期刊
MICROBIAL ECOLOGY
卷 84, 期 3, 页码 868-878出版社
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01879-5
关键词
Ixodes ricinus; Microbial community composition; Host-associated microbiota; Tick-borne disease dynamics; Invertebrates; Microbial biogeography; Lyme disease risk
资金
- University of Helsinki including Helsinki University Central Hospital
- Stiftung fur wissenschaftliche Forschung an der Universitat Zurich [17_027]
- Swiss National Science Foundation [PP00P3_128386, PP00P3_157455]
- University of Zurich Research Priority Program Evolution in Action: from Genomes to Ecosystems
- Faculty of Science of the University of Zurich
- Baugarten Stiftung
- Finnish Cultural Foundation Postdoc Pool grant
The study found systematic changes in tick bacterial microbiota diversity along elevational gradients in the Swiss Alps, with a decrease in microbial diversity as elevation increased. Higher microbial diversity was observed later in the season, with adult female ticks showing the lowest microbial alpha diversity.
Environmental conditions change rapidly along elevational gradients and have been found to affect community composition in macroscopic taxa, with lower diversity typically observed at higher elevations. In contrast, microbial community responses to elevation are still poorly understood. Specifically, the effects of elevation on vector-associated microbiota have not been studied to date, even though the within-vector microbial community is known to influence vector competence for a range of zoonotic pathogens. Here we characterize the structure and diversity of the bacterial microbiota in an important zoonotic disease vector, the sheep tick Ixodes ricinus, along replicated elevational gradient (630-1673 m) in the Swiss Alps. 16S rRNA sequencing of the whole within-tick bacterial microbiota of questing nymphs and adults revealed a decrease in Faith's phylogenetic microbial alpha diversity with increasing elevation, while beta diversity analyses revealed a lower variation in microbial community composition at higher elevations. We also found a higher microbial diversity later in the season and significant differences in microbial diversity among tick life stages and sexes, with lowest microbial alpha diversity observed in adult females. No associations between tick genetic diversity and bacterial diversity were observed. Our study demonstrates systematic changes in tick bacterial microbiota diversity along elevational gradients. The observed patterns mirror diversity changes along elevational gradients typically observed in macroscopic taxa, and they highlight the key role of environmental factors in shaping within-host microbial communities in ectotherms.
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