1
|
Liu ZL, Qiu QG, Cheng TY, Liu GH, Liu L, Duan DY. Composition of the Midgut Microbiota Structure of Haemaphysalis longicornis Tick Parasitizing Tiger and Deer. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1557. [PMID: 38891605 PMCID: PMC11171073 DOI: 10.3390/ani14111557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Haemaphysalis longicornis is a common tick species that carries several pathogens. There are few reports on the influence of different hosts on the structure of midgut microflora in H. longicornis. In this study, midgut contents of fully engorged female H. longicornis were collected from the surface of tiger (Panthera tigris) and deer (Dama dama). The bacterial genomic DNA of each sample was extracted, and the V3-V4 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA were sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq sequencing. The diversity of the bacterial community of the fully engorged female H. longicornis on the surface of tiger was higher than that of deer. In total, 8 phyla and 73 genera of bacteria annotations were detected in the two groups. At the phylum level, the bacterial phyla common to the two groups were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteriota. At the genus level, there were 20 common bacterial genera, among which the relative abundances of Coxiella, Morganella, Diplorickettsia, and Acinetobacter were high. The Morganella species was further identified to be Morganella morganii. The alpha diversity index indicated that the bacterial diversity of the tiger group was higher than that of the deer group. Bacteroidota, Patescibacteria, Desulfobacterota, Verrucomicrobiota, and Cyanobacteria were solely detected in the tiger group. A total of 52 bacterial genera were unique in the tiger group, while one bacterial genus was unique in the deer group. This study indicates that there are differences in the structure of the gut bacteria of the same tick species among different hosts. Further culture-based methods are needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the tick microbiota parasitizing different hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Ling Liu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Z.-L.L.); (T.-Y.C.); (G.-H.L.)
| | - Qi-Guan Qiu
- Changsha Ecological Zoo, Changsha 410128, China;
| | - Tian-Yin Cheng
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Z.-L.L.); (T.-Y.C.); (G.-H.L.)
| | - Guo-Hua Liu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Z.-L.L.); (T.-Y.C.); (G.-H.L.)
| | - Lei Liu
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Z.-L.L.); (T.-Y.C.); (G.-H.L.)
| | - De-Yong Duan
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; (Z.-L.L.); (T.-Y.C.); (G.-H.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Molina-Garza ZJ, Cuesy-León M, Baylón-Pacheco L, Rosales-Encina JL, Galaviz-Silva L. Diversity of midgut microbiota in ticks collected from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from northern Mexico. PARASITES, HOSTS AND DISEASES 2024; 62:117-130. [PMID: 38443775 PMCID: PMC10915265 DOI: 10.3347/phd.23006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Ticks host different pathogens as endosymbiont and nonpathogenic microorganisms and play an important role in reproductive fitness and nutrient provision. However, the bacterial microbiomes of white-tailed deer ticks have received minimal attention. This study aimed to examine the bacterial microbiome of ticks collected from Odocoileus virginianus on the Mexico-United States border to assess differences in microbiome diversity in ticks of different species, sexes, and localities. Five different tick species were collected: Rhipicephalus microplus, Dermacentor nitens, Otobius megnini, Amblyomma cajennense, and A. maculatum. The tick microbiomes were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Among all tick species, the most predominant phylum was Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. The ticks from Tamaulipas and Nuevo León presented the highest bacterial species diversity. Acinetobacter johnsonii and A. lwoffii were the common bacterial species in the microbiome of all ticks, Coxiella were present in R. microplus, and Dermacentor nitens also exhibited a Francisella-like endosymbiont. The microbiome of most females in D. nitens was less diverse than that of males, whereas R. microplus occurs in females, suggesting that microbiome diversity is influenced by sex. In the bacterial communities of A. maculatum and O. megnini, Candidatus Midichloria massiliensis, and Candidatus Endoecteinascidia fumentensis were the most predominant endosymbionts. These results constitute the initial report on these bacteria, and this is also the first study to characterize the microbiome of O. megnini.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zinnia Judith Molina-Garza
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio de Patología Molecular y Experimental, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico. C.P. 66455
| | - Mariana Cuesy-León
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio de Patología Molecular y Experimental, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico. C.P. 66455
| | - Lidia Baylón-Pacheco
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados de IPN. Av. IPN No. 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, Ciudad de México, C.P. 07360
| | - José Luis Rosales-Encina
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados de IPN. Av. IPN No. 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Del. Gustavo A. Madero, Ciudad de México, C.P. 07360
| | - Lucio Galaviz-Silva
- Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio de Patología Molecular y Experimental, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico. C.P. 66455
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Maitre A, Wu-Chuang A, Mateos-Hernández L, Piloto-Sardiñas E, Foucault-Simonin A, Cicculli V, Moutailler S, Paoli JC, Falchi A, Obregón D, Cabezas-Cruz A. Rickettsial pathogens drive microbiota assembly in Hyalomma marginatum and Rhipicephalus bursa ticks. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4660-4676. [PMID: 37366236 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Most tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) are secondarily acquired by ticks during feeding on infected hosts, which imposes 'priority effect' constraints, as arrival order influences the establishment of new species in a microbial community. Here we tested whether once acquired, TBPs contribute to bacterial microbiota functioning by increasing community stability. For this, we used Hyalomma marginatum and Rhipicephalus bursa ticks collected from cattle in different locations of Corsica and combined 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and co-occurrence network analysis, with high-throughput pathogen detection, and in silico removal of nodes to test for impact of rickettsial pathogens on network properties. Despite its low centrality, Rickettsia showed preferential connections in the networks, notably with a keystone taxon in H. marginatum, suggesting facilitation of Rickettsia colonisation by the keystone taxon. In addition, conserved patterns of community assembly in both tick species were affected by Rickettsia removal, suggesting that privileged connections of Rickettsia in the networks make this taxon a driver of community assembly. However, Rickettsia removal had minor impact on the conserved 'core bacterial microbiota' of H. marginatum and R. bursa. Interestingly, networks of the two tick species with Rickettsia have similar node centrality distribution, a property that is lost after Rickettsia removal, suggesting that this taxon drives specific hierarchical interactions between bacterial microbes in the microbiota. The study indicates that tick-borne Rickettsia play a significant role in the tick bacterial microbiota, despite their low centrality. These bacteria are influential and contribute to the conservation of the 'core bacterial microbiota' while also promoting community stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Apolline Maitre
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
- INRAE, UR 0045 Laboratoire de Recherches Sur Le Développement de L'Elevage (SELMET-LRDE), Corte, France
- EA 7310, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse, Corte, France
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Lourdes Mateos-Hernández
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas
- Direction of Animal Health, National Center for Animal and Plant Health, Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional, San José de las Lajas, Cuba
| | - Angélique Foucault-Simonin
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Vincent Cicculli
- EA 7310, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse, Corte, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Paoli
- INRAE, UR 0045 Laboratoire de Recherches Sur Le Développement de L'Elevage (SELMET-LRDE), Corte, France
| | - Alessandra Falchi
- EA 7310, Laboratoire de Virologie, Université de Corse, Corte, France
| | - Dasiel Obregón
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Che Lah EF, Ahamad M, Dmitry A, Md Zain BM, Yaakop S. Metagenomic profile of the bacterial communities associated with Ixodes granulatus (Acari: Ixodidae): a potential vector of tick-borne diseases. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023:7131392. [PMID: 37075471 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ixodes granulatus Supino, 1897 (Acari: Ixodida) is one of Malaysia's most common hard ticks and is a potential vector for tick-borne diseases (TBDs). Despite its great public health importance, research on I. granulatus microbial communities remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bacterial communities of on-host I. granulatus collected from three different recreational areas on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia using high throughput Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). A total of 9 females on-host I. granulatus were subjected to metabarcoding analysis targeting V3-V4 regions of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) using the Illumina MiSeq platform. This study identified 15 bacterial phyla corresponding to 19 classes, 54 orders, and 90 families from 435 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), revealing a diverse bacterial community profile. Together with 130 genera assigned, local I. granulatus harbored 4 genera of pathogens, i.e., Rickettsia da Rocha Lima, 1916 (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) (58.6%), Borrelia Swellengrebel 1907 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (31.6%), Borreliella Adeolu and Gupta 2015 (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae) (0.6%), and Ehrlichia Cowdria Moshkovski 1947 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae) (39.9%). Some endosymbiont bacteria, such as Coxiella (Philip, 1943) (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), Wolbachia Hertig 1936 (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae), and Rickettsiella Philip, 1956 (Legionellales: Coxiellaceae), were also detected at very low abundance. Interestingly, this study reported the co-infection of Borrelia and Ehrlichia for the first time, instilling potential health concerns in the context of co-transmission to humans, especially in areas with a high population of I. granulatus. This study successfully characterized the tick microbiome and provided the first baseline data of I. granulatus bacterial communities in Malaysia. These results support the need for way-forward research on tick-associated bacteria using NGS, focusing on medically important species toward TBD prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ernieenor Faraliana Che Lah
- Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Selangor 40170, Malaysia
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| | - Mariana Ahamad
- Acarology Unit, Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research (IMR), National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13, Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Selangor 40170, Malaysia
| | - Apanaskevich Dmitry
- United States National Tick Collection, The James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042, USA
| | - Badrul Munir Md Zain
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| | - Salmah Yaakop
- Centre for Insect Systematics, Department of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Xiao Y, Beare PA, Best SM, Morens DM, Bloom ME, Taubenberger JK. Genetic sequencing of a 1944 Rocky Mountain spotted fever vaccine. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4687. [PMID: 36949107 PMCID: PMC10031714 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31894-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a rapidly progressive and often fatal tick-borne disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii. Its discovery and characterization by Howard Ricketts has been hailed as a remarkable historical example of detection and control of an emerging infectious disease, and subsequently led to the establishment of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML). Here, we examined an unopened bottle of a vaccine, labeled as containing RMSF inactivated by phenol-formalin of infected ticks, developed prior to 1944 at RML by DNA analysis using Illumina high throughput sequencing technology. We found that it contains DNA from the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni), the vector of RMSF, the complete genome of Rickettsia rickettsii, the pathogen of RMSF, as well as the complete genome of Coxiella burnetii, the pathogen of Q-fever. In addition to genomic reads of Rickettsia rickettsii and Coxiella burnetii, smaller percentages of the reads are from Rickettsia rhipicephali and Arsenophonus nasoniae, suggesting that the infected ticks used to prepare the vaccine carried more than one pathogen. Together, these findings suggest that this early vaccine was likely a bivalent vaccine for RMSF and Q-fever. This study is the among the first molecular level examinations of an historically important vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongli Xiao
- Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 33 North Drive MSC 3203, Bethesda, MD, 20892-3203, USA.
| | - Paul A Beare
- Coxiella Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Sonja M Best
- Innate Immunity and Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - David M Morens
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marshall E Bloom
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Jeffery K Taubenberger
- Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 33 North Drive MSC 3203, Bethesda, MD, 20892-3203, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lau ACC, Mohamed WMA, Nakao R, Onuma M, Qiu Y, Nakajima N, Shimozuru M, Mohd-Azlan J, Moustafa MAM, Tsubota T. The dynamics of the microbiome in Ixodidae are shaped by tick ontogeny and pathogens in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen000954. [PMID: 36757789 PMCID: PMC9997734 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases have recently been considered a potential emerging public health threat in Malaysia; however, fundamental studies into tick-borne pathogens and microbiome appear limited. In this study, six tick species (Ixodes granulatus, Haemaphysalis hystricis, Haemaphysalis shimoga, Dermacentor compactus, Dermacentor steini and Dermacentor atrosignatus) collected from two primary forests and an oil palm plantation in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, were used for microbiome analysis targeting bacterial 16S rDNA using next-generation sequencing (NGS). In addition, bacterial species were further characterized in conventional PCRs to identify potential pathogens. Sequences generated from NGS were first filtered with the Decontam package in R before subsequent microbial diversity analyses. Alpha and beta analyses revealed that the genus Dermacentor had the highest microbial diversity, and H. shimoga significantly differed in microbial composition from other tick species. Alpha and beta diversities were also significantly different between developmental stages of H. shimoga. Furthermore, we observed that some bacterial groups were significantly more abundant in certain tick species and developmental stages of H. shimoga. We tested the relative abundances using pairwise linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe), which also revealed significant microbial composition differences between Borrelia-positive and Borrelia-negative I. granulatus ticks. Finally, pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria circulating in different tick species, such as Rickettsia heilongjiangensis, Ehrlichia sp., Anaplasma sp. and Bartonella spp. were characterized by PCR and sequencing. Moreover, Coxiella and Francisella-like potential symbionts were identified from H. shimoga and D. steini, respectively. More studies are required to unravel the factors associated with the variations observed in this study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice C. C. Lau
- Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Wessam Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
- Division of Bioinformatics, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, 08901, New Jersey, USA
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Manabu Onuma
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute of Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, 305-806, Japan
| | - Yongjin Qiu
- Division of International Research Promotion, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Nakajima
- Biodiversity Division, National Institute of Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, 305-806, Japan
| | - Michito Shimozuru
- Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| | - Jayasilan Mohd-Azlan
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Mohamed Abdallah Mohamed Moustafa
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, Egypt
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Toshio Tsubota
- Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Militzer N, Pinecki Socias S, Nijhof AM. Changes in the Ixodes ricinus microbiome associated with artificial tick feeding. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1050063. [PMID: 36704557 PMCID: PMC9871825 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1050063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial tick feeding systems (ATFS) can be used to study tick biology and tick-pathogen interactions. Due to the long feeding duration of hard ticks, antibiotics are commonly added to the in vitro blood meal to prevent the blood from decaying. This may affect the ticks' microbiome, including mutualistic bacteria that play an important role in tick biology. This effect was examined by the consecutive feeding of Ixodes ricinus larvae, nymphs, and adults in vitro with and without the supplementation of gentamicin and in parallel on calves. DNA extracted from unfed females was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. The abundance of Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii, Rickettsia helvetica and Spiroplasma spp. was measured by qPCR in unfed larvae, nymphs, and adults. Larvae and nymphs fed on calves performed significantly better compared to both in vitro groups. Adults fed on blood supplemented with gentamicin and B vitamins had a higher detachment proportion and weight compared to the group fed with B vitamins but without gentamicin. The detachment proportion and weights of females did not differ significantly between ticks fed on calves and in vitro with gentamicin, but the fecundity was significantly higher in ticks fed on calves. 16S rRNA sequencing showed a higher microbiome species richness in ticks fed on calves compared to ticks fed in vitro. A shift in microbiome composition, with Ca. Midichloria mitochondrii as dominant species in females fed as juveniles on calves and R. helvetica as the most abundant species in females previously fed in vitro was observed. Females fed in vitro without gentamicin showed significant lower loads of Ca. M. mitochondrii compared to females fed in vitro with gentamicin and ticks fed on calves. Spiroplasma spp. were exclusively detected in female ticks fed on cattle by qPCR, but 16S rRNA sequencing results also showed a low abundance in in vitro females exposed to gentamicin. In conclusion, the employed feeding method and gentamicin supplementation affected the ticks' microbiome composition and fecundity. Since these changes may have an impact on tick biology and vector competence, they should be taken into account in studies employing ATFS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Militzer
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sophia Pinecki Socias
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ard M. Nijhof
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany,Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany,*Correspondence: Ard M. Nijhof, ✉
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rojas-Jaimes J, Lindo-Seminario D, Correa-Núñez G, Diringer B. Characterization of the bacterial microbiome of Amblyomma scalpturatum and Amblyomma ovale collected from Tapirus terrestris and Amblyomma sabanerae collected from Chelonoidis denticulata, Madre de Dios- Peru. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:305. [PMID: 36522631 PMCID: PMC9756467 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02717-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks are arthropods that can host and transmit pathogens to wild animals, domestic animals, and even humans. The microbiome in ticks is an endosymbiotic, pathogenic and is yet to be fully understood. RESULTS Adult male Amblyomma scalpturatum (A. scalpturatum) and Amblyomma ovale (A. ovale) ticks were collected from Tapirus terrestris (T. terrestris) captured in the rural area of San Lorenzo Village, and males Amblyomma sabanerae were collected from Chelonoidis denticulate (C. denticulate) of the Gamita Farm in the Amazon region of Madre de Dios, Peru. The Chao1 and Shannon-Weaver analyses indicated a greater bacterial richness and diversity in male A. sabanerae (Amblyomma sabanerae; 613.65-2.03) compared to male A. scalpturatum and A. ovale (A. scalpturatum and A. ovale; 102.17-0.40). Taxonomic analyses identified 478 operational taxonomic units representing 220 bacterial genera in A. sabanerae and 86 operational taxonomic units representing 28 bacterial genera in A. scalpturatum and A. ovale. Of the most prevalent genera was Francisella (73.2%) in A. sabanerae, and Acinetobacter (96.8%) in A. scalpturatum and A. ovale to be considered as the core microbiome of A. sabanerae and A. scalpturatum/A. ovale respectively. CONCLUSIONS We found a high bacterial diversity in male of A. sabanerae collected from C. denticulata showed prevalence of Francisella and prevalence of Acinetobacter in male A. scalpturatum and A. ovale collected from T. terrestris. The greatest bacterial diversity and richness was found in males A. sabanerae. This is the first bacterial metagenomic study performed in A. scalpturatum/A. ovale and A. sabanerae collected from T. terrestris and C. denticulata in the Peruvian jungle.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rojas-Jaimes
- grid.441984.40000 0000 9092 8486Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Privada del Norte, Av. El Sol 461, San Juan de Lurigancho 15434, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Germán Correa-Núñez
- grid.440598.40000 0004 4648 8611Departamento Académico de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional Amazónica de Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, Peru
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Guizzo MG, Dolezelikova K, Neupane S, Frantova H, Hrbatova A, Pafco B, Fiorotti J, Kopacek P, Zurek L. Characterization and manipulation of the bacterial community in the midgut of Ixodes ricinus. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:248. [PMID: 35810301 PMCID: PMC9271250 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05362-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods transmitting a wide range of pathogens to humans and animals. They also harbor a non-pathogenic microbiota, primarily in the ovaries and the midgut. In the previous study on Ixodes ricinus, we used a culture-independent approach and showed a diverse but quantitatively poor midgut bacterial microbiome. Our analysis also revealed the absence of a core microbiome, suggesting an environmental origin of the tick midgut microbiota. Methods A bacterial analysis of the midgut of adult females collected by flagging from two localities in the Czech Republic was performed. Using the culture-independent approach, we tested the hypothesis that the midgut microbiome is of the environmental origin. We also cultured indigenous bacteria from the tick midgut and used these to feed ticks artificially in an attempt to manipulate the midgut microbiome. Results The midgut showed a very low prevalence and abundance of culturable bacteria, with only 37% of ticks positive for bacteria. The culture-independent approach revealed the presence of Borrelia sp., Spiroplasma sp., Rickettsia sp., Midichloria sp. and various mainly environmental Gram-positive bacterial taxa. The comparison of ticks from two regions revealed that the habitat influenced the midgut bacterial diversity. In addition, the midgut of ticks capillary fed with the indigenous Micrococcus luteus (Gram-positive) and Pantoea sp. (Gram-negative) could not be colonized due to rapid and effective clearance of both bacterial taxa. Conclusions The midgut microbiome of I. ricinus is diverse but low in abundance, with the exception of tick-borne pathogens and symbionts. The environment impacts the diversity of the tick midgut microbiome. Ingested extracellular environmental bacteria are rapidly eliminated and are not able to colonize the gut. We hypothesize that bacterial elimination triggered in the midgut of unfed adult females is critical to maintain low microbial levels during blood-feeding. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05362-z.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristyna Dolezelikova
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Saraswoti Neupane
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Helena Frantova
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Hrbatova
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Pafco
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jessica Fiorotti
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic. .,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic. .,Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kumar D, Sharma SR, Adegoke A, Kennedy A, Tuten HC, Li AY, Karim S. Recently Evolved Francisella-Like Endosymbiont Outcompetes an Ancient and Evolutionarily Associated Coxiella-Like Endosymbiont in the Lone Star Tick ( Amblyomma americanum) Linked to the Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:787209. [PMID: 35493735 PMCID: PMC9039623 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.787209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are hematophagous arthropods that transmit various bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens of public health significance. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is an aggressive human-biting tick that transmits bacterial and viral pathogens, and its bites are suspected of eliciting the alpha-gal syndrome, a newly emerged delayed hypersensitivity following consumption of red meat in the United States. While ongoing studies have attempted to investigate the contribution of different tick-inherent factors to the induction of alpha-gal syndrome, an otherwise understudied aspect is the contribution of the tick microbiome and specifically obligate endosymbionts to the establishment of the alpha-gal syndrome in humans. Materials and Methods Here we utilized a high-throughput metagenomic sequencing approach to cataloging the entire microbial communities residing within different developmental stages and tissues of unfed and blood-fed ticks from laboratory-maintained ticks and three new geographical locations in the United States. The Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME2) pipeline was used to perform data analysis and taxonomic classification. Moreover, using a SparCC (Sparse Correlations for Compositional data) network construction model, we investigated potential interactions between members of the microbial communities from laboratory-maintained and field-collected ticks. Results Overall, Francisellaceae was the most dominant bacteria identified in the microbiome of both laboratory-raised and field-collected Am. americanum across all tissues and developmental stages. Likewise, microbial diversity was seen to be significantly higher in field-collected ticks compared with laboratory-maintained ticks as seen with a higher number of both Operational Taxonomic Units and measures of species richness. Several potential positive and negative correlations were identified from our network analysis. We observed a strong positive correlation between Francisellaceae, Rickettsiaceae, and Midichloriaceae in both developmental stages and tissues from laboratory-maintained ticks, whereas ovarian tissues had a strong positive correlation of bacteria in the family Xanthobacteraceae and Rhizobiaceae. A negative interaction was observed between Coxiellaceae and Francisellaceae in Illinois, and all the bacteria detected from ticks from Delaware were negatively correlated. Conclusion This study is the first to catalog the microbiome of Am. americanum throughout its developmental stages and different tissue niches and report the potential replacement of Coxiellaceae by Francisellaceae across developmental stages and tissues tested except in ovarian tissues. These unique and significant findings advance our knowledge and open a new avenue of research to further understand the role of tick microbiome in tick-borne diseases and develop a holistic strategy to control alpha-gal syndrome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Kumar
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Surendra Raj Sharma
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Ashley Kennedy
- Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife, Delaware Mosquito Control Sect., Newark, DE, United States
| | - Holly C. Tuten
- Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Andrew Y. Li
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wu-Chuang A, Hodžić A, Mateos-Hernández L, Estrada-Peña A, Obregon D, Cabezas-Cruz A. Current debates and advances in tick microbiome research. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2022; 1:100036. [PMID: 35284884 PMCID: PMC8906078 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The main importance of ticks resides in their ability to harbor pathogens that can be transmitted to terrestrial vertebrates including humans. Recently, studies have focused on the taxonomic and functional composition of the tick microbiome, its microbial diversity and variation under different factors including tick species, sex, and environment among others. Of special interest are the interactions between the tick, the microbiome and pathogens since tick microbiome can influence pathogen colonization within the tick vector, and potentially, transmission to the vertebrate host. In this review, we tackled a synthesis on the growing field of tick microbiomes. We focus on the current state of tick microbiome research, addressing controversial and hotly debated topics and advances in the precise manipulation of tick microbiome. Furthermore, we discuss the innovative anti-tick microbiota vaccines as a possible tool for microbiome modulation and thus, control of tick-borne diseases. Deciphering tick-microbiome pathogen interactions can spur new strategies to control tick-borne diseases via modulation of tick microbiome. Whether the diversity observed in tick microbiomes concerns the biology or the methodology remains an open question. Tick immunity must play a major role in selecting ‘who stays and who leaves’ the microbiome. Anti-tick microbiota vaccines can target specific bacteria and subsequently modulate tick microbiome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Adnan Hodžić
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lourdes Mateos-Hernández
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | | | - Dasiel Obregon
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13400-970, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Greay TL, Evasco KL, Evans ML, Oskam CL, Magni PA, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ. Illuminating the bacterial microbiome of Australian ticks with 16S and Rickettsia-specific next-generation sequencing. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2022; 1:100037. [PMID: 35284883 PMCID: PMC8906098 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2021.100037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies show that mosquito and tick microbiomes influence the transmission of pathogens, opening new avenues for vector-borne pathogen control. Recent microbiological studies of Australian ticks highlight fundamental knowledge gaps of tick-borne agents. This investigation explored the composition, diversity and prevalence of bacteria in Australian ticks (n = 655) from companion animals (dogs, cats and horses). Bacterial 16S NGS was used to identify most bacterial taxa and a Rickettsia-specific NGS assay was developed to identify Rickettsia species that were indistinguishable at the V1-2 regions of 16S. Sanger sequencing of near full-length 16S was used to confirm whether species detected by 16S NGS were novel. The haemotropic bacterial pathogens Anaplasma platys, Bartonella clarridgeiae, “Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum” and Coxiella burnetii were identified in Rhipicephalus sanguineus (s.l.) from Queensland (QLD), Western Australia, the Northern Territory (NT), and South Australia, Ixodes holocyclus from QLD, Rh. sanguineus (s.l.) from the NT, and I. holocyclus from QLD, respectively. Analysis of the control data showed that cross-talk compromises the detection of rare species as filtering thresholds for less abundant sequences had to be applied to mitigate false positives. A comparison of the taxonomic assignments made with 16S sequence databases revealed inconsistencies. The Rickettsia-specific citrate synthase gene NGS assay enabled the identification of Rickettsia co-infections with potentially novel species and genotypes most similar (97.9–99.1%) to Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia gravesii. “Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis” was identified for the first time in Australia. Phylogenetic analysis of near full-length 16S sequences confirmed a novel Coxiellaceae genus and species, two novel Francisella species, and two novel Francisella genotypes. Cross-talk raises concerns for the MiSeq platform as a diagnostic tool for clinical samples. This study provides recommendations for adjustments to Illuminaʼs 16S metagenomic sequencing protocol that help track and reduce cross-talk from cross-contamination during library preparation. The inconsistencies in taxonomic assignment emphasise the need for curated and quality-checked sequence databases. Bacterial pathogens identified in ticks from companion animals with 16S NGS. Sanger sequencing confirmed novel Coxiellaceae gen. sp. and Francisella. “Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis” was identified with Rickettsia-specific NGS. Comparison of taxonomic assignments in 16S sequence databases revealed errors. Modifications to the 16S metagenomic library protocol (Illumina) are provided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Telleasha L Greay
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,Executive Consultant, EpiSeq, PO Box 357, Kwinana, Western Australia, 6966, Australia
| | - Kimberly L Evasco
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,A/Senior Scientific Officer, Medical Entomology Unit, Department of Health, 1A Brockway Road, Mount Claremont, Western Australia, 6010, Australia
| | - Megan L Evans
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Western Australian State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,Cardio Respiratory Sleep, Level 1, 52-54 Monash Avenue, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Paola A Magni
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Murdoch University Singapore, King's Centre, 390 Havelock Road, Singapore, 169662, Republic of Singapore
| | - Una M Ryan
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Egan SL, Taylor CL, Banks PB, Northover AS, Ahlstrom LA, Ryan UM, Irwin PJ, Oskam CL. The bacterial biome of ticks and their wildlife hosts at the urban-wildland interface. Microb Genom 2021; 7. [PMID: 34913864 PMCID: PMC8767321 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in sequencing technologies have revealed the complex and diverse microbial communities present in ticks (Ixodida). As obligate blood-feeding arthropods, ticks are responsible for a number of infectious diseases that can affect humans, livestock, domestic animals and wildlife. While cases of human tick-borne diseases continue to increase in the northern hemisphere, there has been relatively little recognition of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in Australia. Over the past 5 years, studies using high-throughput sequencing technologies have shown that Australian ticks harbour unique and diverse bacterial communities. In the present study, free-ranging wildlife (n=203), representing ten mammal species, were sampled from urban and peri-urban areas in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD) and Western Australia (WA). Bacterial metabarcoding targeting the 16S rRNA locus was used to characterize the microbiomes of three sample types collected from wildlife: blood, ticks and tissue samples. Further sequence information was obtained for selected taxa of interest. Six tick species were identified from wildlife: Amblyomma triguttatum, Ixodes antechini, Ixodes australiensis, Ixodes holocyclus, Ixodes tasmani and Ixodes trichosuri. Bacterial 16S rRNA metabarcoding was performed on 536 samples and 65 controls, generating over 100 million sequences. Alpha diversity was significantly different between the three sample types, with tissue samples displaying the highest alpha diversity (P<0.001). Proteobacteria was the most abundant taxon identified across all sample types (37.3 %). Beta diversity analysis and ordination revealed little overlap between the three sample types (P<0.001). Taxa of interest included Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella, Borrelia, Coxiellaceae, Francisella, Midichloria, Mycoplasma and Rickettsia. Anaplasmataceae bacteria were detected in 17.7% (95/536) of samples and included Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Neoehrlichia species. In samples from NSW, 'Ca. Neoehrlichia australis', 'Ca. Neoehrlichia arcana', Neoehrlichia sp. and Ehrlichia sp. were identified. A putative novel Ehrlichia sp. was identified from WA and Anaplasma platys was identified from QLD. Nine rodent tissue samples were positive for a novel Borrelia sp. that formed a phylogenetically distinct clade separate from the Lyme Borrelia and relapsing fever groups. This novel clade included recently identified rodent-associated Borrelia genotypes, which were described from Spain and North America. Bartonella was identified in 12.9% (69/536) of samples. Over half of these positive samples were obtained from black rats (Rattus rattus), and the dominant bacterial species identified were Bartonella coopersplainsensis and Bartonella queenslandensis. The results from the present study show the value of using unbiased high-throughput sequencing applied to samples collected from wildlife. In addition to understanding the sylvatic cycle of known vector-associated pathogens, surveillance work is important to ensure preparedness for potential zoonotic spillover events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siobhon L Egan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Casey L Taylor
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Amy S Northover
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Liisa A Ahlstrom
- Elanco Animal Health, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, 2113, Australia
| | - Una M Ryan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Microbiomes of Blood-Feeding Arthropods: Genes Coding for Essential Nutrients and Relation to Vector Fitness and Pathogenic Infections. A Review. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122433. [PMID: 34946034 PMCID: PMC8704530 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood-feeding arthropods support a diverse array of symbiotic microbes, some of which facilitate host growth and development whereas others are detrimental to vector-borne pathogens. We found a common core constituency among the microbiota of 16 different arthropod blood-sucking disease vectors, including Bacillaceae, Rickettsiaceae, Anaplasmataceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Moraxellaceae and Staphylococcaceae. By comparing 21 genomes of common bacterial symbionts in blood-feeding vectors versus non-blooding insects, we found that certain enteric bacteria benefit their hosts by upregulating numerous genes coding for essential nutrients. Bacteria of blood-sucking vectors expressed significantly more genes (p < 0.001) coding for these essential nutrients than those of non-blooding insects. Moreover, compared to endosymbionts, the genomes of enteric bacteria also contained significantly more genes (p < 0.001) that code for the synthesis of essential amino acids and proteins that detoxify reactive oxygen species. In contrast, microbes in non-blood-feeding insects expressed few gene families coding for these nutrient categories. We also discuss specific midgut bacteria essential for the normal development of pathogens (e.g., Leishmania) versus others that were detrimental (e.g., bacterial toxins in mosquitoes lethal to Plasmodium spp.).
Collapse
|
15
|
Tokarz R, Lipkin WI. Discovery and Surveillance of Tick-Borne Pathogens. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1525-1535. [PMID: 33313662 PMCID: PMC8285023 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Within the past 30 yr molecular assays have largely supplanted classical methods for detection of tick-borne agents. Enhancements provided by molecular assays, including speed, throughput, sensitivity, and specificity, have resulted in a rapid increase in the number of newly characterized tick-borne agents. The use of unbiased high throughput sequencing has enabled the prompt identification of new pathogens and the examination of tick microbiomes. These efforts have led to the identification of hundreds of new tick-borne agents in the last decade alone. However, little is currently known about the majority of these agents beyond their phylogenetic classification. Our article outlines the primary methods involved in tick-borne agent discovery and the current status of our understanding of tick-borne agent diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafal Tokarz
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
| | - W Ian Lipkin
- Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mateos-Hernández L, Obregón D, Wu-Chuang A, Maye J, Bornères J, Versillé N, de la Fuente J, Díaz-Sánchez S, Bermúdez-Humarán LG, Torres-Maravilla E, Estrada-Peña A, Hodžić A, Šimo L, Cabezas-Cruz A. Anti-Microbiota Vaccines Modulate the Tick Microbiome in a Taxon-Specific Manner. Front Immunol 2021; 12:704621. [PMID: 34322135 PMCID: PMC8312226 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.704621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The lack of tools for the precise manipulation of the tick microbiome is currently a major limitation to achieve mechanistic insights into the tick microbiome. Anti-tick microbiota vaccines targeting keystone bacteria of the tick microbiota alter tick feeding, but their impact on the taxonomic and functional profiles of the tick microbiome has not been tested. In this study, we immunized a vertebrate host model (Mus musculus) with live bacteria vaccines targeting keystone (i.e., Escherichia-Shigella) or non-keystone (i.e., Leuconostoc) taxa of tick microbiota and tested the impact of bacterial-specific antibodies (Abs) on the structure and function of tick microbiota. We also investigated the effect of these anti-microbiota vaccines on mice gut microbiota composition. Our results showed that the tick microbiota of ticks fed on Escherichia coli-immunized mice had reduced Escherichia-Shigella abundance and lower species diversity compared to ticks fed on control mice immunized with a mock vaccine. Immunization against keystone bacteria restructured the hierarchy of nodes in co-occurrence networks and reduced the resistance of the bacterial network to taxa removal. High levels of E. coli-specific IgM and IgG were negatively correlated with the abundance of Escherichia-Shigella in tick microbiota. These effects were not observed when Leuconostoc was targeted with vaccination against Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Prediction of functional pathways in the tick microbiome using PICRUSt2 revealed that E. coli vaccination reduced the abundance of lysine degradation pathway in tick microbiome, a result validated by qPCR. In contrast, the gut microbiome of immunized mice showed no significant alterations in the diversity, composition and abundance of bacterial taxa. Our results demonstrated that anti-tick microbiota vaccines are a safe, specific and an easy-to-use tool for manipulation of vector microbiome. These results guide interventions for the control of tick infestations and pathogen infection/transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lourdes Mateos-Hernández
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Dasiel Obregón
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Alejandra Wu-Chuang
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Jennifer Maye
- SEPPIC Paris La Défense, La Garenne Colombes, 92250, France
| | | | | | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
| | - Sandra Díaz-Sánchez
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | | | - Edgar Torres-Maravilla
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Adnan Hodžić
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ladislav Šimo
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- Anses, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
|
18
|
Choubdar N, Karimian F, Koosha M, Oshaghi MA. An integrated overview of the bacterial flora composition of Hyalomma anatolicum, the main vector of CCHF. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009480. [PMID: 34106924 PMCID: PMC8216544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial flora associated with Hyalomma anatolicum ticks was investigated using culture-dependent (CD) and independent (next generation sequencing, NGS) methods. The bacterial profiles of different organs, development stages, sexes, and of host cattle skins were analyzed using the CD method. The egg and female gut microbiota were investigated using NGS. Fourteen distinct bacterial strains were identified using the CD method, of which Bacillus subtilis predominated in eggs, larval guts and in adult female and male guts, suggesting probable transovarial transmission. Bacillus velezensis and B. subtilis were identified in cattle skin and tick samples, suggesting that skin is the origin of tick bacteria. H.anatolicum males harbour lower bacterial diversity and composition than females. The NGS analysis revealed five different bacterial phyla across all samples, Proteobacteria contributing to >95% of the bacteria. In all, 56611sequences were generated representing 6,023 OTUs per female gut and 421 OTUs per egg. Francisellaceae family and Francisella make up the vast majority of the OTUs. Our findings are consistent with interference between Francisella and Rickettsia. The CD method identified bacteria, such B. subtilis that are candidates for vector control intervention approaches such paratransgenesis whereas NGS revealed high Francisella spp. prevalence, indicating that integrated methods are more accurate to characterize microbial community and diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nayyereh Choubdar
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fateh Karimian
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mona Koosha
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Oshaghi
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Dall'Agnol B, McCulloch JA, Mayer FQ, Souza U, Webster A, Antunes P, Doyle RL, Reck J, Ferreira CAS. Molecular characterization of bacterial communities of two neotropical tick species (Amblyomma aureolatum and Ornithodoros brasiliensis) using rDNA 16S sequencing. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101746. [PMID: 34091278 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are one of the main vectors of pathogens for humans and animals worldwide. However, they harbor non-pathogenic microorganisms that are important for their survival, facilitating both their nutrition and immunity. We investigated the bacterial communities associated with two neotropical tick species of human and veterinary potential health importance from Brazil: Amblyomma aureolatum and Ornithodoros brasiliensis. In A. aureolatum (adult ticks collected from wild canids from Southern Brazil), the predominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria (98.68%), Tenericutes (0.70%), Bacteroidetes (0.14%), Actinobacteria (0.13%), and Acidobacteria (0.05%). The predominant genera were Francisella (97.01%), Spiroplasma (0.70%), Wolbachia (0.51%), Candidatus Midichloria (0.25%), and Alkanindiges (0.13%). The predominant phyla in O. brasiliensis (adults, fed and unfed nymphs collected at the environment from Southern Brazil) were Proteobacteria (90.27%), Actinobacteria (7.38%), Firmicutes (0.77%), Bacteroidetes (0.44%), and Planctomycetes (0.22%). The predominant bacterial genera were Coxiella (87.71%), Nocardioides (1.73%), Saccharopolyspora (0.54%), Marmoricola (0.42%), and Staphylococcus (0.40%). Considering the genera with potential importance for human and animal health which can be transmitted by ticks, Coxiella sp. was found in all stages of O. brasiliensis, Francisella sp. in all stages of A. aureolatum and in unfed nymphs of O. brasiliensis, and Rickettsia sp. in females of A. aureolatum from Banhado dos Pachecos (BP) in Viamão municipality, Brazil, and in females and unfed nymphs of O. brasiliensis. These results deepen our understanding of the tick-microbiota relationship in Ixodidae and Argasidae, driving new studies with the focus on the manipulation of tick microbiota to prevent outbreaks of tick-borne diseases in South America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Dall'Agnol
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil; Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | | | - Fabiana Quoos Mayer
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Ugo Souza
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Anelise Webster
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Paola Antunes
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Rovaina Laureano Doyle
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - José Reck
- Centro de Pesquisa em Saúde Animal, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil.
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
O'Neal AJ, Singh N, Mendes MT, Pedra JHF. The genus Anaplasma: drawing back the curtain on tick-pathogen interactions. Pathog Dis 2021; 79:ftab022. [PMID: 33792663 PMCID: PMC8062235 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne illnesses pose a serious concern to human and veterinary health and their prevalence is on the rise. The interactions between ticks and the pathogens they carry are largely undefined. However, the genus Anaplasma, a group of tick-borne bacteria, has been instrumental in uncovering novel paradigms in tick biology. The emergence of sophisticated technologies and the convergence of entomology with microbiology, immunology, metabolism and systems biology has brought tick-Anaplasma interactions to the forefront of vector biology with broader implications for the infectious disease community. Here, we discuss the use of Anaplasma as an instrument for the elucidation of novel principles in arthropod-microbe interactions. We offer an outlook of the primary areas of study, outstanding questions and future research directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anya J O'Neal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nisha Singh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Maria Tays Mendes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joao H F Pedra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Rojas-Jaimes J, Lindo-Seminario D, Correa-Núñez G, Diringer B. Characterization of the bacterial microbiome of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus collected from Pecari tajacu "Sajino" Madre de Dios, Peru. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6661. [PMID: 33758359 PMCID: PMC7988070 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86177-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are arthropods that can host and transmit pathogens to wild animals, domestic animals, and even humans. The bacterial microbiome of adult (males and females) and nymph Rhipicephalus microplus ticks collected from a collared peccary, Pecari tajacu, captured in the rural area of Botijón Village in the Amazon region of Madre de Dios, Peru, was evaluated using metagenomics. The Chao1 and Shannon-Weaver analyses indicated greater bacterial richness and diversity in female ticks (GARH; 375-4.15) and nymph ticks (GARN; 332-4.75) compared to that in male ticks (GARM; 215-3.20). Taxonomic analyses identified 185 operational taxonomic units representing 147 bacterial genera. Of the 25 most prevalent genera, Salmonella (17.5%) and Vibrio (15.0%) showed the highest relative abundance followed by several other potentially pathogenic genera, such as Paracoccus (7.8%), Staphylococcus (6.8%), Pseudomonas (6.6%), Corynebacterium (5.0%), Cloacibacterium (3.6%), and Acinetobacter (2.5%). In total, 19.7% of the detected genera are shared by GARH, GARM, and GARN, and they can be considered as the core microbiome of R. microplus. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to characterize the microbiome of ticks collected from P. tajacu and to report the presence of Salmonella and Vibrio in R. microplus. The pathogenic potential and the role of these bacteria in the physiology of R. microplus should be further investigated due to the possible implications for public health and animal health in populations neighboring the habitat of P. tajacu.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Rojas-Jaimes
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Privada del Norte, Av. El Sol 461, San Juan de Lurigancho, 15434, Lima, Peru.
| | | | - Germán Correa-Núñez
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional Amazónica de Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, Peru
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Fogaça AC, Sousa G, Pavanelo DB, Esteves E, Martins LA, Urbanová V, Kopáček P, Daffre S. Tick Immune System: What Is Known, the Interconnections, the Gaps, and the Challenges. Front Immunol 2021; 12:628054. [PMID: 33737931 PMCID: PMC7962413 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.628054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are ectoparasitic arthropods that necessarily feed on the blood of their vertebrate hosts. The success of blood acquisition depends on the pharmacological properties of tick saliva, which is injected into the host during tick feeding. Saliva is also used as a vehicle by several types of pathogens to be transmitted to the host, making ticks versatile vectors of several diseases for humans and other animals. When a tick feeds on an infected host, the pathogen reaches the gut of the tick and must migrate to its salivary glands via hemolymph to be successfully transmitted to a subsequent host during the next stage of feeding. In addition, some pathogens can colonize the ovaries of the tick and be transovarially transmitted to progeny. The tick immune system, as well as the immune system of other invertebrates, is more rudimentary than the immune system of vertebrates, presenting only innate immune responses. Although simpler, the large number of tick species evidences the efficiency of their immune system. The factors of their immune system act in each tick organ that interacts with pathogens; therefore, these factors are potential targets for the development of new strategies for the control of ticks and tick-borne diseases. The objective of this review is to present the prevailing knowledge on the tick immune system and to discuss the challenges of studying tick immunity, especially regarding the gaps and interconnections. To this end, we use a comparative approach of the tick immune system with the immune system of other invertebrates, focusing on various components of humoral and cellular immunity, such as signaling pathways, antimicrobial peptides, redox metabolism, complement-like molecules and regulated cell death. In addition, the role of tick microbiota in vector competence is also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andréa C. Fogaça
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Géssica Sousa
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel B. Pavanelo
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliane Esteves
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa A. Martins
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Veronika Urbanová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Petr Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Pictorial dissection guide and internal anatomy of the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101685. [PMID: 33611153 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are pests and vectors of diseases that are of public health and veterinary importance. The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1888), is one of the most studied tick species because of its impact on livestock health and production in the tropical and subtropical parts of the world, costing the cattle industry billions annually. Control methods have evolved throughout the years but so has R. microplus. Reliance upon chemical control has created a consistent need to develop new technologies to overcome the pesticide resistance that occurs as the ticks adapt. In order to utilize the more advanced tools such as RNAi or Crispr/Cas9 systems, tick tissues need to be isolated and manipulated. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of dissection guides available providing a detailed view of tick internal anatomy. This manual includes photomicrographs to guide the dissection of R. microplus adults, male and female. Topography and anatomical differences between the internal organs of unfed and gravid adult females are described. We were able to locate the crucial tissues for cattle tick physiology and lay out spatial and temporal guidelines for their identification and dissection. Examples of how this information can be used at the nexus between organismal and molecular research to innovate tick control technologies is discussed.
Collapse
|
24
|
Hoffmann A, Fingerle V, Noll M. Analysis of Tick Surface Decontamination Methods. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8070987. [PMID: 32630152 PMCID: PMC7409031 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8070987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Various microbial pathogens have been found in ticks such as Ixodes ricinus. However, most studies assessed tick microbiomes without prior decontamination of the tick surface, which may alter the results and mislead conclusions regarding the composition of the tick-borne microbiome. The aim of this study was to test four different decontamination methods, namely (i.) 70% ethanol, (ii.) DNA Away, (iii.) 5% sodium hypochlorite and (iv.) Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL), which have been previously reported for tick surface and animal or human skin decontamination. To test the efficiency of decontamination, we contaminated each tick with a defined mixture of Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, dog saliva and human sweat. No contamination was used as a negative control, and for a positive control, a no decontamination strategy was carried out. After nucleic acid extraction, the recovery rate of contaminants was determined for RNA and DNA samples by qPCR and tick-borne microbiome analyses by bacterial 16S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Ticks treated with 5% sodium hypochlorite revealed the lowest number of contaminants followed by DNA Away, RSDL and 70% ethanol. Moreover, tick microbiomes after 5% sodium hypochlorite decontamination clustered with negative controls. Therefore, the efficiency of decontamination was optimal with 5% sodium hypochlorite and is recommended for upcoming studies to address the unbiased detection of tick-borne pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angeline Hoffmann
- Institute for Bioanalysis, Department of Applied Sciences, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 96450 Coburg, Germany;
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), National Reference Center for Borrelia, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany;
| | - Matthias Noll
- Institute for Bioanalysis, Department of Applied Sciences, Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 96450 Coburg, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-9561-317-645
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Lejal E, Estrada-Peña A, Marsot M, Cosson JF, Rué O, Mariadassou M, Midoux C, Vayssier-Taussat M, Pollet T. Taxon Appearance From Extraction and Amplification Steps Demonstrates the Value of Multiple Controls in Tick Microbiota Analysis. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1093. [PMID: 32655509 PMCID: PMC7325928 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of high-throughput sequencing technologies has substantially improved analysis of bacterial community diversity, composition, and functions. Over the last decade, high-throughput sequencing has been used extensively to identify the diversity and composition of tick microbial communities. However, a growing number of studies are warning about the impact of contamination brought along the different steps of the analytical process, from DNA extraction to amplification. In low biomass samples, e.g., individual tick samples, these contaminants may represent a large part of the obtained sequences, and thus generate considerable errors in downstream analyses and in the interpretation of results. Most studies of tick microbiota either do not mention the inclusion of controls during the DNA extraction or amplification steps, or consider the lack of an electrophoresis signal as an absence of contamination. In this context, we aimed to assess the proportion of contaminant sequences resulting from these steps. We analyzed the microbiota of individual Ixodes ricinus ticks by including several categories of controls throughout the analytical process: homogenization, DNA extraction, and DNA amplification. Results Controls yielded a significant number of sequences (1,126-13,198 mean sequences, depending on the control category). Some operational taxonomic units (OTUs) detected in these controls belong to genera reported in previous tick microbiota studies. In this study, these OTUs accounted for 50.9% of the total number of sequences in our samples, and were considered contaminants. Contamination levels (i.e., the percentage of sequences belonging to OTUs identified as contaminants) varied with tick instar and sex: 76.3% of nymphs and 75% of males demonstrated contamination over 50%, while most females (65.7%) had rates lower than 20%. Contamination mainly corresponded to OTUs detected in homogenization and extraction reagent controls, highlighting the importance of carefully controlling these steps. Conclusion Here, we showed that contaminant OTUs from sample laboratory processing steps can represent more than half the total sequence yield in sequencing runs, and lead to unreliable results when characterizing tick microbial communities. We thus strongly advise the routine use of negative controls in tick microbiota studies, and more generally in studies involving low biomass samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lejal
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | - Maud Marsot
- Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, ANSES, University Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jean-François Cosson
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Olivier Rué
- INRAE, MaIAGE, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,INRAE, Bioinfomics, MIGALE Bbioinformatics Facility, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Mahendra Mariadassou
- INRAE, MaIAGE, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,INRAE, Bioinfomics, MIGALE Bbioinformatics Facility, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Cédric Midoux
- INRAE, MaIAGE, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,INRAE, Bioinfomics, MIGALE Bbioinformatics Facility, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,INRAE, PROSE, Université Paris-Saclay, Antony, France
| | | | - Thomas Pollet
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France.,UMR ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Brinkerhoff RJ, Clark C, Ocasio K, Gauthier DT, Hynes WL. Factors affecting the microbiome of Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232398. [PMID: 32413031 PMCID: PMC7228056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial community composition of disease vectors can impact pathogen establishment and transmission as well as on vector behavior and fitness. While data on vector microbiota are accumulating quickly, determinants of the variation in disease vector microbial communities are incompletely understood. We explored the microbiome of two human-biting tick species abundant in eastern North America (Amblyomma americanum and Ixodes scapularis) to identify the relative contribution of tick species, tick life stage, tick sex, environmental context and vertical transmission to the richness, diversity, and species composition of the tick microbiome. We sampled 89 adult and nymphal Ixodes scapularis (N = 49) and Amblyomma americanum (N = 40) from two field sites and characterized the microbiome of each individual using the v3-v4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene. We identified significant variation in microbial community composition due to tick species and life stage with lesser impact of sampling site. Compared to unfed nymphs and males, the microbiome of engorged adult female I. scapularis, as well as the egg masses they produced, were low in bacterial richness and diversity and were dominated by Rickettsia, suggesting strong vertical transmission of this genus. Likewise, microbiota of A. americanum nymphs and males were more diverse than those of adult females. Among bacteria of public health importance, we detected several different Rickettsia sequence types, several of which were distinct from known species. Borrelia was relatively common in I. scapularis but did not show the same level of sequence variation as Rickettsia. Several bacterial genera were significantly over-represented in Borrelia-infected I. scapularis, suggesting a potential interaction of facilitative relationship between these taxa; no OTUs were under-represented in Borrelia-infected ticks. The systematic sampling we conducted for this study allowed us to partition the variation in tick microbial composition as a function of tick- and environmentally-related factors. Upon more complete understanding of the forces that shape the tick microbiome it will be possible to design targeted experimental studies to test the impacts of individual taxa and suites of microbes on vector-borne pathogen transmission and on vector biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R. Jory Brinkerhoff
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Chris Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Kelly Ocasio
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - David T. Gauthier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Wayne L. Hynes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Guizzo MG, Neupane S, Kucera M, Perner J, Frantová H, da Silva Vaz I, de Oliveira PL, Kopacek P, Zurek L. Poor Unstable Midgut Microbiome of Hard Ticks Contrasts With Abundant and Stable Monospecific Microbiome in Ovaries. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:211. [PMID: 32457850 PMCID: PMC7225584 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Culture-independent metagenomic methodologies have enabled detection and identification of microorganisms in various biological systems and often revealed complex and unknown microbiomes. In many organisms, the microbiome outnumbers the host cells and greatly affects the host biology and fitness. Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites with a wide host range. They vector a number of human and animal pathogens and also directly cause major economic losses in livestock. Although several reports on a tick midgut microbiota show a diverse bacterial community, in most cases the size of the bacterial population has not been determined. In this study, the microbiome was quantified in the midgut and ovaries of the ticks Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus microplus before, during, and after blood feeding. Although the size of bacterial community in the midgut fluctuated with blood feeding, it was overall extremely low in comparison to that of other hematophagous arthropods. In addition, the tick ovarian microbiome of both tick species exceeded the midgut 16S rDNA copy numbers by several orders of magnitude. This indicates that the ratio of a tick midgut/ovary microbiome represents an exception to the general biology of other metazoans. In addition to the very low abundance, the tick midgut diversity in I. ricinus was variable and that is in contrast to that found in the tick ovary. The ovary of I. ricinus had a very low bacterial diversity and a very high and stable bacterial abundance with the dominant endosymbiont, Midichloria sp. The elucidation of this aspect of tick biology highlights a unique tissue-specific microbial-invertebrate host interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Zoonoses, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czechia.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Saraswoti Neupane
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Matej Kucera
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Jan Perner
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Helena Frantová
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada a Sanidade Animal, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Pedro L de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Zoonoses, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czechia.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Brno, Czechia
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Binetruy F, Buysse M, Barosi R, Duron O. Novel Rickettsia genotypes in ticks in French Guiana, South America. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2537. [PMID: 32054909 PMCID: PMC7018960 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59488-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia are obligate intracellular bacteria often associated with ticks and best known for causing human diseases (rickettsiosis), including typhus fever and sporadic cases of serious infection. In this study, we conducted a large survey of ticks in French Guiana to understand the overall diversity of Rickettsia in this remote area largely covered by dense rainforests. Out of 819 individuals (22 tick species in six genera), 252 (30.8%) samples were positive for Rickettsia infection. Multilocus typing and phylogenetic analysis identified 19 Rickettsia genotypes, but none was 100% identical to already known Rickettsia species or strains. Among these 19 genotypes, we identified two validated Rickettsia species, Rickettsia amblyommatis (spotted fever group) and Rickettsia bellii (bellii group), and characterized a novel and divergent Rickettsia phylogenetic group, the guiana group. While some tick hosts of these Rickettsia genotypes are among the most common ticks to bite humans in French Guiana, their potential pathogenicity remains entirely unknown. However, we found a strong association between Rickettsia genotypes and their host tick species, suggesting that most of these Rickettsia genotypes may be nonpathogenic forms maintained through transovarial transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Binetruy
- Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), 911 Avenue Agropolis, F-34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie Buysse
- Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), 911 Avenue Agropolis, F-34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Roxanne Barosi
- Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), 911 Avenue Agropolis, F-34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Duron
- Laboratoire Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), 911 Avenue Agropolis, F-34394, Montpellier, France.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Dergousoff SJ, Anstead CA, Chilton NB. Identification of bacteria in the Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni, using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA sequencing. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 80:247-256. [PMID: 31953633 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00459-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PCR-based single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses combined with DNA sequencing of the prokaryotic 16S ribosomal (r) RNA gene encompassing the hypervariable V4 region was used to determine the bacterial composition of Rocky Mountain wood ticks (Dermacentor andersoni) attached to Richardson's ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii) and questing on vegetation in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The bacteria present in questing adult ticks from Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park included Rickettsia peacockii, a Francisella-like endosymbiont (FLE) and an Arsenophonus-like endosymbiont. Bacteria in the adult and nymphal ticks attached to U. richardsonii collected from Beechy included R. peacockii, a FLE, and several other genera (e.g., Ralstonia, Sphingobium, Comamonas and Pseudomonas). The bacteria detected in D. andersoni in the present study are consistent with the findings of other studies that have characterized the microbiome of this tick species in the USA using next generation sequencing. This result demonstrates that the SSCP-based approach used in this study is cost- and time-effective for examining bacterial composition in ticks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaun J Dergousoff
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada
| | - Clare A Anstead
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Neil B Chilton
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Pollet T, Sprong H, Lejal E, Krawczyk AI, Moutailler S, Cosson JF, Vayssier-Taussat M, Estrada-Peña A. The scale affects our view on the identification and distribution of microbial communities in ticks. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:36. [PMID: 31964404 PMCID: PMC6975024 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3908-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks transmit the highest variety of pathogens impacting human and animal health worldwide. It is now well established that ticks also harbour a microbial complex of coexisting symbionts, commensals and pathogens. With the development of high throughput sequencing technologies, studies dealing with such diverse bacterial composition in tick considerably increased in the past years and revealed an unexpected microbial diversity. These data on diversity and composition of the tick microbes are increasingly available, giving crucial details on microbial communities in ticks and improving our knowledge on the tick microbial community. However, consensus is currently lacking as to which scales (tick organs, individual specimens or species, communities of ticks, populations adapted to particular environmental conditions, spatial and temporal scales) best facilitate characterizing microbial community composition of ticks and understanding the diverse relationships among tick-borne bacteria. Temporal or spatial scales have a clear influence on how we conduct ecological studies, interpret results, and understand interactions between organisms that build the microbiome. We consider that patterns apparent at one scale can collapse into noise when viewed from other scales, indicating that processes shaping tick microbiome have a continuum of variability that has not yet been captured. Based on available reports, this review demonstrates how much the concept of scale is crucial to be considered in tick microbial community studies to improve our knowledge on tick microbe ecology and pathogen/microbiota interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pollet
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Emilie Lejal
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Aleksandra I Krawczyk
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sara Moutailler
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Jean-Francois Cosson
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Zhang R, Yu G, Huang Z, Zhang Z. Microbiota assessment across different developmental stages of Dermacentor silvarum (Acari: Ixodidae) revealed stage-specific signatures. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 11:101321. [PMID: 31708377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dermacentor silvarum is an important vector of tick-borne pathogens. The microbiota of ticks has been recognized to influence their development, fitness, and reproduction as well as the acquisition, establishment and transmission of pathogens. Eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults (females and males) of D. silvarum were used in this study to evaluate microbial community and diversity across different developmental stages. The results demonstrated that some developmental stages host different bacterial species, confirming that each stage of development could have a specific associated microbiota. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum in most stages, while Actinobacteria was the most abundant in nymphs. The abundance of Brevibacterium significantly increased from the egg stage to the following stages, and there was a sharp increase in the abundance of this genus among nymphs. Eggs showed the highest microbial richness and diversity, and the microbial community of eggs exhibited high similarity to that of females. Moreover, the high abundance of Coxiella in eggs and females further indicated that members of this genus are vertically transmitted symbionts. Nymphs showed a microbial composition distinct from those of the other stages, and the microbial community associated with males possessed higher species richness and greater bacterial diversity than that of females. Further investigations are needed to determine the functions of the microbiota and provide information enabling a better understanding of the diversity of the microbial community at different life stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruiling Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China.
| | - Guangfu Yu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China
| | - Zhendong Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China
| | - Zhong Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for the Origin and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China; School of Basic Medical Science, Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong, 271016, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Diversity and structure of the bacterial microbiome of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, is dominated by the endosymbiont Francisella. Symbiosis 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-019-00642-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
33
|
Binetruy F, Dupraz M, Buysse M, Duron O. Surface sterilization methods impact measures of internal microbial diversity in ticks. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:268. [PMID: 31138324 PMCID: PMC6537145 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3517-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks are obligate blood feeders transmitting major pathogens worldwide. Over the past few years, considerable research efforts have focused on the diversity, distribution and impact of gut and intracellular bacterial symbionts on tick development and tick-borne pathogen transmission. The study of this internal microbiome requires the use of a sterilization method to remove external (i.e. cuticular) microbes present on the tick's surface and to avoid any further contamination. Several sterilization methods exist, including ethanol- or bleach-based treatments that are both effective in killing microbes but with different potential effects on DNA denaturation. METHODS We examined how these different sterilization methods impact the measure of internal microbial diversity hosted by the Cayenne tick Amblyomma cajennense (sensu stricto). Bacterial barcoding investigations based on 16S rRNA gene sequences were conducted on two batches of 50 individuals each: Ticks of the first batch were sterilized with bleach diluted at 1% and the second batch with 70% ethanol. Tick external microbiome was also determined from cuticle smearing and water samples used for tick washing. RESULTS Bacterial barcoding investigations showed major differences between ethanol- and bleach-treated specimens. Both methods led to the detection of major intracellular bacteria associated with A. cajennense (s.s.) but ethanol-treated ticks always harbored a higher bacterial diversity than bleach-treated ticks. Further examinations of tick gut and tick external microbiome revealed that ethanol-based surface sterilization method is inefficient to eliminate the DNA of external bacteria. CONCLUSIONS We herein provide evidence that studies investigating the internal microbiome of ticks should consider bleach as the gold standard to efficiently remove cuticular bacterial DNA. Indeed, this method does not impact the internal bacterial diversity hosted by ticks and is thus a better method than the ethanol-based one for studying the internal microbiome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Binetruy
- MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), Montpellier, France.
| | - Marlène Dupraz
- MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), Montpellier, France
| | - Marie Buysse
- MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Duron
- MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD) - Université de Montpellier (UM), Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Štefanidesová K, Špitalská E, Csicsay F, Friedländerová V, Šáner A, Škultéty Ľ. Evaluation of the possible use of genus Mentha derived essential oils in the prevention of SENLAT syndrome caused by Rickettsia slovaca. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2019; 232:55-61. [PMID: 30529423 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Essential oils and essential oil bearing medicinal and culinary plants have a long tradition of being used to combat infection, treat various conditions, and promote and restore health. Mint oils are traditionally applied to repel insects and treat various conditions including wounds, skin infections, inflammation, eczema, urticaria, psoriasis, scabies and insect bites. They are among essential oils promoted as a natural way to prevent tick-borne diseases and recommended as ingredients in various homemade repellent mixtures and tick-bite treatments. AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three most common mint oils - peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.), cornmint (M. arvensis L.), and spearmint (M. spicata L.) on obligate intracellular tick-borne bacterium Rickettsia slovaca. MATERIALS AND METHODS Influence of mint oils on R. slovaca replication in Vero cells initially infected by lower (106) or higher (108) number of rickettsial particles was tested during in vitro cultivation with daily change of medium. qPCR and RT-qPCR based growth curves and linear mixed effect models were applied to evaluate the growth inhibition. Peppermint oil was further tested in pilot in vivo study on experimentally infected ticks. RESULTS Two of the tested essential oils, peppermint and cornmint, significantly inhibited rickettsial growth. On average, peppermint oil reduced the amount of rickettsiae present on day 4 post infection up to 0.05% of the rickettsial load present in the respective controls. Cornmint oil decreased the amount of rickettsiae to 0.09% of control. Peppermint oil also significantly reduced the number of living rickettsiae in artificially infected ticks. CONCLUSIONS Present study showed that essential oils with antimicrobial properties may also inhibit tick-transmitted bacteria, and thus their possible use as preventative measures against tick-borne diseases is worth further research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarína Štefanidesová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Eva Špitalská
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - František Csicsay
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia; Central Control and Testing Institute in Agriculture, Matúškova 21, 833 16 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Viera Friedländerová
- Central Control and Testing Institute in Agriculture, Matúškova 21, 833 16 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Andrej Šáner
- Central Control and Testing Institute in Agriculture, Matúškova 21, 833 16 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ľudovít Škultéty
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Zélé F, Santos I, Olivieri I, Weill M, Duron O, Magalhães S. Endosymbiont diversity and prevalence in herbivorous spider mite populations in South-Western Europe. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 94:4830074. [PMID: 29390142 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbionts are known as important players of the evolutionary ecology of their hosts. However, their distribution, prevalence and diversity are still largely unexplored. To this aim, we investigated infections by the most common bacterial reproductive manipulators in herbivorous spider mites of South-Western Europe. Across 16 populations belonging to three Tetranychus species, Wolbachia was the most prevalent (ca. 61%), followed by Cardinium (12%-15%), while only few individuals were infected by Rickettsia (0.9%-3%), and none carried Arsenophonus or Spiroplasma. These endosymbionts are here reported for the first time in Tetranychus evansi and Tetranychus ludeni, and showed variable infection frequencies between and within species, with several cases of coinfections. Moreover, Cardinium was more prevalent in Wolbachia-infected individuals, which suggests facilitation between these symbionts. Finally, sequence comparisons revealed no variation of the Wolbachia wsp and Rickettsia gtlA genes, but some diversity of the Cardinium 16S rRNA, both between and within populations of the three mite species. Some of the Cardinium sequences identified belonged to distantly-related clades, and the lack of association between these sequences and spider mite mitotypes suggests repeated host switching of Cardinium. Overall, our results reveal a complex community of symbionts in this system, opening the path for future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flore Zélé
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Inês Santos
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isabelle Olivieri
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD-EPHE), 34095 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France
| | - Mylène Weill
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD-EPHE), 34095 Montpellier, CEDEX 5, France
| | - Olivier Duron
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD), Centre de Recherche IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Magalhães
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edificio C2, Piso-3, Campo Grande, 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Ross BD, Hayes B, Radey MC, Lee X, Josek T, Bjork J, Neitzel D, Paskewitz S, Chou S, Mougous JD. Ixodes scapularis does not harbor a stable midgut microbiome. THE ISME JOURNAL 2018; 12:2596-2607. [PMID: 29946195 PMCID: PMC6194123 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0161-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Hard ticks of the order Ixodidae serve as vectors for numerous human pathogens, including the causative agent of Lyme Disease Borrelia burgdorferi. Tick-associated microbes can influence pathogen colonization, offering the potential to inhibit disease transmission through engineering of the tick microbiota. Here, we investigate whether B. burgdorferi encounters abundant bacteria within the midgut of wild adult Ixodes scapularis, its primary vector. Through the use of controlled sequencing methods and confocal microscopy, we find that the majority of field-collected adult I. scapularis harbor limited internal microbial communities that are dominated by endosymbionts. A minority of I. scapularis ticks harbor abundant midgut bacteria and lack B. burgdorferi. We find that the lack of a stable resident midgut microbiota is not restricted to I. scapularis since extension of our studies to I. pacificus, Amblyomma maculatum, and Dermacentor spp showed similar patterns. Finally, bioinformatic examination of the B. burgdorferi genome revealed the absence of genes encoding known interbacterial interaction pathways, a feature unique to the Borrelia genus within the phylum Spirochaetes. Our results suggest that reduced selective pressure from limited microbial populations within ticks may have facilitated the evolutionary loss of genes encoding interbacterial competition pathways from Borrelia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Ross
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Beth Hayes
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew C Radey
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Xia Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Tanya Josek
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jenna Bjork
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, 55164, USA
| | - David Neitzel
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, 55164, USA
| | - Susan Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Seemay Chou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Joseph D Mougous
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Jiménez-Cortés JG, García-Contreras R, Bucio-Torres MI, Cabrera-Bravo M, Córdoba-Aguilar A, Benelli G, Salazar-Schettino PM. Bacterial symbionts in human blood-feeding arthropods: Patterns, general mechanisms and effects of global ecological changes. Acta Trop 2018; 186:69-101. [PMID: 30003907 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Due to their high impact on public health, human blood-feeding arthropods are one of the most relevant animal groups. Bacterial symbionts have been long known to play a role in the metabolism, and reproduction of these arthropod vectors. Nowadays, we have a more complete picture of their functions, acknowledging the wide influence of bacterial symbionts on processes ranging from the immune response of the arthropod host to the possible establishment of pathogens and parasites. One or two primary symbiont species have been found to co-evolve along with their host in each taxon (being ticks an exception), leading to various kinds of symbiosis, mostly mutualistic in nature. Moreover, several secondary symbiont species are shared by all arthropod groups. With respect to gut microbiota, several bacterial symbionts genera are hosted in common, indicating that these bacterial groups are prone to invade several hematophagous arthropod species feeding on humans. The main mechanisms underlying bacterium-arthropod symbiosis are discussed, highlighting that even primary symbionts elicit an immune response from the host. Bacterial groups in the gut microbiota play a key role in immune homeostasis, and in some cases symbiont bacteria could be competing directly or indirectly with pathogens and parasites. Finally, the effects climate change, great human migrations, and the increasingly frequent interactions of wild and domestic animal species are analyzed, along with their implications on microbiota alteration and their possible impacts on public health and the control of pathogens and parasites harbored in arthropod vectors of human parasites and pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Guillermo Jiménez-Cortés
- Laboratorio de Biología de Parásitos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México.
| | - Rodolfo García-Contreras
- Laboratorio de Bacteriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Martha I Bucio-Torres
- Laboratorio de Biología de Parásitos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Margarita Cabrera-Bravo
- Laboratorio de Biología de Parásitos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Alex Córdoba-Aguilar
- Laboratorio de Ecología de la Conducta de Artrópodos, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy; The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paz M Salazar-Schettino
- Laboratorio de Biología de Parásitos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Cross ST, Kapuscinski ML, Perino J, Maertens BL, Weger-Lucarelli J, Ebel GD, Stenglein MD. Co-Infection Patterns in Individual Ixodes scapularis Ticks Reveal Associations between Viral, Eukaryotic and Bacterial Microorganisms. Viruses 2018; 10:E388. [PMID: 30037148 PMCID: PMC6071216 DOI: 10.3390/v10070388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis ticks harbor a variety of microorganisms, including eukaryotes, bacteria and viruses. Some of these can be transmitted to and cause disease in humans and other vertebrates. Others are not pathogenic, but may impact the ability of the tick to harbor and transmit pathogens. A growing number of studies have examined the influence of bacteria on tick vector competence but the influence of the tick virome remains less clear, despite a surge in the discovery of tick-associated viruses. In this study, we performed shotgun RNA sequencing on 112 individual adult I. scapularis collected in Wisconsin, USA. We characterized the abundance, prevalence and co-infection rates of viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic microorganisms. We identified pairs of tick-infecting microorganisms whose observed co-infection rates were higher or lower than would be expected, or whose RNA levels were positively correlated in co-infected ticks. Many of these co-occurrence and correlation relationships involved two bunyaviruses, South Bay virus and blacklegged tick phlebovirus-1. These viruses were also the most prevalent microorganisms in the ticks we sampled, and had the highest average RNA levels. Evidence of associations between microbes included a positive correlation between RNA levels of South Bay virus and Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent. These findings contribute to the rationale for experimental studies on the impact of viruses on tick biology and vector competence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shaun T Cross
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Marylee L Kapuscinski
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Jacquelyn Perino
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Bernadette L Maertens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Gregory D Ebel
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| | - Mark D Stenglein
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Cholleti H, Hayer J, Mulandane FC, Falk K, Fafetine J, Berg M, Blomström AL. Viral metagenomics reveals the presence of highly divergent quaranjavirus in Rhipicephalus ticks from Mozambique. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 2018; 8:1478585. [PMID: 29868166 PMCID: PMC5974704 DOI: 10.1080/20008686.2018.1478585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Ticks are primary vectors for many well-known disease-causing agents that affect human and animal populations globally such as tick-borne encephalitis, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and African swine fever. In this study, viral metagenomics was used to identify what viruses are present in Rhipicephalus spp. ticks collected in the Zambezi Valley of Mozambique. Methods: The RNA was amplified with sequence-independent single primer amplification (SISPA) and high-throughput sequencing was performed on the Ion Torrent platform. The generated sequences were subjected to quality check and classfied by BLAST. CodonCode aligner and SeqMan were used to assemble the sequences. Results: The majority of viral sequences showed closest sequence identity to the Orthomyxoviridae family, although viruses similar to the Parvoviridae and Coronaviridae were also identified. Nearly complete sequences of five orthomyxoviral segments (HA, NP, PB1, PB2, and PA) were obtained and these showed an amino acid identity of 32–52% to known quaranjaviruses. The sequences were most closely related to the Wellfleet Bay virus, detected and isolated from common eider during a mortality event in the USA. Conclusions: In summary, this study has identified a highly divergent virus with in the Orthomyxoviridae family associated with Rhipicephalus ticks from Mozambique. Further genetic and biological studies are needed in order to investigate potential pathogenesis of the identified orthomyxovirus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harindranath Cholleti
- Section of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Juliette Hayer
- SLU Global Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fernando Chanisso Mulandane
- Division of Molecular Diagnostics and Epidemiology, Biotechnology Center, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Kerstin Falk
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jose Fafetine
- Division of Molecular Diagnostics and Epidemiology, Biotechnology Center, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Mikael Berg
- Section of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anne-Lie Blomström
- Section of Virology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Sato Y, Sakamoto H, Gotoh T, Saito Y, Chao JT, Egas M, Mochizuki A. Patterns of reproductive isolation in a haplodiploid - strong post-mating, prezygotic barriers among three forms of a social spider mite. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:866-881. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Sato
- Sugadaira Research Station; Mountain Science Center; University of Tsukuba; Ueda Nagano Japan
- Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences; NARO; Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan
| | - Hironori Sakamoto
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Zoology; Faculty of Agriculture; Ibaraki University; Ami Ibaraki Japan
- Organization for University Research Initiatives; Waseda University; Shinjuku-ku Tokyo Japan
| | - Tetsuo Gotoh
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology and Zoology; Faculty of Agriculture; Ibaraki University; Ami Ibaraki Japan
| | - Yutaka Saito
- Research Faculty of Agriculture; Hokkaido University; Kita-ku Sapporo Hokkaido Japan
| | - Jung-Tai Chao
- Division of Forest Protection; Taiwan Forestry Research Institute; Taipei Taiwan
| | - Martijn Egas
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics; University of Amsterdam; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Atsushi Mochizuki
- Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences; NARO; Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Varela-Stokes AS, Park SH, Stokes JV, Gavron NA, Lee SI, Moraru GM, Ricke SC. Tick microbial communities within enriched extracts of Amblyomma maculatum. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018. [PMID: 29530467 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Our objective of this study was to explore the bacterial microbiome in fresh or fresh-frozen adult Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast ticks) using extracts enriched for microbial DNA. We collected 100 questing adult A. maculatum, surface disinfected them, and extracted DNA from individual ticks collected the same day or after storage at -80 °C. Because only extracts with microbial DNA concentrations above 2 ng/μL were considered suitable for individual analysis, we expected fewer samples to meet these requirements. Of individual ticks extracted, 48 extracts met this minimum concentration. We pooled 20 additional extracts that had lower concentrations to obtain seven additional pools that met the minimum DNA concentration. Libraries created from these 55 samples were sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq platform, and data sets were analyzed using QIIME to identify relative abundance of microorganisms by phylum down to genus levels. Proteobacteria were in greatest abundance, followed by Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes, at levels between 1.9% and 6.4% average relative abundance. Consistent with the Francisella-like endosymbiont known to be present in A. maculatum, the genus Francisella was detected at highest relative abundance (72.9%; SE 0.02%) for all samples. Among the top ten genera identified (relative abundance ≥ 0.5%) were potential extraction kit contaminants, Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium, the soil bacterium Actinomycetospora, and the known A. maculatum-associated genus, Rickettsia. Four samples had Rickettsia at greater than 1% relative abundance, while nine additional samples had Rickettsia at low (0.01-0.04%) relative abundance. In this study, we used the entire microbe-enriched DNA extract for whole ticks for microbiome analysis. A direct comparison of the microbiome in microbe-enriched DNA and total genomic DNA extracts from halves of the same tick would be useful to determine the utility of this extraction method in this system. We anticipate that future tick microbiome studies will be valuable to explore the influence of microbial diversity on pathogen maintenance and transmission, and to evaluate niche-specific microbiomes within individual tick tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A S Varela-Stokes
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, United States.
| | - S H Park
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72704, United States
| | - J V Stokes
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, United States
| | - N A Gavron
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, United States
| | - S I Lee
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72704, United States; Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, United States
| | - G M Moraru
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, United States
| | - S C Ricke
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72704, United States; Cellular and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, United States
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Greay TL, Gofton AW, Paparini A, Ryan UM, Oskam CL, Irwin PJ. Recent insights into the tick microbiome gained through next-generation sequencing. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:12. [PMID: 29301588 PMCID: PMC5755153 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2550-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The tick microbiome comprises communities of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes, and is being elucidated through modern molecular techniques. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has enabled the genes and genomes within these microbial communities to be explored in a rapid and cost-effective manner. The advantages of using NGS to investigate microbiomes surpass the traditional non-molecular methods that are limited in their sensitivity, and conventional molecular approaches that are limited in their scalability. In recent years the number of studies using NGS to investigate the microbial diversity and composition of ticks has expanded. Here, we provide a review of NGS strategies for tick microbiome studies and discuss the recent findings from tick NGS investigations, including the bacterial diversity and composition, influential factors, and implications of the tick microbiome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Telleasha L Greay
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Alexander W Gofton
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Andrea Paparini
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Una M Ryan
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Charlotte L Oskam
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Peter J Irwin
- Vector and Waterborne Pathogens Research Group, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Varela-Stokes AS, Park SH, Kim SA, Ricke SC. Microbial Communities in North American Ixodid Ticks of Veterinary and Medical Importance. Front Vet Sci 2017; 4:179. [PMID: 29104867 PMCID: PMC5654947 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Interest in microbial communities, or microbiota, of blood-feeding arthropods such as ticks (order Parasitiformes, suborder Ixodida) is increasing. Studies on tick microorganisms historically emphasized pathogens of high medical or veterinary importance. Current techniques allow for simultaneous detection of pathogens of interest, non-pathogenic symbionts, like Coxiella-LE and Francisella-LE, and microorganisms of unknown pathogenic potential. While each generation of ticks begins with a maternally acquired repertoire of microorganisms, microhabitats off and on vertebrate hosts can alter the microbiome during the life cycle. Further, blood-feeding may allow for horizontal exchange of various pathogenic microbiota that may or may not also be capable of vertical transmission. Thus, the tick microbiome may be in constant flux. The geographical spread of tick vector populations has resulted in a broader appreciation of tick-borne diseases and tick-associated microorganisms. Over the last decade, next-generation sequencing technology targeting the 16S rRNA gene led to documented snapshots of bacterial communities among life stages of laboratory and field-collected ticks, ticks in various feeding states, and tick tissues. Characterizing tick bacterial communities at population and individual tissue levels may lead to identification of markers for pathogen maintenance, and thus, indicators of disease “potential” rather than disease state. Defining the role of microbiota within the tick may lead to novel control measures targeting tick-bacterial interactions. Here, we review our current understanding of microbial communities for some vectors in the family Ixodidae (hard ticks) in North America, and interpret published findings for audiences in veterinary and medical fields with an appreciation of tick-borne disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Varela-Stokes
- Department of Basic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Si Hong Park
- Department of Food Science, Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Sun Ae Kim
- Department of Food Science, Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Steven C Ricke
- Department of Food Science, Center for Food Safety, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Gall CA, Scoles GA, Magori K, Mason KL, Brayton KA. Laboratory colonization stabilizes the naturally dynamic microbiome composition of field collected Dermacentor andersoni ticks. MICROBIOME 2017; 5:133. [PMID: 28978338 PMCID: PMC5628422 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0352-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nearly a quarter of emerging infectious diseases identified in the last century are arthropod-borne. Although ticks and insects can carry pathogenic microorganisms, non-pathogenic microbes make up the majority of their microbial communities. The majority of tick microbiome research has had a focus on discovery and description; very few studies have analyzed the ecological context and functional responses of the bacterial microbiome of ticks. The goal of this analysis was to characterize the stability of the bacterial microbiome of Dermacentor andersoni ticks between generations and two populations within a species. METHODS The bacterial microbiome of D. andersoni midguts and salivary glands was analyzed from populations collected at two different ecologically distinct sites by comparing field (F1) and lab-reared populations (F1-F3) over three generations. The microbiome composition of pooled and individual samples was analyzed by sequencing nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene amplicons using a Pacific Biosciences CCS platform that allows identification of bacteria to the species level. FINDINGS In this study, we found that the D. andersoni microbiome was distinct in different geographic populations and was tissue specific, differing between the midgut and the salivary gland, over multiple generations. Additionally, our study showed that the microbiomes of laboratory-reared populations were not necessarily representative of their respective field populations. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the microbiome of a few individual ticks does not represent the microbiome composition at the population level. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that the bacterial microbiome of D. andersoni was complex over three generations and specific to tick tissue (midgut vs. salivary glands) as well as geographic location (Burns, Oregon vs. Lake Como, Montana vs. laboratory setting). These results provide evidence that habitat of the tick population is a vital component of the complexity of the bacterial microbiome of ticks, and that the microbiome of lab colonies may not allow for comparative analyses with field populations. A broader understanding of microbiome variation will be required if we are to employ manipulation of the microbiome as a method for interfering with acquisition and transmission of tick-borne pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cory A Gall
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA
| | - Glen A Scoles
- Animal Disease Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA
| | - Krisztian Magori
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, 99004-2445, USA
| | - Kathleen L Mason
- Animal Disease Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA
| | - Kelly A Brayton
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA.
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Clow KM, Weese JS, Rousseau J, Jardine CM. Microbiota of field-collected Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis from eastern and southern Ontario, Canada. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 9:235-244. [PMID: 29042239 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The microbiota of hard ticks has been an area of growing interest due to the potential role that the broader microbial community may play in pathogen carriage and transmission. In the last two decades, Ontario, Canada has experienced rapid changes in the risk of tick-borne disease, primarily due to the range expansion of Ixodes scapularis. Another human-biter, Dermacentor variabilis, is a longstanding resident of the province, but currently poses minimal risk of pathogen transmission. To examine the microbiota of these two species, we collected adult and nymphal I. scapularis and D. variabilis from the eastern and southern regions of the province via tick dragging, and conducted next generation sequencing of 19 samples (composed of 45 ticks) via Illumina MiSeq. A total of 1400469 sequences were detected (median 69118/sample; range 23350-155227). The most abundant families of bacteria were unclassified Clostridiales and Ruminococcaceae for both I. scapularis and D. variabilis. No significant differences in the relative abundances of any phylum, class, order, family or genus were detected between locations (east vs south), sex, life stage or tick species. There were no differences in community membership or structure based on unifrac and AMOVA analyses. Female and male ticks had lower microbial diversity when compared to nymphs, based on the Simpson's index and Shannon evenness index. The findings of our study differ from previous studies of these tick species conducted in other geographic areas, and highlight the potential role geography and related ecological factors may have in shaping the tick microbiota.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katie M Clow
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - J Scott Weese
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada; Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Joyce Rousseau
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada; Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Claire M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada; Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Luo J, Liu MX, Ren QY, Chen Z, Tian ZC, Hao JW, Wu F, Liu XC, Luo JX, Yin H, Wang H, Liu GY. Micropathogen Community Analysis in Hyalomma rufipes via High-Throughput Sequencing of Small RNAs. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:374. [PMID: 28861401 PMCID: PMC5559533 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors in the transmission of a broad range of micropathogens to vertebrates, including humans. Because of the role of ticks in disease transmission, identifying and characterizing the micropathogen profiles of tick populations have become increasingly important. The objective of this study was to survey the micropathogens of Hyalomma rufipes ticks. Illumina HiSeq2000 technology was utilized to perform deep sequencing of small RNAs (sRNAs) extracted from field-collected H. rufipes ticks in Gansu Province, China. The resultant sRNA library data revealed that the surveyed tick populations produced reads that were homologous to St. Croix River Virus (SCRV) sequences. We also observed many reads that were homologous to microbial and/or pathogenic isolates, including bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. As part of this analysis, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to display the relationships among the homologous sequences that were identified. The study offered a unique opportunity to gain insight into the micropathogens of H. rufipes ticks. The effective control of arthropod vectors in the future will require knowledge of the micropathogen composition of vectors harboring infectious agents. Understanding the ecological factors that regulate vector propagation in association with the prevalence and persistence of micropathogen lineages is also imperative. These interactions may affect the evolution of micropathogen lineages, especially if the micropathogens rely on the vector or host for dispersal. The sRNA deep-sequencing approach used in this analysis provides an intuitive method to survey micropathogen prevalence in ticks and other vector species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Min-Xuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural UniversityLanzhou, China
| | - Qiao-Yun Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Ze Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Zhan-Cheng Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Jia-Wei Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Feng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Cui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Jian-Xun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and ZoonosesYangzhou, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China.,Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Wallingford, United Kingdom.,Department of Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of OxfordOxford, United Kingdom
| | - Guang-Yuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesLanzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Narasimhan S, Schuijt TJ, Abraham NM, Rajeevan N, Coumou J, Graham M, Robson A, Wu MJ, Daffre S, Hovius JW, Fikrig E. Modulation of the tick gut milieu by a secreted tick protein favors Borrelia burgdorferi colonization. Nat Commun 2017; 8:184. [PMID: 28775250 PMCID: PMC5543126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00208-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, colonizes the gut of the tick Ixodes scapularis, which transmits the pathogen to vertebrate hosts including humans. Here we show that B. burgdorferi colonization increases the expression of several tick gut genes including pixr, encoding a secreted gut protein with a Reeler domain. RNA interference-mediated silencing of pixr, or immunity against PIXR in mice, impairs the ability of B. burgdorferi to colonize the tick gut. PIXR inhibits bacterial biofilm formation in vitro and in vivo. Abrogation of PIXR function in vivo results in alterations in the gut microbiome, metabolome and immune responses. These alterations influence the spirochete entering the tick gut in multiple ways. PIXR abrogation also impairs larval molting, indicative of its role in tick biology. This study highlights the role of the tick gut in actively managing its microbiome, and how this impacts B. burgdorferi colonization of its arthropod vector. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted by the tick Ixodes scapularis. Here, the authors show that a tick secreted protein (PIXR) modulates the tick gut microbiota and facilitates B. burgdorferi colonization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sukanya Narasimhan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA.
| | - Tim J Schuijt
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Nabil M Abraham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Nallakkandi Rajeevan
- Yale Centre for Medical Informatics, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.,Clinical Epidemiology Research Centre, VA Cooperative Studies Program, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Jeroen Coumou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Morven Graham
- Yale Centre for Cellular and Molecular Imaging, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Andrew Robson
- Program in Vertebrate Developmental Biology, Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA
| | - Ming-Jie Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Joppe W Hovius
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, AZ, 1105, The Netherlands
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06420, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ben-Yosef M, Zaada DSY, Dudaniec RY, Pasternak Z, Jurkevitch E, Smith RJ, Causton CE, Lincango MP, Tobe SS, Mitchell JG, Kleindorfer S, Yuval B. Host-specific associations affect the microbiome ofPhilornis downsi, an introduced parasite to the Galápagos Islands. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:4644-4656. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ben-Yosef
- Department of Entomology; Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Rehovot Israel
| | - Doron S. Y. Zaada
- Department of Entomology; Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Rehovot Israel
| | - Rachael Y. Dudaniec
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Zohar Pasternak
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology; Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Rehovot Israel
| | - Edouard Jurkevitch
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology; Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Rehovot Israel
| | - Renee J. Smith
- School of Biological Sciences; Flinders University; Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Charlotte E. Causton
- Charles Darwin Foundation; Puerto Ayora Santa Cruz Island Galápagos Islands Ecuador
| | - Maria Piedad Lincango
- Charles Darwin Foundation; Puerto Ayora Santa Cruz Island Galápagos Islands Ecuador
- Facultad De Ciencias Agrícolas; Universidad Central Del Ecuador; Quito Pichincha Ecuador
| | - Shanan S. Tobe
- School of Biological Sciences; Flinders University; Adelaide SA Australia
- Department of Chemistry and Physics; Arcadia University; Glenside PA USA
| | - James G. Mitchell
- School of Biological Sciences; Flinders University; Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Sonia Kleindorfer
- School of Biological Sciences; Flinders University; Adelaide SA Australia
| | - Boaz Yuval
- Department of Entomology; Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment; The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Rehovot Israel
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Bonnet SI, Binetruy F, Hernández-Jarguín AM, Duron O. The Tick Microbiome: Why Non-pathogenic Microorganisms Matter in Tick Biology and Pathogen Transmission. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017. [PMID: 28642842 PMCID: PMC5462901 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are among the most important vectors of pathogens affecting humans and other animals worldwide. They do not only carry pathogens however, as a diverse group of commensal and symbiotic microorganisms are also present in ticks. Unlike pathogens, their biology and their effect on ticks remain largely unexplored, and are in fact often neglected. Nonetheless, they can confer multiple detrimental, neutral, or beneficial effects to their tick hosts, and can play various roles in fitness, nutritional adaptation, development, reproduction, defense against environmental stress, and immunity. Non-pathogenic microorganisms may also play a role in driving transmission of tick-borne pathogens (TBP), with many potential implications for both human and animal health. In addition, the genetic proximity of some pathogens to mutualistic symbionts hosted by ticks is evident when studying phylogenies of several bacterial genera. The best examples are found within members of the Rickettsia, Francisella, and Coxiella genera: while in medical and veterinary research these bacteria are traditionally recognized as highly virulent vertebrate pathogens, it is now clear to evolutionary ecologists that many (if not most) Coxiella, Francisella, and Rickettsia bacteria are actually non-pathogenic microorganisms exhibiting alternative lifestyles as mutualistic ticks symbionts. Consequently, ticks represent a compelling yet challenging system in which to study microbiomes and microbial interactions, and to investigate the composition, functional, and ecological implications of bacterial communities. Ultimately, deciphering the relationships between tick microorganisms as well as tick symbiont interactions will garner invaluable information, which may aid in the future development of arthropod pest and vector-borne pathogen transmission control strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Florian Binetruy
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290), IRD (UMR224), Université de MontpellierMontpellier, France
| | | | - Olivier Duron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR5290), IRD (UMR224), Université de MontpellierMontpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Martins LA, Galletti MFBDM, Ribeiro JM, Fujita A, Costa FB, Labruna MB, Daffre S, Fogaça AC. The Distinct Transcriptional Response of the Midgut of Amblyomma sculptum and Amblyomma aureolatum Ticks to Rickettsia rickettsii Correlates to Their Differences in Susceptibility to Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:129. [PMID: 28503490 PMCID: PMC5409265 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia rickettsii is a tick-borne obligate intracellular bacterium that causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). In Brazil, two species of ticks in the genus Amblyomma, A. sculptum and A. aureolatum, are incriminated as vectors of this bacterium. Importantly, these two species present remarkable differences in susceptibility to R. rickettsii infection, where A. aureolatum is more susceptible than A. sculptum. In the current study, A. aureolatum and A. sculptum ticks were fed on suitable hosts previously inoculated with R. rickettsii, mimicking a natural infection. As control, ticks were fed on non-infected animals. Both midgut and salivary glands of all positively infected ticks were colonized by R. rickettsii. We did not observe ticks with infection restricted to midgut, suggesting that important factors for controlling rickettsial colonization were produced in this organ. In order to identify such factors, the total RNA extracted from the midgut (MG) was submitted to next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The majority of the coding sequences (CDSs) of A. sculptum differentially expressed by infection were upregulated, whereas most of modulated CDSs of A. aureolatum were downregulated. The functional categories that comprise upregulated CDSs of A. sculptum, for instance, metabolism, signal transduction, protein modification, extracellular matrix, and immunity also include CDSs of A. aureolatum that were downregulated by infection. This is the first study that reports the effects of an experimental infection with the highly virulent R. rickettsii on the gene expression of two natural tick vectors. The distinct transcriptional profiles of MG of A. sculptum and A. aureolatum upon infection stimulus strongly suggest that molecular factors in this organ are responsible for delineating the susceptibility to R. rickettsii. Functional studies to determine the role played by proteins encoded by differentially expressed CDSs in the acquisition of R. rickettsii are warranted and may be considered as targets for the development of strategies to control the tick-borne pathogens as well as to control the tick vectors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Larissa A Martins
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria F B de Melo Galletti
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - José M Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesRockville, MD, USA
| | - André Fujita
- Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sirlei Daffre
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andréa C Fogaça
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|