Peak masses distinguishing uninfected and <i>R.slovaca</i>-infected D. marginatus Ticks and the determination of the peak masses shared with a purified R. slovaca strain based on statistical analysis with ClinProTools.

<p>Peak masses distinguishing uninfected and <i>R.slovaca</i>-infected D. marginatus Ticks and the determination of the peak masses shared with a purified R. slovaca strain based on statistical analysis with ClinProTools.</p

Tick species selected for blind tests against the arthropod MALDI-TOF MS reference databases.

<p>* Negative qPCR;</p><p>^a Database 1 is composed of 6 tick, 30 mosquito and 5 flea species and other arthropods such as a louse (<i>Pediculus humanus corporis</i>), triatomines (<i>Triatoma infestans</i>) and bedbugs (<i>Cimex lectularius</i>);</p><p>^b Database 2 is composed of Database 1 plus <i>Rickettsia</i> spp infected by <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> and <i>D. marginatus</i>; LSVs, log score values.</p><p>Tick species selected for blind tests against the arthropod MALDI-TOF MS reference databases.</p

Comparison of MALDI-TOF MS profiles of Ticks infected or not by <i>Rickettsia</i> spp.

<p>Representative spectra from biological replicates of <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> (A, B), <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> infected by <i>R. conorii conorii</i> (C, D), <i>D. marginatus</i> (E, F) and <i>D. marginatus</i> infected by <i>R. slovaca</i> (G, H) were aligned using Flex analysis 3.3 software. a.u., arbitrary units; m/z, mass-to-charge ratio.</p

Peak masses distinguishing uninfected and <i>R. c conorii</i>-infected <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> Ticks and the determination of the peak masses shared with a purified <i>R. c. conorii</i> strain based on statistical analysis with ClinProTools.

<p>Peak masses distinguishing uninfected and <i>R. c conorii</i>-infected <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> Ticks and the determination of the peak masses shared with a purified <i>R. c. conorii</i> strain based on statistical analysis with ClinProTools.</p

Location of discriminating peak masses shared between the spectra acquired from <i>Rickettsia</i>-infected specimens and the corresponding <i>Rickettsia</i> strain using Flex analysis software 3.3.

<p>The alignment spectra comparing the infected specimen and the corresponding strain spectra are shown in detail. (A) <i>R. conorii conorii</i> shared discriminating peak masses located on the MS profile of <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> infected by <i>R. conorii conorii</i>. (B) <i>R. slovaca</i> shared discriminating peak masses located on the MS profile of <i>D. marginatus</i> infected by <i>R. slovaca</i>.</p

Alignment of MALDI-TOF MS profiles of <i>Rickettsia</i> strains and tick species infected or not by <i>Rickettsia</i> using Flex analysis 3.3 software.

<p>Representative spectra of a purified <i>R. conorii conorii</i> strain (A), <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> (B), <i>Rh. sanguineus</i> infected by <i>R. conorii conorii</i> (C), a purified <i>R. slovaca</i> strain (D), <i>D. marginatus</i> (E) and <i>D. marginatus</i> infected by <i>R. slovaca</i> (F) are presented. a.u., arbitrary units; m/z, mass-to-charge ratio.</p