The role of dietary haemoglobin in physiology and development of \kur{Ixodes ricinus} nymphal stage

Obligatory blood feeding ensures consistent composition (both molecular and cellular) and provides a comprehensive source of nutrients. Ticks imbibe host blood meal in their all active stages. For that reason, they were hypothesised to loose some biosynthetic pathways at the expense of developing acquisition and transporting networks. Availability of genomic and transcriptomic data of Ixodes spp. ticks revealed that they have lost genes encoding enzymes, participant in haem biosynthesis. Using an artificial membrane feeding system of hard ticks, it was demonstrated that adult I. ricinus females acquire haem from a host haemoglobin and transport extracted haem into ovaries. Ovaries devoid of host haem deposits failed to undergo embryogenesis and halted tick reproduction. Questions how juvenile stages of ticks require haem and for what purposes is a focus of this bachelor thesis