Coinfection of Dermacentor silvarum olenev (acari: ixodidae) by Coxiella-Like, Arsenophonus-like, and Rickettsia-like symbionts.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Liu L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3623253 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Coinfection of Dermacentor silvarum olenev (acari: ixodidae) by Coxiella-Like, Arsenophonus-like, and Rickettsia-like symbionts.
Liu Limeng L Li Lingxia L Liu Jiannan J Hu Yonghong Y Liu Zhao Z Guo Lida L Liu Jingze J
Applied and environmental microbiology 20130125 7
We report that multiple symbionts coexist in Dermacentor silvarum. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, we prove that Coxiella-like and Arsenophonus-like symbionts, with 95.6% and 96.7% sequence similarity to symbionts in the closest taxon, respectively, are novel. Moreover, we also provide evidence that the Coxiella-like symbiont appears to be the primary symbiont. ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:In order to explore tick proteins as potential targets for further developing vaccine against ticks, the total proteins of unfed female Dermacentor silvarum were screened with anti-D. silvarum serum produced from rabbits. The results of western blot showed that 3 antigenic proteins of about 100, 68, and 52 kDa were detected by polyclonal antibodies, which means that they probably have immunogenicity. Then, unfed female tick proteins were separated by 12% SDS-PAGE, and target proteins (100, 68, and 52 kDa) were cut and analyzed by LC-MS/MS, respectively. The comparative results of peptide sequences showed that they might be vitellogenin (Vg), heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), and fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA), respectively. These data will lay the foundation for the further validation of antigenic proteins to prevent infestation and diseases transmitted by D. silvarum.
| S-EPMC4725241 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHistone acetylation is involved in the regulation of stress responses in multiple organisms. Dermacentor silvarum is an important vector tick species widely distributed in China, and low temperature is a crucial factor restricting the development of its population. However, knowledge of the histone acetyltransferases and epigenetic mechanisms underlying cold-stress responses in this tick species is limited.MethodsHistone acetyltransferase genes were characterized in D. silvarum, and their relative expressions were determined using qPCR during cold stress. The association and modulation of histone acetyltransferase genes were further explored using RNA interference, and both the H3K9 acetylation level and relative expression of KAT5 protein were evaluated using western blotting.ResultsThree histone acetyltransferase genes were identified and named as DsCREBBP, DsKAT6B, and DsKAT5. Bioinformatics analysis showed that they were unstable hydrophilic proteins, characterized by the conserved structures of CBP (ZnF_TAZ), PHA03247 super family, Creb_binding, and MYST(PLN00104) super family. Fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expression of DsCREBBP, DsKAT6B, and DsKAT5 increased after 3 days of cold treatment, with subsequent gradual decreases, and was lowest on day 9. Western blotting showed that both the H3K9 acetylation level and relative expression of KAT5 in D. silvarum increased after treatment at - 4, 4, and 8 °C for 3 and 6 days, whereas they decreased significantly after a 9-day treatment. RNA interference induced significant gene silencing, and the mortality rate of D. silvarum significantly increased at the respective semi-lethal temperatures.ConclusionThese results imply that histone acetyltransferases play an important role in tick adaptation to low temperatures and lay a foundation for further understanding of the epigenetic regulation of histone acetylation in cold-stressed ticks. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying histone acetylation during cold stress in ticks.
| S-EPMC10566034 | biostudies-literature
Project description:DNA methylation, mediated by DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts), is a typical epigenetic process that plays an important role in affecting organism acclimatization and adaptation to environmental changes. However, information about Dnmts and their associations with the cold tolerance of ticks remains meager. Hence, in the present study, the Dnmts in important vector ticks Dermacentor silvarum and Haemaphysalis longicornis were cloned and identified, and their functions in cold response were further explored. Results showed that the length of DsDnmt and DsDnmt1 in D. silvarum, and HlDnmt1 and HlDnmt in H. longicornis were 1,284, 549, 1,500, and 1,613 bp, respectively. Bioinformatics in protein analysis revealed that they were all unstable hydrophilic proteins and were mainly characterized with Dcm (DNA cytosine methyltransferase domain), Dnmt1-RFD (DNA methyltransferase replication foci domain), zf-CXXC (zinc finger-CXXC domain), and BAH (Bromo adjacent homology domain). The relative expression of these Dnmts was reduced after cold treatment for 3 days (P < 0.05), and increased with the extension of treatment. Western blot revealed that Dnmt1 decreased first and then increased significantly (P < 0.05) in both tick species, whereas other Dnmts fluctuated at varying degrees. RNA interference significantly silenced the genes Dnmts (P < 0.01), and mortality increased significantly (P < 0.05), when exposed to sub-lethal temperature, underscoring the important roles of Dnmts during the cold response of D. silvarum and H. longicornis. The above results lay the foundation for further understanding of the epigenetic regulation of DNA methylation in cold acclimatization and adaptation of ticks.
| S-EPMC8426640 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundRickettsioses are among both the longest known and most recently recognized infectious diseases. Although new spotted fever group rickettsiae have been isolated in many parts of the world including China, Little is known about the epidemiology of Rickettsia pathogens in ticks from Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China.MethodsIn an attempt to assess the potential risk of rickettsial infection after exposure to ticks in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, a total of 200 Dermacentor silvarum ticks collected in Xinyuan district were screened by polymerase chain reaction based on the outer membrane protein A gene.Results22 of the 200 specimens (11%) were found to be positive by PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of OmpA sequences identified two rickettsial species, Rickettsia raoultii (4.5%) and Rickettsia slovaca (6.5%).ConclusionsThis study has reported the occurrence of Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia slovaca in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China and suggests that Dermacentor silvarum could be involved in the transmission of rickettsial agents in China. Further studies on the characterization and culture of rickettsial species found in Dermacentor silvarum should be performed to further clarify this. Additionally, the screening of human specimens for rickettsial disease in this region will define the incidence of infection.
| S-EPMC3292836 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Dermacentor (Indocentor) auratus Supino, 1897 is a prominent ixodid vector of numerous pathogens of public health and veterinary importance. Using long-range PCR of two overlapping regions sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq machine, the complete mitochondrial genome of D. auratus is reported here. The resulting contigs were able to be assembled into a complete and circularised genome which had the general organisation of the mitochondrial genomes of the Metastriates. It had a total length of 14,766 bp and contained 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 2 ribosomal RNA genes, as well as 2 non-coding control regions and 3 tick-boxes. The phylogenetic analysis on the whole mitogenome confirmed the position of D. auratus within the Dermacentor clade.
| S-EPMC7814750 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Distribution and host data from published literature and previously unpublished collection records are provided for all nine species of the Holarctic tick genus Dermacentor that are known to occur in Mexico, as well as two species that may occur there. Parasite-host and host-parasite lists are presented, together with a gazetteer of collection localities and their geographical coordinates.
| S-EPMC4829676 | biostudies-other
Project description:Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae), the primary vector for Rickettsia parkeri, may also be infected with a rickettsia of unknown pathogenicity, "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae." Infection rates with these rickettsiae vary geographically, and coinfected ticks have been reported. In this study, infection rates of R. parkeri and "Ca. R. andeanae" were evaluated, and rickettsial DNA levels quantified, in 335 questing adult A. maculatum collected in 2013 (n = 95), 2014 (n = 139), and 2015 (n = 101) from Oktibbeha County, MS. Overall infection rates of R. parkeri and "Ca. R. andeanae" were 28.7% and 9.3%, respectively, with three additional A. maculatum (0.9%) coinfected. While R. parkeri-infected ticks were detected all three years (34.7% in 2013; 13.7% in 2014; 43.6% in 2015), "Ca. R. andeanae" was not detected in 2013, and was detected at rates of 10.8% in 2014, and 15.8% in 2015. Interestingly, rickettsial DNA levels in singly-infected ticks were significantly lower in "Ca. R. andeanae"-infected ticks compared to R. parkeri-infected ticks (P < 0.0001). Thus, both infection rates and rickettsial DNA levels were higher for R. parkeri than "Ca. R. andeanae." Infection rates of R. parkeri were also higher, and "Ca. R. andeanae" lower, here compared to A. maculatum reported previously in Kansas and Oklahoma. As we continue to monitor infection rates and levels, we anticipate that understanding temporal changes will improve our awareness of human risk for spotted fever rickettsioses. Further, these data may lead to additional studies to evaluate potential interactions among sympatric Rickettsia species in A. maculatum at the population level.
| S-EPMC5850715 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Throughout North America, Dermacentor spp. ticks are often found feeding on animals and humans, and are known to transmit pathogens, including the Rocky Mountain spotted fever agent. To better define the identity and distribution of Dermacentor spp. removed from dogs and cats in the United States, ticks submitted from 1,457 dogs (n = 2,924 ticks) and 137 cats (n = 209 ticks) from veterinary practices in 44/50 states from February 2018-January 2020 were identified morphologically (n = 3,133); the identity of ticks from regions where Dermacentor andersoni (Stiles) have been reported, and a subset of ticks from other regions, were confirmed molecularly through amplification and sequencing of the ITS2 region and a 16S rRNA gene fragment. Of the ticks submitted, 99.3% (3,112/3,133) were Dermacentor variabilis (Say), 0.4% (12/3,133) were D. andersoni, and 0.3% (9/3,133) were Dermacentor albipictus (Packard). While translocation of pets prior to tick removal cannot be discounted, the majority (106/122; 87%) of Dermacentor spp. ticks removed from dogs and cats in six Rocky Mountain states (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado) were D. variabilis, suggesting this species may be more widespread in the western United States than is currently recognized, or that D. andersoni, if still common in the region, preferentially feeds on hosts other than dogs and cats. Together, these data support the interpretation that D. variabilis is the predominant Dermacentor species found on pets throughout the United States, a finding that may reflect recent shifts in tick distribution.
| S-EPMC8122232 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Ticks are important disease vectors, as they transmit a variety of human and animal pathogens worldwide. Symbionts that coevolved with ticks confer crucial benefits to their host in nutrition metabolism, fecundity, and vector competence. Although over 100 tick species have been identified in China, general information on tick symbiosis is limited. Here, we visualized the tissue distribution of Coxiella sp. and Rickettsia sp. in lab-reared Haemaphysalis longicornis and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides by fluorescent in situ hybridization. We found that Coxiella sp. colonized exclusively the Malpighian tubules and ovaries of H. longicornis, while Rickettsia sp. additionally colonized the midgut of R. haemaphysaloides We also investigated the population structure of microbiota in Dermacentor silvarum ticks collected from Inner Mongolia, China, and found that Coxiella, Rickettsia, and Pseudomonas are the three dominant genera. No significant difference in microbiota composition was found between male and female D. silvarum ticks. We again analyzed the tissue localization of Coxiella sp. and Rickettsia sp. and found that they displayed tissue tropisms similar to those in R. haemaphysaloides, except that Rickettsia sp. colonized the nuclei of spermatids instead of ovaries in D. silvarum Altogether, our results suggest that Coxiella sp. and Rickettsia sp. are the main symbionts in the three ticks and reside primarily in midgut, Malpighian tubules, and reproductive tissues, but their tissue distribution varies in association with species and sexes.IMPORTANCE Tick-borne diseases constitute a major public health burden, as they are increasing in frequency and severity worldwide. The presence of symbionts helps ticks to metabolize nutrients, promotes fecundity, and influences pathogen infections. Increasing numbers of tick-borne pathogens have been identified in China; however, knowledge of native ticks, especially tick symbiosis, is limited. In this study, we analyze the distribution of Coxiella sp. and Rickettsia sp. in tissues of laboratory-reared Haemaphysalis longicornis and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and field-collected Dermacentor silvarum We found that the localization patterns of Coxiella sp. in three Chinese tick species were similar to those of other tick species. We also found a previously undefined intracellular localization of Rickettsia sp. in tick midgut and spermatids. In addition, we demonstrate that tissue tropisms of symbionts vary between species and sexes. Our findings provide new insights into the tissue localization of symbionts in native Chinese ticks and pave the way for further understanding of their functional capabilities and symbiotic interactions with ticks.
| S-EPMC5930374 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundCases of Mediterranean Spotted Fever like rickettsioses, caused by Rickettsia monacensis, have become more common in the last 10 years. In China, natural infection of R. monacensis in various tick species has been confirmed but the vector(s) of R. monacensis have not been recorded.MethodsThe prevalence of R. monacensis in >1500 Ixodidae ticks from central and southern China was determined using centrifugation-shell vial culture and polymerase chain reaction techniques. The predominant species, Ixodes sinensis, harbored a natural infection of R. monacensis and was assumed to be a vector candidate of R. monacensis. Experimental transmissions were initialized by infecting Rickettsia-free tick colonies with R. monacensis using capillary tube feeding (CTF) or immersion techniques. Transstadial and transovarial transmissions, and transmission from ticks to mice, were conducted under laboratory conditions.ResultsR. monacensis was isolated and identified from hemolymph of Ixodes sinensis using molecular techniques. Transovarial transmission of R. monacensis from infected ♀I. sinensis to offspring was documented and infected offspring successfully passed Rickettsia to mice. Transstadial transmission rates were 58% in larva to nymph and 56% in nymph to adult stages. Infected nymphs and adults were also able to infect mice.ConclusionsI. sinensis is a competence vector for R. monacensis as demonstrated by natural infection and transmission studies.
| S-EPMC4237728 | biostudies-literature