1
|
Yousefi-Behzadi M, Mehrabi A, Ahmadinezhad M, Rohani M, Naddaf SR, Bagheri A, Shams-Ghahfarokhi M, Maghsoudlou E, Mojahed N, Mounesan L, Tahmasebi Z, Sohrabi A, Salehi-Vaziri M, Salehi Z, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Metagenomics Characterization of Ixodes ricinus Intestinal Microbiota as Major Vector of Tick-Borne Diseases in Domestic Animals. J Arthropod Borne Dis 2023; 17:152-164. [PMID: 37822757 PMCID: PMC10562206 DOI: 10.18502/jad.v17i2.13620] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the microbiota of disease vectors can help for developing new strategies to prevent the transmission of vector pathogens. Ixodes ricinus is one of the most notorious tick vectors with increasing importance in Iran and other parts of the world while there is limited data on its microbiota. This study aimed to use metagenomics for identifying the I. ricinus tick's microbiota of Iran. Methods A total of 39 adult ticks were collected from Mazandaran (21 females), Gilan (17 females), and Golestan (1 male). Five tick pools prepared from 39 adults of I. ricinus were subjected to metagenomics analysis. The data were analyzed by targeting the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene by Illumina 4000 Hiseq sequencing. Results Among hundreds of intestinal microbiota identified by metagenomics, various pathogenic microorganisms distributed in 30 genera and species including those responsible for tick-borne diseases resided in the genera Coxiella, Rickettsia, and Burkholderia were found. Conclusion Our results indicated that metagenomics identifies bacteria genera and species which cannot be easily recognized by routine methods. The presence of such pathogenic bacteria indicates the importance of possible zoonotic diseases in this region which could affect public health. These results further substantiate the importance of advanced metagenomics analyses to identify neglected tick-borne pathogens which enable researchers to provide efficient mapping roads for the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manijeh Yousefi-Behzadi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Atefeh Mehrabi
- School of Advanced Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mozhgan Ahmadinezhad
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Rohani
- Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amin Bagheri
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ebrahim Maghsoudlou
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois
| | - Nooshin Mojahed
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
| | - Leila Mounesan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Tahmasebi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Aria Sohrabi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mostafa Salehi-Vaziri
- Department of Arboviruses and Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Salehi
- Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hodosi R, Kazimirova M, Soltys K. What do we know about the microbiome of I. ricinus? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:990889. [PMID: 36467722 PMCID: PMC9709289 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.990889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
I. ricinus is an obligate hematophagous parasitic arthropod that is responsible for the transmission of a wide range of zoonotic pathogens including spirochetes of the genus Borrelia, Rickettsia spp., C. burnetii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Francisella tularensis, which are part the tick´s microbiome. Most of the studies focus on "pathogens" and only very few elucidate the role of "non-pathogenic" symbiotic microorganisms in I. ricinus. While most of the members of the microbiome are leading an intracellular lifestyle, they are able to complement tick´s nutrition and stress response having a great impact on tick´s survival and transmission of pathogens. The composition of the tick´s microbiome is not consistent and can be tied to the environment, tick species, developmental stage, or specific organ or tissue. Ovarian tissue harbors a stable microbiome consisting mainly but not exclusively of endosymbiotic bacteria, while the microbiome of the digestive system is rather unstable, and together with salivary glands, is mostly comprised of pathogens. The most prevalent endosymbionts found in ticks are Rickettsia spp., Ricketsiella spp., Coxiella-like and Francisella-like endosymbionts, Spiroplasma spp. and Candidatus Midichloria spp. Since microorganisms can modify ticks' behavior, such as mobility, feeding or saliva production, which results in increased survival rates, we aimed to elucidate the potential, tight relationship, and interaction between bacteria of the I. ricinus microbiome. Here we show that endosymbionts including Coxiella-like spp., can provide I. ricinus with different types of vitamin B (B2, B6, B7, B9) essential for eukaryotic organisms. Furthermore, we hypothesize that survival of Wolbachia spp., or the bacterial pathogen A. phagocytophilum can be supported by the tick itself since coinfection with symbiotic Spiroplasma ixodetis provides I. ricinus with complete metabolic pathway of folate biosynthesis necessary for DNA synthesis and cell division. Manipulation of tick´s endosymbiotic microbiome could present a perspective way of I. ricinus control and regulation of spread of emerging bacterial pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Hodosi
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Maria Kazimirova
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarina Soltys
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Comenius University Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
He YC, Li JX, Sun YL, Kang M, He HX, Guo YH, Ma P, Wei YP, Li RS, Chen WK, Chen ZH, Li J, Qi TS, Yang JF, Zhang QX, Wang Y, Cai JS, Zhao QB, Hu GW, Chen JY, Li Y. Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Infecting Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), Yak (Bos grunniens), and Tibetan Sheep (Ovis aries) in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau Area, China. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:779387. [PMID: 35211533 PMCID: PMC8861378 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.779387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Area (QTPA) has a complex natural ecosystem, causing a greatly increased risk of spreading various tick-borne diseases including rickettsial infections, which are regarded as one of the oldest known vector-borne zoonoses. However, the information of one of its pathogen, spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFG Rickettsia), is limited in tick vectors and animals in this area. Therefore, this study focused on the investigation of SFG Rickettsia in tick vectors, yaks (Bos grunniens), and Tibetan sheep (Ovis aries) in the QTPA. A total of 1,000 samples were collected from nine sampling sites, including 425 of yaks, 309 of Tibetan sheep, 266 of ticks. By morphological examination, PCR, and sequencing, we confirmed the species of all collected ticks. All tick samples, all yak and Tibetan sheep blood samples were detected based on SFG Rickettsia ompA and sca4 gene. The results showed that all tick samples were identified to be Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis, and the positive rates of SFG Rickettsia were 5.9% (25/425), 0.3% (1/309), and 54.1% (144/266) in yaks, Tibetan sheep, and ticks, respectively. All positive samples were sequenced, and BLASTn analysis of the ompA gene sequences of SFG Rickettsia showed that all positive samples from animals and ticks had 99.04–100% identity with yak and horse isolates from Qinghai Province, China. BLASTn analysis of the sca4 gene sequences of SFG Rickettsia showed that all positive samples had 97.60–98.72% identity with tick isolates from Ukraine. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis showed that all the SFG Rickettsia ompA and sca4 sequences obtained from this study belong to the same clade as Rickettsia raoultii isolated from livestock and ticks from China and other countries. Molecularly, this study detected and characterized SFG Rickettsia both in the tick vectors and animals, suggesting that the relationship between SFG Rickettsia, tick species and animal hosts should be explored to understand their interrelationships, which provide a theoretical basis for preventing control of this pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Cai He
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Ji-Xu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Ya-Li Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Ming Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Hong-Xuan He
- National Research Center for Wildlife-Born Diseases, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun-Hai Guo
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Yao-Ping Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Rui-Shan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Wang-Kai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Zhi-Hong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Jing Li
- Qinghai Provincial Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Xining, China
| | - Tong-Sheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Jin-Fang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Qing-Xun Zhang
- National Research Center for Wildlife-Born Diseases, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Wang
- National Research Center for Wildlife-Born Diseases, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Shan Cai
- Qinghai Provincial Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Xining, China
| | - Quan-Bang Zhao
- Qinghai Provincial Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Xining, China
| | - Guang-Wei Hu
- Qinghai Provincial Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Xining, China
| | - Ji-Yong Chen
- Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center of Yushu, Yushu, China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, China
- *Correspondence: Ying Li
| |
Collapse
|