Dermacentor variabilis: Characterization and modeling of macrophage migration inhibitory factor with phylogenetic comparisons to other ticks, insects and parasitic nematodes

► MIF was characterized from the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. ► Nucleotide and amino acid sequences shared a high conservation with other tick MIFs. ► There was cross species sequence conservation in ticks, insects and nematodes. ► An oxidoreductase domain was not found in tick MIF. ► Tick MIFs share a close evolutionary proximity to parasitic nematode MIFs.