Ectoparasite saliva proteins and apparatus to collect such proteins

A formulation comprising at least one isolated ectoparasite saliva product substantially free of contaminating material, said formulation being produced by a process comprising:

• (a) collecting ectoparasite saliva products on a collection means within a saliva collection apparatus containing ectoparasites, said apparatus comprising:
• (i) a housing operatively connected to a chamber, said chamber having an ambient temperature warmer than said housing thereby forming a temperature differential between said housing and said chamber, said housing being capable of retaining ectoparasites;
• and
• (ii) an interface between said housing and said chamber, said interface comprising ((a)) a means capable of collecting at least a portion of saliva products deposited by ectoparasites retained in said apparatus and ((b)) a barrier means capable of substantially preventing contaminating material from contacting said collection means, wherein said temperature differential attracts ectoparasites retained in said housing to attempt to feed through said barrier means and collection means and, thereby, deposit saliva products on said collection means;
• and
• (b) extracting said saliva products from said collection means to obtain said formulation.

A formulation comprising at least one isolated ectoparasite saliva protein, wherein said ectoparasite saliva protein comprises at least a portion of an amino acid sequence, wherein said portion is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule that hybridizes under stringent hybridization conditions with a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a flea saliva protein present in a flea saliva extract selected from the group consisting of FS-1, FS-2 and FS-3 flea saliva extracts, wherein said formulation is produced by a process selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) culturing a recombinant cell transformed with at least one nucleic acid molecule encoding at least one of said ectoparasite saliva proteins to produce said formulation;
• and (b) a process comprising:
• (i) collecting ectoparasite saliva products on a collection means within a saliva collection apparatus containing ectoparasites, said apparatus comprising:
• ((a)) a housing operatively connected to a chamber, said chamber having an ambient temperature warmer than said housing thereby forming a temperature differential between said housing and said chamber, said housing being capable of retaining ectoparasites;
• and
• ((b)) an interface between said housing and said chamber, said interface comprising ((i)) a means capable of collecting at least a portion of saliva products deposited by ectoparasites retained in said apparatus and ((ii)) a barrier means capable of substantially preventing contaminating material from contacting said collection means, wherein said temperature differential attracts ectoparasites retained in said housing to attempt to feed through said barrier means and collection means and, thereby, deposit saliva products on said collection means;
• and
• (ii) extracting said saliva products from said collection means to obtain said formulation.