2
|
Socarras KM, Earl JP, Krol JE, Bhat A, Pabilonia M, Harrison MH, Lang SP, Sen B, Ahmed A, Hester M, Mell JC, Vandegrift K, Ehrlich GD. Species-Level Profiling of Ixodes pacificus Bacterial Microbiomes Reveals High Variability Across Short Spatial Scales at Different Taxonomic Resolutions. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers 2021; 25:551-562. [PMID: 34406842 DOI: 10.1089/gtmb.2021.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims: Outbreaks of severe and chronic tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are on the rise. This is through the transmission of infectious disease agents to humans during tick feeding. The transmission rate and extent of microbial exchange, however, vary based on the tick microbiome composition. While select microbes are determined to be members of the normal tick microbiome and others are clearly recognized mammalian and/or avian pathogens, the status of many other members of the tick microbiota with respect to human and alternate host pathogenesis remains unclear. Moreover, the species-level 16S microbiome of prominent TBD vectors, including Ixodes pacificus, have not been extensively studied. To elucidate the I. pacificus microbiome composition, we performed a pan-domain species-specific characterization of the bacterial microbiome on adult I. pacificus ticks collected from two regional parks within Western California. Our methods provide for characterizing nuances within cohort microbiomes and their relationships to geo-locale of origin, surrounding fauna, and prevalences of known and suspected pathogens in relation to current TBD epidemiological zones. Methods: Ninety-two adult I. pacificus bacterial microbiomes were characterized using a high-fidelity, pan-domain, species-specific, full-length 16S rRNA amplification method using circular consensus sequencing performed on the Pacific Biosciences Sequel platform. Data analyses were performed with the MCSMRT data analysis package and database. Results: The species-specific I. pacificus microbiome composition illustrates a complex assortment of microflora, including over 900 eubacterial species with high taxonomic diversity, which was revealed to vary by sex and geo-locale, though the use of full-length 16S gene sequencing. The TBD-associated pathogens, such as Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia monacensis, were identified along with a host of bacteria previously unassociated with ticks. Conclusion: Species-level taxonomic classification of the I. pacificus microbiome revealed that full-length bacterial 16S gene sequencing is required for the granularity to elucidate the microbial diversity within and among ticks based on geo-locale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kayla M Socarras
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua P Earl
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jaroslaw E Krol
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Archana Bhat
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Max Pabilonia
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Meghan H Harrison
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Steven P Lang
- Exosome Diagnostics, a Bio-Techne Company, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bhaswati Sen
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Azad Ahmed
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael Hester
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua Chang Mell
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kurt Vandegrift
- Department of Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Penn State University; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Garth D Ehrlich
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|