Publikationsdatenbank

Decontamination protocols affect the internal microbiota of ticks (2023)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Fernández-Ruiz, Natalia

Pinecki-Socias, Sophia (WE 13)

Estrada-Peña, Agustín

Wu-Chuang, Alejandra

Maitre, Apolline

Obregón, Dasiel

Cabezas-Cruz, Alejandro

de Blas, Ignacio

Nijhof, Ard M. (WE 13)

Quelle

Parasites & vectors

Bandzählung: 16

Heftzählung: 1

Seiten: Article number: 189

ISSN: 1756-3305

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-023-05812-2

DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05812-2

Pubmed: 37286996

Kontakt

Institut für Parasitologie und Tropenveterinärmedizin

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62310
parasitologie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Studies on the microbiota of ticks have promoted hypotheses about the combined effects of the bacterial community, its functional contributions to the tick's physiology or probable competition effects with some tick-borne pathogens. However, knowledge on the origin of the microbiota of newly hatched larvae is missing. This study aimed to elucidate the source(s) of the microbiota in unfed tick larvae, addressing the composition of the "core microbiota" and the best ways to decontaminate eggs for microbiota studies. We applied laboratory degree bleach washes and/or ultraviolet light treatments on engorged Rhipicephalus australis females and/or their eggs. No significant effects of these treatments on the reproductive parameters of females and the hatching rates of eggs were observed. However, the different treatments did show striking effects on the composition of the microbiota. The results indicated that bleach washes disrupted the internal tick microbiota in females, implying that bleach may have entered the tick and subsequently affected the microbiota. Furthermore, the analyses of results demonstrated that the ovary is a main source of tick microbiota, while the contribution of Gené's organ (a part of the female reproductive system that secretes a protective wax coat onto tick eggs) or the male's spermatophore requires further investigation. Further studies are needed to identify best practice protocols for the decontamination of ticks for microbiota studies.