Fig. 4From: Rickettsia parkeri colonization in Amblyomma maculatum: the role of superoxide dismutasesImpact of SOD knockdown on microbiota load in naïve tick tissues. The bacterial load in the tick tissues (measured in copy numbers) was calculated by qRT-PCR using the bacterial 16 s rRNA gene and was normalized against the tick β-actin gene (copy number) in tick midguts and salivary glands each knockdown; Mn-SOD (a, b); Cu/Zn-SOD (c, d); and Dual SODs knockdown (e, f)Back to article page