Influence of <i>IrSPI</i> silencing on tick feeding and tick SG infection by <i>B. henselae</i>.

<p><i>IrSPI</i>-siRNA (siRNA) or nuclease free water (control) were microinjected into the body of <i>B. henselae</i>-infected <i>I. ricinus</i> females before ticks were fed a non-infected blood meal during 7 days. A) Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of <i>IrSPI</i> gene expression levels in pools of eight tick SGs from <i>IrSPI</i>-siRNA injected ticks and controls. The results are represented as the mean ± SEM of qRT-PCR performed in triplicate. B) Weight evaluation of <i>IrSPI</i>-siRNA injected tick body mass compared to controls. The results are represented as the mean ± SEM of eight ticks weighed individually. C) Quantitative PCR analysis of bacterial load in pools of eight tick SGs from <i>IrSPI</i>-siRNA injected ticks and controls. The results are represented as the mean ± SEM of qPCR performed in triplicate.