DGGE Identification of Microorganisms Associated withBorrelia burgdorferiSensu Lato- orAnaplasma phagocytophilum-InfectedIxodes ricinusTicks from Northwest Norway

[摘要] Ticks acquire a wide range of microorganisms as a natural part of their lifecycle. Bacteria, viruses, and protozoa can be transmitted to ticks during feeding and free-living phases. DGGE profiling is a molecular method to describe the microbial population associated with ticks and demonstrate some of the complexity and variety of tick-borne microorganisms. The present study profiled a total of 120I. ricinusticks, which were divided into three equally sized groups. We found thatB. burgdorferis.l.-infected ticks presented a pattern consisting of bacterialPseudomonasspp. (67.5%),Bacillusspp. (50%), andSphingomonasspp. (77.5%), whileA. phagocytophilum-infected ticks were associated withPseudomonasspp. (82.5%) andSphingomonasspp. (57.5%). All profiles had one or morePseudomonasspecies present, and the intramitochondrial endosymbiont CandidatusMidichloria mitochondriiwas present in more than 25% of the samples. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the microbial communities were not significantly different between the groups and that the groups could not be characterised by a specific microbial population.

[学科分类] 微生物学和免疫学