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Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing
Published on: August 25, 2018
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Genome-wide association study identifies ABCG1 as a susceptibility locus for tick-borne encephalitis
Piyush G Gampawar1, Manfred G Sagmeister1, Daniel Růžek2,3,4
1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of General Pediatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Iscience
|December 11, 2025
Summary
Genetic factors influence tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) risk. Variants in ABCG1 are linked to TBE susceptibility, while a TEX41 variant is associated with severe TBE forms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Virology
Background:
- Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a significant central nervous system viral infection caused by TBEV.
- TBE presents with diverse neurological manifestations, including meningitis and encephalitis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify genetic factors contributing to TBE susceptibility and severe disease forms.
- To explore the role of specific genes in TBEV infection and replication.
Main Methods:
- Genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a European cohort (1,600 TBE cases, 9,699 controls).
- Analysis of gene expression (ABCG1) in peripheral blood and in vitro TBEV replication assays.
- Identification of genetic variants associated with TBE susceptibility and severity.
Main Results:
- Suggestive associations with TBE susceptibility were found for variants in ABCG1, influencing its expression.
- ABCG1 inhibition or silencing reduced TBEV replication in neuronal cells and macrophages.
- A genome-wide significant variant in TEX41 was associated with severe TBE forms.
Conclusions:
- ABCG1 plays a potential role in TBEV biology and influences TBE susceptibility.
- Genetic factors, including variants in TEX41, are associated with TBE severity.
- These findings offer new insights into the genetic basis of TBE.
