Applications of artificial membrane feeding for ixodid ticks

González, J. L.; Bickerton, Mathew; Toledo, Álvaro

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105818

Cited by 16 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…While we, and others ( Ninio et al., 2015 ), failed to reduce M. mitochondrii loads in I. ricinus ticks through tetracycline micro-injection, both microinjection as well as membrane feeding of I. scapularis ticks with ciprofloxacin was effective in depleting or eliminating Rickettsia buchneri ( Oliver et al., 2021 ). We thus believe that the membrane feeding platform, which is available for multiple species of hard ticks ( Gonzalez et al., 2021 ), represents a universal and powerful tool for the production of apo-symbiotic ticks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ixodes ricinus ticks have a functional association with Midichloria mitochondrii

Guizzo

Hatalová

Frantová

et al. 2023

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.

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In addition to being vectors of pathogenic bacteria, ticks also harbor intracellular bacteria that associate with ticks over generations, aka symbionts. The biological significance of such bacterial symbiosis has been described in several tick species but its function in Ixodes ricinus is not understood. We have previously shown that I. ricinus ticks are primarily inhabited by a single species of symbiont, Midichloria mitochondrii, an intracellular bacterium that resides and reproduces mainly in the mitochondria of ovaries of fully engorged I. ricinus females. To study the functional integration of M. mitochondrii into the biology of I. ricinus, an M. mitochondrii-depleted model of I. ricinus ticks was sought. Various techniques have been described in the literature to achieve dysbiosed or apo-symbiotic ticks with various degrees of success. To address the lack of a standardized experimental procedure for the production of apo-symbiotic ticks, we present here an approach utilizing the ex vivo membrane blood feeding system. In order to deplete M. mitochondrii from ovaries, we supplemented dietary blood with tetracycline. We noted, however, that the use of tetracycline caused immediate toxicity in ticks, caused by impairment of mitochondrial proteosynthesis. To overcome the tetracycline-mediated off-target effect, we established a protocol that leads to the production of an apo-symbiotic strain of I. ricinus, which can be sustained in subsequent generations. In two generations following tetracycline administration and tetracycline-mediated symbiont reduction, M. mitochondrii was gradually eliminated from the lineage. Larvae hatched from eggs laid by such M. mitochondrii-free females repeatedly performed poorly during blood-feeding, while the nymphs and adults performed similarly to controls. These data indicate that M. mitochondrii represents an integral component of tick ovarian tissue, and when absent, results in the formation of substandard larvae with reduced capacity to blood-feed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ixodes ricinus ticks have a functional association with Midichloria mitochondrii

Guizzo

Hatalová

Frantová

et al. 2023

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.

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“…2017; Militzer et al . 2021; González, Bickerton & Toledo 2021). This use of antibiotics and the molecules chosen should be carefully considered in experimental design as they will modify the tick microbiota and, potentially, affect the tick’s ability to develop normally and to be maintained in a colony.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of endosymbionts on the reproductive fitness of the tickOrnithodoros moubata

Taraveau

Pollet

Duhayon

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Over the past ten years, many studies demonstrated the crucial role of the tick microbiome in tick biology. The soft tick Ornithodoros moubata is a hematophagous ectoparasite of Suidae particularly known to transmit the African swine fever virus. Its bacterial microbiota is characterized by a high prevalence of Francisella-like and Rickettsia endosymbionts. The present study aims to better understand the potential influence of the microbiota on the reproductive fitness of O. moubata. A total of 132 adult female ticks were treated using gentamycin or rifampicin added to the blood meal. Half of the ticks also received a supplementation with B vitamins to address the nutritional role of endosymbionts. Over two periods of 50 days, several traits related to the reproductive fitness were monitored to investigate the importance of Francisella and Rickettsia for those traits. It appeared that most of the considered reproductive parameters were not affected. However, antibiotic treatments induced an increase in the tick survival indicating a potential fitness cost of harboring endosymbionts for ticks during the reproduction period. Similarly, 366 first stage nymphs of Ornithodoros moubata were exposed to the same treatments for molecular quantification of both endosymbionts. Results from qPCR suggested that treatments produced a bacteriostatic effect on endosymbionts without fully eliminating Francisella or Rickettsia.

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“…The artificial tick feeding methods most widely used can be divided into three groups: (I) capillary feeding, (II) feeding in a semi-artificial system with membranes made of animal skin, and (III) artificial feeding with membranes made of silicone that are used as “skin”, which is the method that requires the least animal usage [ 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

et al. 2023

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Hard ticks pose a threat to animal and human health. Active life stages need to feed on a vertebrate host in order to complete their life cycle. To study processes such as tick-pathogen interactions or drug efficacy and pharmacokinetics, it is necessary to maintain tick colonies under defined laboratory conditions, typically using laboratory animals. The aim of this study was to test a membrane-based artificial feeding system (AFS) applicable for Amblyomma ticks using Amblyomma tonelliae as a biological model. Adult ticks from a laboratory colony were fed in a membrane-based AFS. For comparison, other A. tonelliae adults were fed on calf and rabbit. The proportions of attached (AFS: 76%; calf/rabbit: 100%) and engorged females (AFS: 47.4%; calf/rabbit: 100%) in the AFS were significantly lower compared to animal-based feeding (p = 0.0265). The engorgement weight of in vitro fed ticks (x¯ = 658 mg; SD ± 259.80) did not significantly differ from that of ticks fed on animals (p = 0.3272, respectively 0.0947). The proportion of females that oviposited was 100% for all three feeding methods. However, the incubation period of eggs (x¯ = 54 days; SD ± 7) was longer in the AFS compared to conventional animal-based feeding (p = 0.0014); x¯ = 45 days; SD ± 2 in the rabbit and (p = 0.0144). x¯ = 48 days; SD ± 2 in the calf). Egg cluster hatching (x¯ = 41%; SD ± 44.82) was lower in the AFS than in the other feeding methods (rabbit: x¯ = 74%; SD ± 20; p = 0.0529; calf: x¯ = 81%; SD ± 22; p = 0.0256). Although the attachment, development, and the hatching of AFS ticks were below those from animal-based feeding, the method may be useful in future experiments. Nevertheless, further experiments with a higher number of tick specimens (including immature life stages) and different attractant stimuli are required to confirm the preliminary results of this study and to evaluate the applicability of AFS for Amblyomma ticks as an alternative to animal-based feeding methods.

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Applications of artificial membrane feeding for ixodid ticks

Cited by 16 publications

References 77 publications

Ixodes ricinus ticks have a functional association with Midichloria mitochondrii

Ixodes ricinus ticks have a functional association with Midichloria mitochondrii

Influence of endosymbionts on the reproductive fitness of the tickOrnithodoros moubata

Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)

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