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Midichloria mitochondrii is widespread in hard ticks (Ixodidae) and resides in the mitochondria of phylogenetically diverse species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2008

S. EPIS ,
D. SASSERA ,
T. BENINATI ,
N. LO ,
L. BEATI ,
J. PIESMAN ,
L. RINALDI ,
K. D. McCOY ,
A. TORINA  and
L. SACCHI
...Show all authors
S. EPIS
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
D. SASSERA
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
T. BENINATI
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
N. LO
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
L. BEATI
Affiliation:
Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
J. PIESMAN
Affiliation:
Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases, Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
L. RINALDI
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Patologia e Sanità Animale, Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
K. D. McCOY
Affiliation:
Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, UMR CNRS-IRD 2724, IRD, Montpellier, France
A. TORINA
Affiliation:
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
L. SACCHI
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Università di Pavia, Piazza Botta 9, Pavia, Italy
E. CLEMENTI
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Università di Pavia, Piazza Botta 9, Pavia, Italy
M. GENCHI
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Università di Pavia, Piazza Botta 9, Pavia, Italy
S. MAGNINO
Affiliation:
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Sezione di Pavia, Italy
C. BANDI*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
*
*Corresponding author: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy. Tel: +39 02 50318093. Fax: +39 02 50318095. E-mail: claudio.bandi@unimi.it
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Summary

The hard tick Ixodes ricinus (Ixodidae) is the sole animal thus far shown to harbour an intra-mitochondrial bacterium, which has recently been named Midichloria mitochondrii. The objectives of this work were (i) to screen ixodid ticks for Midichloria-related bacteria and (ii) to determine whether these bacteria exploit the intra-mitochondrial niche in other tick species. Our main goal was to discover further models of this peculiar form of symbiosis. We have thus performed a PCR screening for Midichloria-related bacteria in samples of ixodid ticks collected in Italy, North America and Iceland. A total of 7 newly examined species from 5 genera were found positive for bacteria closely related to M. mitochondrii. Samples of the tick species Rhipicephalus bursa, found positive in the PCR screening, were analysed with transmission electron microscopy, which revealed the presence of bacteria both in the cytoplasm and in the mitochondria of the oocytes. There is thus evidence that bacteria invade mitochondria in at least 2 tick species. Phylogenetic analysis on the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences generated from positive specimens revealed that the bacteria form a monophyletic group within the order Rickettsiales. The phylogeny of Midichloria symbionts and related bacteria does not appear completely congruent with the phylogeny of the hosts.

Keywords

Midichloria mitochondriiIxodes ricinushard ticksintra-mitochondrialPCR screeningphylogeny
Type
Original Articles
Information
Parasitology , Volume 135 , Issue 4 , April 2008 , pp. 485 - 494
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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