normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test. The mean values of phenoloxidase activity and hemocyte characterization were then analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc test, with the easyanova, FSA, and Dunn packages. A significance threshold of p < 0.05 was applied. Survival curves were constructed and analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 10.4.1 with the Log-rank test. All datasets are provided in CSV formats compatible with standard software. The analyses can be reproduced using the provided data.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- The dataset is not available in any other public repository.
Engorged females of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma americanum were inoculated intra-hemocoel with conidial suspensions of Metarhizium robertsii ARSEF 2575 or Beauveria bassiana ARSEF 9588. After fungal treatment, ticks were maintained under controlled temperature and humidity conditions for 24 hours prior to hemolymph collection. Hemolymph samples were collected through dorsal incisions and processed for: 1) total hemocyte quantification using hemocytometer; 2) morphological identification of hemocyte types using hemolymph smears on glass slides; 3) determination of phenoloxidase activity through spectrophotometric enzymatic assays using L-DOPA as substrate. In addition, unfed adult ticks were immersed in conidial suspensions of the same fungal strains for survival analysis and monitored daily. All experiments were performed in three independent biological replicates, with Tween solution included as the control treatment. Raw measurements were tabulated in structured spreadsheets and annotated with metadata describing species, fungal strain, and treatment conditions.