Evolutionary Insights into the Tick Hologenome

• Published in: Trends in parasitology Vol. 35; no. 9; pp. 725 - 737
• Main Authors: Díaz-Sánchez, Sandra, Estrada-Peña, Agustín, Cabezas-Cruz, Alejandro, de la Fuente, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2019; Elsevier
• Subjects: hologenome; Life Sciences; metagenomics; microbiota; paratransgenic; phylosymbiosis; tick; microbiota; tick; hologenome; paratransgenic; metagenomics; phylosymbiosis; bacteria; colonization; endosymbionts; lone star tick; recognition; host; symbiont; phylogenies; gut microbiota; speciation
• ISSN: 1471-4922; 1471-5007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.06.014

Recently, our knowledge of the composition and complexity of tick microbial communities has increased and supports microbial impact on tick biology. Results support a phylogenetic association between ticks and their microbiota across evolution; this is known as phylosymbiosis. Herein, using published datasets, we confirm the existence of phylosymbiosis between Ixodes ticks and their microbial communities. The strong phylosymbiotic signal and the phylogenetic structure of microbial communities associated with Ixodid ticks revealed that phylosymbiosis may be a widespread phenomenon in tick–microbiota evolution. This finding supports the existence of a species-specific tick hologenome with a largely unexplored influence on tick biology and pathogen transmission. These results may provide potential targets for the construction of paratransgenic ticks to control tick infestations and tick-borne diseases. Microbes and ticks form a functional unity known as the tick hologenome.Coevolutionary events between ticks and symbionts have benefited tick fitness and adaptation.Phylosymbiosis occurs in ticks across their phylogeny.Phylosymbiosis between microbial communities and the tick genome provides the basis for future research on the role of microbes on tick biology and speciation.A better understanding of tick phylosymbiosis and hologenome, together with tick–microbiota and pathogen–microbiota interactions, would help in identifying the best targets for paratransgenesis in ticks for the control of tick-borne pathogens.