The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick Biocontrol
Hard ticks (family Ixodidae) are one of the most predominant arthropod disease vectors worldwide, second only to mosquitoes. In addition to harboring animal and human pathogens, ticks are known to carry a microbial community constituted of non-pathogenic organisms, which includes maternally inherite...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Paulina Maldonado-Ruiz |
| author_facet | Paulina Maldonado-Ruiz |
| author_sort | Paulina Maldonado-Ruiz |
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| description | Hard ticks (family Ixodidae) are one of the most predominant arthropod disease vectors worldwide, second only to mosquitoes. In addition to harboring animal and human pathogens, ticks are known to carry a microbial community constituted of non-pathogenic organisms, which includes maternally inherited intracellular endosymbionts and other environmentally acquired extracellular microorganisms. These microbial communities, which include bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and fungi—with often commensal, mutualistic, or parasitic associations with the tick—comprise the tick microbiome, bacteria being the most studied community. Many bacterial taxa frequently reported in ticks include soil, plant, and animal-associated microbes, suggesting many are environmentally acquired, including members with known entomopathogenic potential, such as <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i>, <i>Bacillus</i> spp., and <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. It has been reported that microbial community composition can impact pathogen persistence, dissemination, and fitness in ticks. In the United States, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> (northeast) and <i>I. pacificus</i> (west) are the predominant vectors of <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>, the causal agent of Lyme disease. <i>Amblyomma americanum</i> is another important tick vector in the U.S. and is becoming an increasing concern as it is the leading cause of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS, or red meat allergy). This condition is caused by tick bites containing the galactose alpha 1,3 galactose (alpha-gal) epitope in their saliva. In this paper, we present a summary of the tick microbiome, including the endosymbiotic bacteria and the environmentally acquired (here referred to as the <i>non-endosymbiotic</i> community). We will focus on the <i>non-endosymbiotic</i> bacteria from <i>Ixodes</i> spp. and <i>Amblyomma americanum</i> and discuss their potential for novel biocontrol strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0455247ff2cd49519cef14000fb19cbd |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-0455247ff2cd49519cef14000fb19cbd2025-08-20T02:43:49ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-11-011212245110.3390/microorganisms12122451The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick BiocontrolPaulina Maldonado-Ruiz0Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USAHard ticks (family Ixodidae) are one of the most predominant arthropod disease vectors worldwide, second only to mosquitoes. In addition to harboring animal and human pathogens, ticks are known to carry a microbial community constituted of non-pathogenic organisms, which includes maternally inherited intracellular endosymbionts and other environmentally acquired extracellular microorganisms. These microbial communities, which include bacteria, viruses, protozoans, and fungi—with often commensal, mutualistic, or parasitic associations with the tick—comprise the tick microbiome, bacteria being the most studied community. Many bacterial taxa frequently reported in ticks include soil, plant, and animal-associated microbes, suggesting many are environmentally acquired, including members with known entomopathogenic potential, such as <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i>, <i>Bacillus</i> spp., and <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. It has been reported that microbial community composition can impact pathogen persistence, dissemination, and fitness in ticks. In the United States, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> (northeast) and <i>I. pacificus</i> (west) are the predominant vectors of <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>, the causal agent of Lyme disease. <i>Amblyomma americanum</i> is another important tick vector in the U.S. and is becoming an increasing concern as it is the leading cause of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS, or red meat allergy). This condition is caused by tick bites containing the galactose alpha 1,3 galactose (alpha-gal) epitope in their saliva. In this paper, we present a summary of the tick microbiome, including the endosymbiotic bacteria and the environmentally acquired (here referred to as the <i>non-endosymbiotic</i> community). We will focus on the <i>non-endosymbiotic</i> bacteria from <i>Ixodes</i> spp. and <i>Amblyomma americanum</i> and discuss their potential for novel biocontrol strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/12/2451tick microbiomebacillusbacillus thuringiensistick biocontrolamblyomma americanum<i>Ixodes</i> spp. |
| spellingShingle | Paulina Maldonado-Ruiz The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick Biocontrol Microorganisms tick microbiome bacillus bacillus thuringiensis tick biocontrol amblyomma americanum <i>Ixodes</i> spp. |
| title | The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick Biocontrol |
| title_full | The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick Biocontrol |
| title_fullStr | The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick Biocontrol |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick Biocontrol |
| title_short | The Tick Microbiome: The “Other Bacterial Players” in Tick Biocontrol |
| title_sort | tick microbiome the other bacterial players in tick biocontrol |
| topic | tick microbiome bacillus bacillus thuringiensis tick biocontrol amblyomma americanum <i>Ixodes</i> spp. |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/12/2451 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paulinamaldonadoruiz thetickmicrobiometheotherbacterialplayersintickbiocontrol AT paulinamaldonadoruiz tickmicrobiometheotherbacterialplayersintickbiocontrol |