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A Coxiella-like endosymbiont is a potential vitamin source for the Lone Star tick

Todd A Smith1, Timothy Driscoll2, Joseph J Gillespie3

  • 1Department of Biology and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University.

Genome Biology and Evolution
|January 26, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Lone star ticks rely on a Coxiella-like endosymbiont (CLEAA) for essential vitamins. Sequencing the CLEAA genome reveals its role in nutrient provisioning, not pathogenicity, aiding tick control strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Vector Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) transmit significant human pathogens.
  • Blood-feeding arthropods often rely on bacterial endosymbionts for essential nutrients absent in blood.
  • A Coxiella-like endosymbiont of Amblyomma americanum (CLEAA) is essential for tick fecundity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of CLEAA in the symbiosis with A. americanum.
  • To determine the metabolic capabilities and evolutionary origins of CLEAA.
  • To inform strategies for controlling A. americanum and associated diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequencing of CLEAA.
  • Comparative genomic analysis with Coxiella burnetii.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to determine evolutionary relationships.

Main Results:

  • The CLEAA genome is significantly reduced compared to C. burnetii but encodes pathways for vitamin and cofactor biosynthesis.
  • CLEAA lacks known virulence genes, indicating it is a commensal endosymbiont, not a pathogen.
  • Phylogenetic analysis shows CLEAA is a close relative of C. burnetii but not derived from it.

Conclusions:

  • CLEAA functions as a crucial nutrient-provisioning endosymbiont for A. americanum.
  • Understanding this symbiosis offers potential avenues for tick population control.
  • CLEAA represents a distinct lineage within the Coxiella group, highlighting diverse tick-microbe metabolic interdependencies.
Keywords:
Amblyommacofactorendosymbiontnutrient provisioningvitamin

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