Grappling with the tick microbiome

Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus are the predominant vectors of multiple human pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi, one of the causative agents of Lyme disease in North America. Differences in the habitats and host preferences of these closely related tick species present an opportunity to examine key aspects of the tick microbiome. While advances in sequencing technologies have accelerated a descriptive understanding of the tick microbiome, molecular and mechanistic insights into the tick microbiome are only beginning to emerge. Progress is stymied by technical difficulties in manipulating the microbiome and by biological variables related to the life cycle of Ixodid ticks. This review highlights these challenges and examines avenues to understand the significance of the tick microbiome in tick biology.

Automated summary

Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus are the main vectors of various human pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi. Despite advances in sequencing technologies, understanding of the tick microbiome is limited by technical difficulties and biological variables. Researchers are working to overcome these challenges and explore the significance of the tick microbiome in tick biology.