A comparative study of the microbiomes of the ticks Rhipicephalus microplus and Hyalomma anatolicum.

Abstract

Hyalomma anatolicum and Rhipicephalus microplus are tick species that are important vectors of numerous pathogens affecting both humans and livestock. Endosymbionts, such as Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLE), Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLE), and Candidatus Midichloria, play a crucial role in the physiology and vector competence of these ticks. In this study, we investigated the microbial composition of H. anatolicum and R. microplus from four geographically distinct regions of Pakistan to assess whether environmental differences influence their microbiomes. We analyzed the ticks' gut microbiome targeting the V3-V4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA for Illumina 16S metagenome NGS sequencing and processed overall 144 ticks. Analysis of gut bacterial composition resulted in observation of 1200 R. microplus and 968 H. anatolicum unique amplicon sequencing variants (ASVs). Relative abundance, Alpha diversity (Shannon, Faith's phylogenetic distance) and beta diversity metrics (Bray-Curtis, Jaccard and UniFrac) were analyzed and revealed that H. anatolicum ticks have significantly unique and diverse microbial communities with Acinetobacter indicus and Francisella-like endosymbionts dominating as opposed to Candidatus Midichloria. Rhipicephalus microplus exhibited results consistent with the previous studies with no major changes in microbiome including Coxiella-like endosymbionts as the major contributor. These findings suggest that geographical and environmental factors play a significant role in shaping the tick microbiome, with potential consequences for disease transmission and tick survivability. Further research is needed to elucidate the functional roles of these microbial shifts and their impact on public health and livestock in affected regions.