Characterization of the bacterial communities of life stages of free living lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum)

• Published in: PloS one 2014-07, Vol.9 (7), p.e102130
• Main Authors: Williams-Newkirk, Amanda Jo, Rowe, Lori A, Mixson-Hayden, Tonya R, Dasch, Gregory A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Amblyomma americanum; Analysis; Animals; Arachnids; Arthropod Vectors - genetics; Arthropod Vectors - growth & development; Arthropod Vectors - microbiology; Bacillales; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - growth & development; Biology and Life Sciences; Chemical properties; Collection; Communities; Community; Community structure; Coxiellaceae; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Dermacentor variabilis; Disease control; Disease prevention; DNA; DNA barcoding; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic - methods; DNA sequencing; Domestic animals; Ecological effects; Ecology; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem; Ehrlichia; Enterobacteriaceae; Female; Females; Fever; Genetic testing; Geography; Humans; Infections; Ixodidae - genetics; Ixodidae - growth & development; Ixodidae - microbiology; Laboratories; Life cycle engineering; Life Cycle Stages; Life cycles; Male; Males; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metagenomics - methods; Midichloriaceae; Nymph - genetics; Nymph - growth & development; Nymph - microbiology; Parasitic diseases; Parks & recreation areas; Pathogens; Primers; Pseudomonas; Public health; Rhizobiales; Rickettsia; RNA; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Ticks; Vectors (Biology); Veterinary medicine; Wildlife; Wolbachia; Zoonoses
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102130

The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is an abundant and aggressive biter of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife in the southeastern-central USA and an important vector of several known and suspected zoonotic bacterial pathogens. However, the biological drivers of bacterial community variation in this tick are still poorly defined. Knowing the community context in which tick-borne bacterial pathogens exist and evolve is required to fully understand the ecology and immunobiology of the ticks and to design effective public health and veterinary interventions. We performed a metagenomic survey of the bacterial communities of questing A. americanum and tested 131 individuals (66 nymphs, 24 males, and 41 females) from five sites in three states. Pyrosequencing was performed with barcoded eubacterial primers targeting variable 16S rRNA gene regions 5-3. The bacterial communities were dominated by Rickettsia (likely R. amblyommii) and an obligate Coxiella symbiont, together accounting for 6.7-100% of sequences per tick. DNAs from Midichloria, Borrelia, Wolbachia, Ehrlichia, Pseudomonas, or unidentified Bacillales, Enterobacteriaceae, or Rhizobiales groups were also detected frequently. Wolbachia and Midichloria significantly co-occurred in Georgia (p