Deep sequencing of 16 Ixodes ricinus ticks unveils insights into their interactions with endosymbionts

Background

Ixodes ricinus ticks act as vectors for numerous pathogens that present substantial health threats. Additionally, they harbor vertically transmitted symbionts, some of which have been linked to diseases. The difficulty of isolating and cultivating these symbionts has has hampered our understanding of their biological role, their potential to cause disease, and their modes of transmission. To expand our understanding on the tick symbiont Midichloria mitochondrii and on Rickettsia helvetica , which has been linked to disease in humans, we utilized deep sequencing on sixteen individual adult female ticks. Among these, eight were collected from a coastal sand dune environment, while another eight were obtained from forested areas in the Netherlands.

Results

By employing a combination of next-generation and third-generation sequencing techniques, we successfully reconstructed the complete genomes of M. mitochondrii from eleven individuals, R. helvetica from eight individuals and the mitochondrial genome from all ticks. Additionally, we visualised the location of R. helvetica in tick organs and constructed genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) of both symbionts to study their growth related environmental dependencies.

Our analysis revealed a strong cophylogeny between M. mitochondrii and mitochondrial genomes, suggesting frequent maternal transmission. In contrast, the absence of cophylogeny between R. helvetica and the mitochondrial genomes, coupled with its presence in the receptaculum seminis of I. ricinus females, raises the possibility of paternal transmission of R. helvetica .

Notably, the genetic diversity of R. helvetica was found to be very low, except for the rick A virulence gene, where the presence of up to thirteen insertions of a 33nt-long repeat led to significant variability. However, this variation could not account for the differences in infection prevalence observed across eight distinct locations in the Netherlands.

Conclusions

By employing deep sequencing, it becomes feasible to extract complete genomes and genetic data of symbionts directly from their host organisms. This methodology serves as a robust means to gain fresh insights into their interactions. Our observations, which suggest paternal transmission of R. helvetica , a relatively unexplored mode of transmission in ticks, require validation through experimental investigations. The genetic variations identified in the rick A virulence gene of R. helvetica have the potential to influence the infectivity and transmission dynamics of R. helvetica .