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Guizzo MG, Mans B, Pienaar R, Ribeiro JMC. A comparison of Illumina and PacBio methods to build tick salivary gland transcriptomes confirms large expression of lipocalins and other salivary protein families that are not represented in available tick genomes. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102209. [PMID: 37327738 PMCID: PMC10527494 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102209] [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: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tick saliva helps blood feeding by its antihemostatic and immunomodulatory activities. Tick salivary gland transcriptomes (sialotranscriptomes) revealed thousands of transcripts coding for putative secreted polypeptides. Hundreds of these transcripts code for groups of similar proteins, constituting protein families, such as the lipocalins and metalloproteases. However, while many of these transcriptome-derived protein sequences matches sequences predicted by tick genome assemblies, the majority are not represented in these proteomes. The diversity of these transcriptome-derived transcripts could derive from artifacts generated during assembly of short Illumina reads or derive from polymorphisms of the genes coding for these proteins. To investigate this discrepancy, we collected salivary glands from blood-feeding ticks and, from the same homogenate, made and sequenced libraries following Illumina and PacBio protocols, with the assumption that the longer PacBio reads would reveal the sequences generated by the assembly of Illumina reads. Using both Rhipicephalus zambeziensis and Ixodes scapularis ticks, we have obtained more lipocalin transcripts from the Illumina library than the PacBio library. To verify whether these unique Illumina transcripts were real, we selected 9 uniquely Illumina-derived lipocalin transcripts from I. scapularis and attempted to obtain PCR products. These were obtained and their sequences confirmed the presence of these transcripts in the I. scapularis salivary homogenate. We further compared the predicted salivary lipocalins and metalloproteases from I. scapularis sialotranscriptomes with those found in the predicted proteomes of 3 publicly available genomes of I. scapularis. Results indicate that the discrepancy between the genome and transcriptome sequences for these salivary protein families is due to a high degree of polymorphism within these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Ben Mans
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa; The Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Jose M C Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
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Garcia Guizzo M, Meneses C, Amado Cecilio P, Hessab Alvarenga P, Sonenshine D, Ribeiro JM. Optimizing tick artificial membrane feeding for Ixodes scapularis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16170. [PMID: 37758795 PMCID: PMC10533868 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43200-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial membrane feeding (AMF) is a powerful and versatile technique with a wide range of applications in the study of disease vectors species. Since its first description, AMF has been under constant optimization and standardization for different tick species and life stages. In the USA, Ixodes scapularis is the main vector of tick-borne zoonoses including the pathogens causing Lyme disease in humans and animals. Seeking to improve the overall fitness of I. scapularis adult females fed artificially, here, we have optimized the AMF technique, considerably enhancing attachment rate, engorgement success, egg laying, and egg hatching compared to those described in previous studies. Parameters such as the membrane thickness and the light/dark cycle to which the ticks were exposed were refined to more closely reflect the tick's natural behavior and life cycle. Additionally, ticks were fed on blood only, blood + ATP or blood + ATP + gentamicin. The artificial feeding of ticks on blood only was successful and generated a progeny capable of feeding naturally on a host, i.e., mice. Adding ATP as a feeding stimulant did not improve tick attachment or engorgement. Notably, the administration of gentamicin, an antibiotic commonly used in tick AMF to prevent microbial contamination, negatively impacted Rickettsia buchneri endosymbiont levels in the progeny of artificially fed ticks. In addition, gentamicin-fed ticks showed a reduction in oviposition success compared to ticks artificially fed on blood only, discouraging the use of antibiotics in AMF. Overall, our data suggest that the AMF of adult females on blood only, in association with the natural feeding of their progeny on mice, might be used as an integrated approach in tick rearing, eliminating the use of protected species under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Of note, although optimized for I. scapularis adult ticks, I. scapularis nymphs, other tick species, and sand flies could also be fed using the membrane described in this study, indicating that it might be a suitable alternative for the artificial feeding of a variety of hematophagous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | - Claudio Meneses
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Pedro Amado Cecilio
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Patricia Hessab Alvarenga
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Sonenshine
- Vector Molecular Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jose M Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
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Guizzo MG, Hatalová T, Frantová H, Zurek L, Kopáček P, Perner J. Ixodes ricinus ticks have a functional association with Midichloria mitochondrii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 12:1081666. [PMID: 36699720 PMCID: PMC9868949 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1081666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
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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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Tereza Hatalová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Helena Frantová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Ludek Zurek
- CEITEC, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czechia,Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics/CINeZ, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czechia,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Petr Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jan Perner
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia,*Correspondence: Jan Perner,
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Guizzo MG, Budachetri K, Adegoke A, Ribeiro JMC, Karim S. Rickettsia parkeri infection modulates the sialome and ovariome of the Gulf coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1023980. [PMID: 36439862 PMCID: PMC9684213 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1023980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of several tick-borne pathogens, including Rickettsia parkeri. The ability of R. parkeri to persist within the tick population through transovarial and transstadial transmission, without apparently harming the ticks, contributes to the pathogen's perpetuation in the tick population. Previous studies have shown that the R. parkeri load in A. maculatum is regulated by the tick tissues' oxidant/antioxidant balance and the non-pathogenic tick microbiome. To obtain further insights into the interaction between tick and pathogen, we performed a bulk RNA-Seq for differential transcriptomic analysis of ovaries and salivary glands from R. parkeri-infected and uninfected ticks over the feeding course on a host. The most differentially expressed functional category was of bacterial origin, exhibiting a massive overexpression of bacterial transcripts in response to the R. parkeri infection. Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii and bacteria from the genus Rickettsia were mainly responsible for the overexpression of bacterial transcripts. Host genes were also modulated in R. parkeri-infected tick organs. A similar number of host transcripts from all analyzed functional categories was negatively and positively modulated, revealing a global alteration of the A. maculatum transcriptome in response to pathogen infection. R. parkeri infection led to an increase in salivary transcripts involved in blood feeding success as well as a decrease in ovarian immune transcripts. We hypothesize that these transcriptional alterations facilitate pathogen persistence and transmission within tick population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Khemraj Budachetri
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Jose M. C. Ribeiro
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
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Guizzo MG, Dolezelikova K, Neupane S, Frantova H, Hrbatova A, Pafco B, Fiorotti J, Kopacek P, Zurek L. Characterization and manipulation of the bacterial community in the midgut of Ixodes ricinus. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:248. [PMID: 35810301 PMCID: PMC9271250 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05362-z] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods transmitting a wide range of pathogens to humans and animals. They also harbor a non-pathogenic microbiota, primarily in the ovaries and the midgut. In the previous study on Ixodes ricinus, we used a culture-independent approach and showed a diverse but quantitatively poor midgut bacterial microbiome. Our analysis also revealed the absence of a core microbiome, suggesting an environmental origin of the tick midgut microbiota. Methods A bacterial analysis of the midgut of adult females collected by flagging from two localities in the Czech Republic was performed. Using the culture-independent approach, we tested the hypothesis that the midgut microbiome is of the environmental origin. We also cultured indigenous bacteria from the tick midgut and used these to feed ticks artificially in an attempt to manipulate the midgut microbiome. Results The midgut showed a very low prevalence and abundance of culturable bacteria, with only 37% of ticks positive for bacteria. The culture-independent approach revealed the presence of Borrelia sp., Spiroplasma sp., Rickettsia sp., Midichloria sp. and various mainly environmental Gram-positive bacterial taxa. The comparison of ticks from two regions revealed that the habitat influenced the midgut bacterial diversity. In addition, the midgut of ticks capillary fed with the indigenous Micrococcus luteus (Gram-positive) and Pantoea sp. (Gram-negative) could not be colonized due to rapid and effective clearance of both bacterial taxa. Conclusions The midgut microbiome of I. ricinus is diverse but low in abundance, with the exception of tick-borne pathogens and symbionts. The environment impacts the diversity of the tick midgut microbiome. Ingested extracellular environmental bacteria are rapidly eliminated and are not able to colonize the gut. We hypothesize that bacterial elimination triggered in the midgut of unfed adult females is critical to maintain low microbial levels during blood-feeding. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05362-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristyna Dolezelikova
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Saraswoti Neupane
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Helena Frantova
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Hrbatova
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Pafco
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jessica Fiorotti
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic. .,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Brno, Czech Republic. .,Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Guizzo MG, Tirloni L, Gonzalez SA, Farber MD, Braz G, Parizi LF, Dedavid E Silva LA, da Silva Vaz I, Oliveira PL. Coxiella Endosymbiont of Rhipicephalus microplus Modulates Tick Physiology With a Major Impact in Blood Feeding Capacity. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:868575. [PMID: 35591999 PMCID: PMC9111531 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.868575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, metagenomics studies exploring tick microbiota have revealed widespread interactions between bacteria and arthropods, including symbiotic interactions. Functional studies showed that obligate endosymbionts contribute to tick biology, affecting reproductive fitness and molting. Understanding the molecular basis of the interaction between ticks and their mutualist endosymbionts may help to develop control methods based on microbiome manipulation. Previously, we showed that Rhipicephalus microplus larvae with reduced levels of Coxiella endosymbiont of R. microplus (CERM) were arrested at the metanymph life stage (partially engorged nymph) and did not molt into adults. In this study, we performed a transcriptomic differential analysis of the R. microplus metanymph in the presence and absence of its mutualist endosymbiont. The lack of CERM resulted in an altered expression profile of transcripts from several functional categories. Gene products such as DA-P36, protease inhibitors, metalloproteases, and evasins, which are involved in blood feeding capacity, were underexpressed in CERM-free metanymphs. Disregulation in genes related to extracellular matrix remodeling was also observed in the absence of the symbiont. Taken together, the observed alterations in gene expression may explain the blockage of development at the metanymph stage and reveal a novel physiological aspect of the symbiont-tick-vertebrate host interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Vector Biology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, United States.,Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Sergio A Gonzalez
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular (IABIMO), INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Marisa D Farber
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular (IABIMO), INTA-CONICET, Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Glória Braz
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pedro L Oliveira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Tirloni L, Braz G, Nunes RD, Gandara ACP, Vieira LR, Assumpcao TC, Sabadin GA, da Silva RM, Guizzo MG, Machado JA, Costa EP, Santos D, Gomes HF, Moraes J, dos Santos Mota MB, Mesquita RD, de Souza Leite M, Alvarenga PH, Lara FA, Seixas A, da Fonseca RN, Fogaça AC, Logullo C, Tanaka AS, Daffre S, Oliveira PL, da Silva Vaz I, Ribeiro JMC. A physiologic overview of the organ-specific transcriptome of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus. Sci Rep 2020. [DOI: 10.1246/nikkashi.1979.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractTo further obtain insights into the Rhipicephalus microplus transcriptome, we used RNA-seq to carry out a study of expression in (i) embryos; (ii) ovaries from partially and fully engorged females; (iii) salivary glands from partially engorged females; (iv) fat body from partially and fully engorged females; and (v) digestive cells from partially, and (vi) fully engorged females. We obtained > 500 million Illumina reads which were assembled de novo, producing > 190,000 contigs, identifying 18,857 coding sequences (CDS). Reads from each library were mapped back into the assembled transcriptome giving a view of gene expression in different tissues. Transcriptomic expression and pathway analysis showed that several genes related in blood digestion and host-parasite interaction were overexpressed in digestive cells compared with other tissues. Furthermore, essential genes for the cell development and embryogenesis were overexpressed in ovaries. Taken altogether, these data offer novel insights into the physiology of production and role of saliva, blood digestion, energy metabolism, and development with submission of 10,932 novel tissue/cell specific CDS to the NCBI database for this important tick species.
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Guizzo MG, Neupane S, Kucera M, Perner J, Frantová H, da Silva Vaz I, de Oliveira PL, Kopacek P, Zurek L. Poor Unstable Midgut Microbiome of Hard Ticks Contrasts With Abundant and Stable Monospecific Microbiome in Ovaries. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:211. [PMID: 32457850 PMCID: PMC7225584 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Culture-independent metagenomic methodologies have enabled detection and identification of microorganisms in various biological systems and often revealed complex and unknown microbiomes. In many organisms, the microbiome outnumbers the host cells and greatly affects the host biology and fitness. Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites with a wide host range. They vector a number of human and animal pathogens and also directly cause major economic losses in livestock. Although several reports on a tick midgut microbiota show a diverse bacterial community, in most cases the size of the bacterial population has not been determined. In this study, the microbiome was quantified in the midgut and ovaries of the ticks Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus microplus before, during, and after blood feeding. Although the size of bacterial community in the midgut fluctuated with blood feeding, it was overall extremely low in comparison to that of other hematophagous arthropods. In addition, the tick ovarian microbiome of both tick species exceeded the midgut 16S rDNA copy numbers by several orders of magnitude. This indicates that the ratio of a tick midgut/ovary microbiome represents an exception to the general biology of other metazoans. In addition to the very low abundance, the tick midgut diversity in I. ricinus was variable and that is in contrast to that found in the tick ovary. The ovary of I. ricinus had a very low bacterial diversity and a very high and stable bacterial abundance with the dominant endosymbiont, Midichloria sp. The elucidation of this aspect of tick biology highlights a unique tissue-specific microbial-invertebrate host interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Zoonoses, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czechia.,Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Saraswoti Neupane
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Matej Kucera
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Jan Perner
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Helena Frantová
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada a Sanidade Animal, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Pedro L de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Center for Zoonoses, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czechia.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University, Brno, Czechia
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Ali A, Parizi LF, Guizzo MG, Tirloni L, Seixas A, Vaz IDS, Termignoni C. Immunoprotective potential of a Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus metalloprotease. Vet Parasitol 2014; 207:107-14. [PMID: 25480468 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Revised: 10/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Ticks have serious impacts on animal and human health, causing significant economic losses in cattle breeding. Besides damage due to the hematophagous behavior, they transmit several pathogens. Low cost and environmental safety have made vaccines a promising alternative control method against tick infestation. Metalloproteases (MPs) have been shown to be essential for diverse biological functions in hematophagous organisms, inhibiting blood clotting, degrading extracellular matrix proteins, and inhibiting host tissue repair via anti-angiogenic activity. In this study, we analyzed the immunoprotective potential of a recombinant MP against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus infestation. First, a cDNA encoding R. microplus amino acids sequence with highly conserved regions of the metzincin (reprolysin) group of MP was identified (BrRm-MP4). After expression and purification, recombinant BrRm-MP4 was used as a vaccinal antigen against R. microplus infestation in cattle (Bos taurus taurus). All vaccinated bovines developed immune response to the antigen, resulting in increased antibody level throughout the immunization protocol. Immunization with rBrRm-MP4 reduced tick feeding success, decreasing the number of engorged females and their reproduction potential, representing a 60% overall protection. These results show that rBrRm-MP4 provides protection against tick infestation, placing it is a potential candidate for an anti-tick vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abid Ali
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, Porto Alegre 90035-000, RS, Brazil; Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Luís Fernando Parizi
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Melina Garcia Guizzo
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | - Adriana Seixas
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Rua Sarmento Leite 245, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9090, Porto Alegre 91540-000, RS, Brazil
| | - Carlos Termignoni
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600, Porto Alegre 90035-000, RS, Brazil.
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