Dataset Information

Microbial diversity of ticks and a novel typhus group Rickettsia species (Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b) in Inner Mongolia, China.

ABSTRACT: Ticks can carry multiple pathogens, and Inner Mongolia's animal husbandry provides excellent environmental conditions for ticks. This study characterized the microbiome of ticks from different geographical locations in Inner Mongolia; 905 Dermacentor nuttalli and 36 Ixodes persulcatus were collected from sheep in three main pasture areas and from bushes within the forested area. Mixed DNA samples were prepared from three specimens from each region and tick species. Microbial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, and α and β diversity were determined. The predominant bacterial genera were Rickettsia (54.60%), including Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b (19.33%) and other Rickettsia (35.27%), Arsenophonus (11.21%), Candidatus Lariskella (10.84%), and Acinetobacter (7.17%). Rickettsia bellii was identified in I. persulcatus, while Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b was found in D. nuttalli from Ordos and Chifeng. Potential Rickettsia and Anaplasma coinfections were observed in the Ordos region. Tick microbial diversity analysis in Inner Mongolia suggests that sheep at the sampling sites were exposed to multiple pathogens.

SUBMITTER: Su S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10714680 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Microbial diversity of ticks and a novel typhus group Rickettsia species (Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b) in Inner Mongolia, China.

Su Si S Hong Mei M Cui Meng-Yu MY Gui Zheng Z Ma Shi-Fa SF Wu Lin L Xing Li-Li LL Mu Lan L Yu Jing-Feng JF Fu Shao-Yin SY Gao Rui-Juan RJ Qi Dong-Dong DD

Parasite (Paris, France) 20231212

Ticks can carry multiple pathogens, and Inner Mongolia's animal husbandry provides excellent environmental conditions for ticks. This study characterized the microbiome of ticks from different geographical locations in Inner Mongolia; 905 Dermacentor nuttalli and 36 Ixodes persulcatus were collected from sheep in three main pasture areas and from bushes within the forested area. Mixed DNA samples were prepared from three specimens from each region and tick species. Microbial diversity was analyz ...[more]

PMID: 38084939

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Project description:BackgroundThe genus Rickettsia contains the lineages spotted fever group (SFG), typhus group (TG), and transitional group (TRG). The spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) is transmitted by ticks. The tick species Dermacentor nuttalli is considered the main vector carrying SFGR in Inner Mongolia. Studying the genetic diversity and population structure of Rickettsia is essential for developing effective control strategies and predicting evolutionary trends of Rickettsia.MethodsIn 2019 we collected 408 D. nuttalli in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, detected the percentage of Rickettsia-positive specimens, and characterized the haplotypes. From the Rickettsia-positive ticks, the gltA and ompA genes were extracted, amplified, and sequenced.ResultsTen haplotypes of the gltA gene and 22 haplotypes of the ompA gene were obtained. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the haplotypes G1-G7 and G9 of the gltA gene cluster with Rickettsia raoultii, while G8 and G10 cluster with Rickettsia sibirica. Haplotypes O1-O15, O18 and O20-O22 of the ompA gene cluster with R. raoultii, while O16 and O19 cluster with R. sibirica. The average haplotype diversity was 0.3 for gltA and 0.7 for ompA. The average nucleotide diversity was greater than 0.05. Neutrality tests were nonsignificant for Tajima's D results and Fu's Fs results. The fixation index values (FST) showed that the degree of genetic differentiation between most sampled populations was small (FST < 0.05), whereas some populations showed a medium (FST > 0.05) or large (FST > 0.15) degree of differentiation. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that the variation within populations was greater than that between populations. The mismatch analysis of Rickettsia showed double peaks.ConclusionsWe found two Rickettsia spp. (R. raoultii and R. sibirica). The high genetic disparity of Rickettsia allows for easy adaption to different environments. Genetic differentiation between populations is small, and Rickettsia populations do not show a geographically differentiated structure. The high rates of retention and infection of Rickettsia in D. nuttalli together with the animal husbandry exchange in Inner Mongolia gradually led to the harmonization of genetic characteristics of Rickettsia across various regions. Overall, the significant genetic diversity and geographical structure of Rickettsia in D. nuttalli are critical for SFGR control.

Project description:BackgroundTicks are vectors of numerous pathogens, with their bacterial composition, abundance, diversity, and interaction influencing both their growth and disease transmission efficiency. Despite the abundance of ticks in Inner Mongolia, China, comprehensive data on their microbial communities are lacking. This study aims to analyze the microbial communities within ticks from Inner Mongolia to inform innovative control strategies for interrupting pathogen transmission.MethodsTick samples were collected from animals and vegetation in multiple locations across Inner Mongolia and stored at - 80 °C. Ticks were identified using morphological keys and molecular biology methods. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on collected samples. Bacterial community composition and diversity were mainly analyzed using bioinformatic tools such as QIIME, phyloseq, and DESeq2. Alpha diversity was assessed using Chao1, ACE, and Shannon indices, while beta diversity was evaluated using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrices. LEfSe analysis was applied to identify taxa associated with ecological and biological variables.ResultsA total of 5,048,137 high-quality read counts were obtained, forming an average of 789.3 OTUs per sample. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were the most dominant phyla. Bacterial community composition varied significantly with geography, with Dermacentor nuttalli showing a higher abundance of Rickettsia in Xilingol League, while other regions had different dominant genera. The microbial community also differed based on the feeding status of ticks. Additionally, the microbiota of engorged ticks showed organ specificity. Pathogen detection efforts revealed the presence of nine pathogens across all three tick species. D. nuttalli was found to carry a significantly higher burden of pathogenic bacteria, making it the most potentially threatening tick species in Inner Mongolia.ConclusionsThe study highlights significant variations in tick microbiomes influenced by geographic location, feeding status, and tick species. It underscores the importance of enhancing tick and tick-borne disease surveillance in Inner Mongolia for early detection and control of emerging pathogens.

Project description:BackgroundTick-borne infectious diseases caused by the spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) have continuously emerging, with many previously unidentified SFGR species reported. The prevalence of SFGRs in northwestern China remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of SFGRs and Anaplasma species by analyzing tick samples collected from the Ningxia region.MethodsDuring 2022-2023, ticks were collected from Ningxia, northwestern China, and screened using PCR to amplify target genes (16S rRNA, gltA, ompA and groEL). The amplicons were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Single-gene sequences and concatenated sequences were used to infer phylogenetic relationships for identifying Rickettsia species.ResultsOut of the 425 DNA samples, a total of 210 samples tested positive for SFGRs in ticks from Ningxia, China, with a relatively high positive rate of 49.4% (210/425). Eight spotted fever group rickettsiae and one Anaplasma species were identified and characterized, including Rickettsia raoultii (102, 24.0%), R. aeschlimannii (65, 15.3%), R. sibirica (12, 2.8%), R. slovaca (4, 0.9%), R. heilongjiangensis (1, 0.2%), Cadidatus Rickettsia hongyuanensis (4, 0.9%), Ca. R. jingxinensis (11, 2.6%), Ca. R. vulgarisii (11, 2.6%) and Anaplasma ovis (98, 23.1%). The positive rate of bacterial species ranged from 0.2% to 24.0%. Interestingly, one novel Rickettsia species, provisionally named "Candidatus Rickettsia vulgarisii", was detected in Argas ticks from Zhongwei city, which suggests the possibility of local transmission to other areas through birds. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA, gltA, ompA, and 17kDa genes indicated that it was divergent from all known SFG Rickettsia species but mostly related to R. vini. Different SFGR species were associated with specific tick species or genera. In addition, Anaplasma ovis was detected in two Dermacentor species, and co-infection with SFGRs was observed in 14.6% (62/425) of samples.ConclusionsThis study describes the prevalence and diversity of SFGRs in ticks from Ningxia for the first time by direct detection, reveals that Rickettsia diversity related to tick species. This data suggests that surveillance for tick-borne SFGR infections among human populations should be enhanced in this region, and further investigations on their pathogenicity to humans and domestic animals are still needed.

Dataset Information

Microbial diversity of ticks and a novel typhus group Rickettsia species (Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b) in Inner Mongolia, China.

Publications

Microbial diversity of ticks and a novel typhus group Rickettsia species (Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b) in Inner Mongolia, China.

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