Quantitative proteomic analysis of salivary glands in female Ornithodoros lahorensis (syn. Alveonasus lahorensis) after blood feeding via DIA-coupled LC-MS/MS.

Ornithodoros lahorensis (syn. Alveonasus lahorensis) is a species of soft tick within the Argasidae family, known for causing debilitating symptoms, as well as transmitting pathogens that pose significant health risks and economic losses to affected livestock and potentially humans. The salivary gland is the key component in the pathogenic mechanisms of ticks, as it not only facilitates feeding but also serves as a medium for pathogen transmission. Here, data-independent acquisition (DIA) coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to quantitatively identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in female O. lahorensis salivary glands after blood feeding. A total of 3866 proteins were annotated, and 1185 DEPs were identified at 24 h post-feeding (1105 upregulated, 80 downregulated). The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD059319. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that these DEPs are primarily involved in metabolic processes, immune regulation, ribosomal assembly, and signal transduction. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the O. lahorensis salivary glands proteomes during the early post-feeding period, offering valuable insights for future research on and control ticks and tick-borne diseases.