ADSL and infection: The tick species and tissue-specific nature are intriguing as it has been reported that basal levels of AMPs are present in the tick midgut (Guizzo et al., 2024), whereas in Amblyomma maculatum, infection with Rickettsia parkeri induces transcription of more than 11,000 immune-related genes, including Relish, in tick hemocytes (Adegoke et al., 2023).