Impact of endosymbionts on tick physiology and fitness

Kolo, Agatha O.; Raghavan, Rahul

doi:10.1017/s0031182023000793

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…In insects, these endosymbionts directly reduce viral replication for dengue and West Nile viruses and act as a manipulator of host reproduction [72,73]. Although little is known about the effects that these bacteria may cause in ticks, they have already been reported to infect at least three tick species, namely: I. ricinus, Rhipicephalus microplus and A. americanum [74][75][76]. Furthermore, a previous study identified that both Wolbachia sequences (wsp and ftsZ genes) were identical to those already reported, such as that associated with an endoparasitoid wasp named Ixodiphagus hookeri.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Circulating in Peri-Domestic Areas in Mainland Portugal

Moerbeck,

Parreira,

Szczotko

et al. 2024

Microorganisms

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Over the years, tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) have garnered significant interest due to their medical, veterinary and economic importance. Additionally, TBPs have drawn attention to how these microorganisms interact with their own vectors, increasing the risk to human and animal infection of emerging and reemerging zoonoses. In this sense, ticks, which are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites, have a key role in maintaining and transmitting TBPs among humans and animals. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of neglected TBPs in mainland Portugal, namely Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Neoehrlichia mikurensis. DNA fragments were detected in questing ticks collected from five different ecological areas under investigation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study reports new worldwide findings, including B. bigemina infecting Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Additionally, it presents new findings in Portugal of N. mikurensis infecting I. ricinus and of presumably Wolbachia endosymbionts being detected in I. ricinus. Overall, there were 208 tick samples that were negative for all screened TBPs. The results herein obtained raise concerns about the circulation of neglected TBPs in mainland Portugal, especially in anthropophilic ticks, highlighting the importance of adopting a One Health perspective.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Circulating in Peri-Domestic Areas in Mainland Portugal

Moerbeck,

Parreira,

Szczotko

et al. 2024

Microorganisms

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“…Current information reveals that almost all tick-borne and tick-associated pathogenic bacteria have closely related endosymbiotic relatives coexisting in ticks, as exemplified for Rickettsia , Francisella , Borrelia , and Coxiella [ 4 ]. Additionally, a range of unclassified taxa include members of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia under Anaplasmataceae , and various protozoa under the genera Babesia and Theileria .…”

Section: Pathogens and Endosymbionts—confounding Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vector-borne pathogen surveillance in a metagenomic world

Ergunay,

Bourke,

Achee

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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The bacterial microbiome and pathogen reservoir potential of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks in South Africa

Ackermann,

Gall,

Brayton

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background: Tick-borne bacterial pathogens from both domestic and wild animals play a significant role in the (re)emergence of human diseases. Primary tick endosymbionts have considerable influence on tick fitness and pathogen acquisition or transmission, while secondary endosymbionts are more likely to be pathogens. Rhipicephalus sanguineus is one of the most widespread tick species as they predominantly parasitise domestic dogs, though they have also been documented to feed on domestic animals and humans. This makes them ideal vectors of bacterial pathogens that can pose a significant threat to human health. Rhipicephalus sanguineus is host to a species-specific Coxiellaendosymbiont. Tick-borne pathogens and endosymbiotic bacteria can be studied through a targeted microbiome approach. Methods: We utilised a 16S rRNA microbiome and amplicon sequence variant (ASV) approach to study the bacterial groups present in the midgut and salivary gland tissues of R. sanguineus ticks collected from dogs in a rural community in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, South Africa, from 2016 to 2019. Results: Post processing, we obtained 43,161 total sequence reads which were clustered into ASVs by sample year. After contaminants were removed there were ASVs belonging to seven genera: Coxiella, Anaplasma, Escherichia/Shigella, Ehrlichia, Borrelia, Rickettsia and Wolbachia. Coxiella endosymbionts dominated the microbiome. In 2017 Anaplasma was introduced to the microbiome and increased at the 2019 sampling. All other genera were present at low levels. Conclusions: Our study highlights the changes in the microbiome of the R. sanguineus ticks over time. We found high numbers of two pathogenic Anaplasma species, A. platys and A. centrale, which cause disease in dogs and cattle, respectively, although A. platys infections in humans have been documented. With the exclusion of Wolbachia, the other detected genera could have pathogenic potential. Given our findings of pathogenic bacterial species, our study highlights the role that R. sanguineusmight play as a reservoir of pathogens.

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Impact of endosymbionts on tick physiology and fitness

Cited by 6 publications

References 103 publications

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Circulating in Peri-Domestic Areas in Mainland Portugal

Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens Circulating in Peri-Domestic Areas in Mainland Portugal

Vector-borne pathogen surveillance in a metagenomic world

The bacterial microbiome and pathogen reservoir potential of Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks in South Africa

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