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Benyedem H, Hajji T, Romdhane R, Obara I, Mhadhbi M, Sebai E, Elati K, Chaari S, Rekik M, Darghouth MA. Genetic diversity of Hyalomma marginatum in Tunisia is not influenced by the bio-climate. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:3013-3025. [PMID: 37823993 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07990-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important ectoparasites responsible for the transmission of several pathogens with significant medical, veterinary, and economic impacts. Climate and social changes have generated substantial changes in ticks' distribution, abundance, and activity patterns, including ticks belonging to the Hyalomma marginatum species. Knowledge on the genetic structure and dynamics of H. marginatum populations might contribute to a better understanding of their current and future evolution under the effects of anthropogenic factors and eco-climatic changes. In the present study, we investigated the genetic structure and phylogenetic distribution of H. marginatum across three bioclimatic regions in Tunisia using two mitochondrial markers (16S and 12S rRNA). The molecular investigations were based on 47 adult H. marginatum ticks collected from humid, upper semi-arid, and sub-humid regions of Tunisia. Our results revealed a genetic diversity of 0.278% and 0.809% using the 16S and 12S markers, respectively. The low genetic diversity that we observed raises the hypothesis of a bottleneck event occasioned by a reduction in the size of the tick population under the effects of environmental factors and/or human activities. This hypothesis is supported by the population's demographic history analysis, which revealed a clear deviation from neutrality and supports the occurrence of a bottleneck event followed by a demographic expansion. The fact that most 16S and 12S variability was present in the ticks from the humid bioclimatic zone may suggest that those ticks represent the ancestral population. Overall, the analysis has shown that the phylogenetic clusters do not correspond to the bioclimatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayet Benyedem
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia.
- Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Tarek Hajji
- Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorization of Bio-Geo-Resources (LR11ES31), Higher Institute of Biotechnology - Sidi Thabet, Univ. Manouba, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Rihab Romdhane
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Isaiah Obara
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moez Mhadhbi
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Essia Sebai
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
| | - Khawla Elati
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 7, 14163, Berlin, Germany
- Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-Von-Ostertag-Str. 8, Berlin, Germany
| | - Soufiene Chaari
- Laboratoire Pharmaceutique Vétérinaire MEDIVET, Soliman, Tunisia
| | - Mourad Rekik
- International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Aziz Darghouth
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Institution de La Recherche et de L'Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia.
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