**4. Acknowledgment**

This work was supported by grants from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro–FAPERJ, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico– CNPq, Programa de Núcleos de Excelência–PRONEX, Programa Nacional de Cooperação Acadêmica–PROCAD-CAPES, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia/Entomologia Molecular–INCT/EM and FUNEMAC.

## **5. References**


Additionally, mitochondrial polyphosphate can form polyphosphate/Ca2+/PHB complexes (Reusch, 1989) with ion-conducting properties similar to those of the native mitochondrial permeability transition pore (Pavlov et al., 2005). Polyphosphatases localized in the membrane can not only degrade, but they can also synthesize polyphosphate inside these complexes (Lichko et al., 1998). During the embryogenesis of *R. microplus*, the synthesis of polyphosphate occurs in mitochondria but not in the nuclei (Figure 11). As polyphosphate kinases have only been found in prokaryotes, the observation that polyphosphate synthesis in ticks only occurs in the mitochondrial fraction supports the possibility that such synthesis probably occurs via the action of these complexes, as already suggested for other organisms (Reusch and Sadoff, 1988; Lichko et al., 1998; Reusch et al., 1998; Abramov et al., 2007).

The ubiquity of polyphosphate and the variation in its chain length, location and metabolism indicate the relevant functions of this polymer, including those in animal systems. The present study showed that electron flux and the redox state may exert some influence on and be influenced by the activity of membrane exopolyphosphatase, and its describes a role for polyphosphate in the energy supply and ATP synthesis during embryogenesis of the hard tick *R. microplus*. In this sense, a more comprehensive understanding of polyphosphate biochemistry during tick embryo development may unravel additional targets that could be effective in the control of this ectoparasite and shed

This work was supported by grants from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro–FAPERJ, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico– CNPq, Programa de Núcleos de Excelência–PRONEX, Programa Nacional de Cooperação Acadêmica–PROCAD-CAPES, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia/Entomologia

Abramov, A. Y., Fraley, C., Diao, C. T., Winkfein, R., Colicos, M. A., Duchen, M. R., French,

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R. J. & Pavlov, E. (2007). Targeted polyphosphatase expression alters mitochondrial metabolism and inhibits calcium-dependent cell death. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*. Vol.104, (November, 2007), pp. 18091–18096, ISSN 0027-8424 Bate, M. & Arias, A, M. (1991). The embryonic origin of imaginal discs in Drosophila.

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Nascimento, A., Pelajo-Machado, M., Lenzi, H., Masuda, A., Vaz Ida S Jr. & Logullo, C. (2006). Kinetics of energy source utilization in *Boophilus microplus* (Canestrini, 1887) (Acari: Ixodidae) embryonic development. *Veterinary Parasitology,*

**3. Conclusion** 

new light on polyphosphate metabolism.

Molecular–INCT/EM and FUNEMAC.

ISSN 0576-5544

**4. Acknowledgment** 

**5. References** 


**Part 2** 

**Reviews of Bioenergetics Applied to** 

**Performance Optimization** 

