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The Diversity and Evolutionary Relationships of Ticks and Tick-borne Bacteria in China
Research Square, Vol.20 December 2021
Research Square Company
2021
Abstract
Background:
Ticks (order Ixodida) are ectoparasites of vertebrates that transmit diverse pathogens to humans and domestic animals. However, information on the genomic diversity of ticks in China is currently limited to a small number of common species, leaving substantial knowledge gap in the evolution of both ticks and their associated bacterial.
Results:
We collected more than 20,000 contemporary and historical (up to 60 years of preservation) tick samples representing a wide range of tick biodiversity across diverse geographic regions in China, including 18 common species, nine rare species, and two undetermined species. Metagenomic sequencing was performed on individual ticks to obtain the complete or near-complete mitochondrial (mt) genome sequences from 46 tick species, among which 30 species were revealed for the first time. These new mt genomes data greatly expanded the diversity of many tick groups and revealed five cryptic species. Utilizing the same metagenomic sequence data we identified divergent and abundant bacteria in Haemaphysalis, Ixodes, Dermacentor and Carios ticks, including nine species of pathogenetic bacteria and potentially new species within the genus Borrelia. We also used these data to explore the evolutionary relationship between ticks and their associated bacteria, revealing a pattern of long-term co-divergence relationship between ticks and Rickettsia and Coxiella bacteria.
Conclusions:
In sum, our study provides important new information on the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in China and sheds new light on the long-term evolutionary and ecological relationships between ticks and their associated bacteria.
Details
- Title
- The Diversity and Evolutionary Relationships of Ticks and Tick-borne Bacteria in China
- Authors
- Junhua Tian (Author) - Huazhong Agricultural UniversityXin Hou (Author) - Sun Yat-sen UniversityRenfu Shao (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, GeneCology Research Centre - LegacyMihong Ge (Author) - Wuhan Academy of Agricultural SciencesHongbin Xu (Author) - Wuhan Center for Disease Control and PreventionBin Yu (Author) - Wuhan Center for Disease Control and PreventionJing Liu (Author) - Wuhan Center for Disease Control and PreventionEdward C Holmes (Author) - The University of SydneyChaoliang Lei (Author) - Huazhong Agricultural UniversityMang Shi (Author) - Sun Yat-sen University
- Publication details
- Research Square, Vol.20 December 2021
- Publisher
- Research Square Company
- Date published
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1123049/v1
- ISSN
- 2693-5015
- Copyright note
- This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99605106902621
- Output Type
- Preprint
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