Spiroplasma Infection among Ixodid Ticks Exhibits Species Dependence and Suggests a Vertical Pattern of Transmission

Microorganisms

Yongjin Qiu¹  Kodai Kusakisako²  Ken Katakura²  MayJune Thu²  MohamedAbdallah Mohamed Moustafa²  Shohei Ogata²  Nariaki Nonaka²  Ryo Nakao²  WessamMohamed Ahmed Mohamed²  Keita Matsuno³ 

[1] Hokudai Center for Zoonosis Control in Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia;Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan;Unit of Risk Analysis and Management, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan;

关键词: Haemaphysalis;    Ixodes;    Spiroplasma;    symbionts;    ticks;    Japan;   

DOI  :  10.3390/microorganisms9020333

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Members of the genus Spiroplasma are Gram-positive bacteria without cell walls. Some Spiroplasma species can cause disease in arthropods such as bees, whereas others provide their host with resistance to pathogens. Ticks also harbour Spiroplasma, but their role has not been elucidated yet. Here, the infection status and genetic diversity of Spiroplasma in ticks were investigated using samples collected from different geographic regions in Japan. A total of 712 ticks were tested for Spiroplasma infection by PCR targeting 16S rDNA, and Spiroplasma species were genetically characterized based on 16S rDNA, ITS, dnaA, and rpoB gene sequences. A total of 109 samples originating from eight tick species were positive for Spiroplasma infection, with infection rates ranging from 0% to 84% depending on the species. A linear mixed model indicated that tick species was the primary factor associated with Spiroplasma infection. Moreover, certain Spiroplasma alleles that are highly adapted to specific tick species may explain the high infection rates in Ixodes ovatus and Haemaphysalis kitaokai. A comparison of the alleles obtained suggests that horizontal transmission between tick species may not be a frequent event. These findings provide clues to understand the transmission cycle of Spiroplasma species in wild tick populations and their roles in host ticks.

【 授权许可】

Unknown