Male ticks help their mates to feed

Ixodid ticks produce a unique family of proteins that bind vertebrate immuno-globulins,. These immunoglobulin-binding proteins (IGBPs) were discovered when it was realized that ticks excrete host immunoglobulins in their saliva during feeding. We have sequenced three of these proteins and propose a new role for a male-specific IGBP that helps females to feed.