Land Management Effects on Microbiome Diversity in Disease Vectors

Microbes comprise the majority of Earth’s biodiversity, but only a tiny fraction have been described or understood ecologically. Within host individuals, microbiota have significant impacts on host physiology and ecology, with implications for ecosystem function and conservation of biodiversity at multiple taxonomic levels. As obligate blood-feeding parasites, ticks are important vectors of multiple disease-causing microbes, and there is increasing evidence for the role of specific microbes in determining tick survival and ability to transmit disease. How the complete microbiome affects ticks’ acquisition, survival, and transmission of pathogens remains poorly understood. Moreover, little is known about the extent of host-associated microbial diversity and the environmental factors that determine microbiome composition. In particular, fire is a natural process in many ecosystems, and prescribed fire is increasingly being used as a land management tool. Fire can affect diversity within and among communities, likely including microbiomes. Here, we will characterize the microbiomes of local ticks and test how land prescribed fire affects the structure of tick microbiomes. Results from this project will contribute to ecological theory on disturbance and biodiversity relationships and lay the foundation for future research with applications for both ecological restoration and human health.

Publications

Aziati I.D., Jnr D.M., Antia A., Joshi A., Aviles-Gamboa A., Lee P., Harastani H., Wang D., Adalsteinsson S.A., Boon A.C.M. (2023). Prevalence of Bourbon and Heartland viruses in field collected ticks at an environmental field station in St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases: 14(1). doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102080.

Research Team

Solny Adalsteinsson, WashU (Tyson Research Center)
Adrianus Boon, WashU School of Medicine
David Wang, WashU School of Medicine
Kim Medley, WashU (Tyson Research Center)
Jonathan Myers, WashU (Biology)