Genomic insights into the Ixodes scapularis tick vector of Lyme disease. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Ticks transmit more pathogens to humans and animals than any other arthropod. We describe the 2.1Gbp nuclear genome of the tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), which vectors pathogens that cause Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis and other diseases. The large genome reflects accumulation of repetitive DNA, new lineages of retro-transposons, and gene architecture patterns resembling ancient metazoans rather than pancrustaceans. Annotation of scaffolds representing 57% of the genome, reveals 20,486 protein-coding genes and expansions of gene families associated with tick-host interactions. We report insights from genome analyses into parasitic processes unique to ticks, including host 'questing', prolonged feeding, cuticle synthesis, blood meal concentration, novel methods of haemoglobin digestion, haem detoxification, vitellogenesis and prolonged off-host survival. We identify proteins associated with the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging disease, and the encephalitis-causing Langat virus, and a population structure correlated to life-history traits and transmission of the Lyme disease agent.

published proceedings

  • Nat Commun

altmetric score

  • 398.68

author list (cited authors)

  • Gulia-Nuss, M., Nuss, A. B., Meyer, J. M., Sonenshine, D. E., Roe, R. M., Waterhouse, R. M., ... Hill, C. A.

citation count

  • 372

complete list of authors

  • Gulia-Nuss, Monika||Nuss, Andrew B||Meyer, Jason M||Sonenshine, Daniel E||Roe, R Michael||Waterhouse, Robert M||Sattelle, David B||de la Fuente, José||Ribeiro, Jose M||Megy, Karine||Thimmapuram, Jyothi||Miller, Jason R||Walenz, Brian P||Koren, Sergey||Hostetler, Jessica B||Thiagarajan, Mathangi||Joardar, Vinita S||Hannick, Linda I||Bidwell, Shelby||Hammond, Martin P||Young, Sarah||Zeng, Qiandong||Abrudan, Jenica L||Almeida, Francisca C||Ayllón, Nieves||Bhide, Ketaki||Bissinger, Brooke W||Bonzon-Kulichenko, Elena||Buckingham, Steven D||Caffrey, Daniel R||Caimano, Melissa J||Croset, Vincent||Driscoll, Timothy||Gilbert, Don||Gillespie, Joseph J||Giraldo-Calderón, Gloria I||Grabowski, Jeffrey M||Jiang, David||Khalil, Sayed MS||Kim, Donghun||Kocan, Katherine M||Koči, Juraj||Kuhn, Richard J||Kurtti, Timothy J||Lees, Kristin||Lang, Emma G||Kennedy, Ryan C||Kwon, Hyeogsun||Perera, Rushika||Qi, Yumin||Radolf, Justin D||Sakamoto, Joyce M||Sánchez-Gracia, Alejandro||Severo, Maiara S||Silverman, Neal||Šimo, Ladislav||Tojo, Marta||Tornador, Cristian||Van Zee, Janice P||Vázquez, Jesús||Vieira, Filipe G||Villar, Margarita||Wespiser, Adam R||Yang, Yunlong||Zhu, Jiwei||Arensburger, Peter||Pietrantonio, Patricia V||Barker, Stephen C||Shao, Renfu||Zdobnov, Evgeny M||Hauser, Frank||Grimmelikhuijzen, Cornelis JP||Park, Yoonseong||Rozas, Julio||Benton, Richard||Pedra, Joao HF||Nelson, David R||Unger, Maria F||Tubio, Jose MC||Tu, Zhijian||Robertson, Hugh M||Shumway, Martin||Sutton, Granger||Wortman, Jennifer R||Lawson, Daniel||Wikel, Stephen K||Nene, Vishvanath M||Fraser, Claire M||Collins, Frank H||Birren, Bruce||Nelson, Karen E||Caler, Elisabet||Hill, Catherine A

publication date

  • January 2016