EXPRESSED SEQUENCED TAGS AND NEW GENES FROM THE CATTLE TICK, BOOPHILUS-MICROPLUS

We used the expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) approach to study the geno me of the cattle tick Boophilus microplus. One hundred and forty-two o f our 234 unique ESTs were from genes not previously identified from t icks, mites or any other arachnids. The largest class of identified ES Ts (29%) was from genes involved in transcription and translation. Nin ety-one ESTs (39% of all ESTs) did not match any sequences in internat ional databases; some of these may be specific to ticks. Thirteen perc ent of our ESTs were from ribosomal proteins and two ESTs were for gen es implicated in resistance to pesticides. (C) 1998 Chapman & Hall Ltd .