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- Title
Comparative analysis of the microbiota of sand fly vectors of Leishmania major and L. tropica in a mixed focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeast Tunisia; ecotype shapes the bacterial community structure.
- Authors
Tabbabi, Ahmed; Mizushima, Daiki; Yamamoto, Daisuke S.; Zhioua, Elyes; Kato, Hirotomo
- Abstract
Phlebotomine sand flies are vectors of the protozoan parasite Leishmania spp. Although the intestinal microbiota is involved in a wide range of biological and physiological processes and has the potential to alter vector competence, little is known about the impact of host species and environment on the gut microbiome. To address this issue, a comparative analysis of the microbiota of sand fly vector populations of Leishmania major and L. tropica in a mixed focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia was performed. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplification and Illumina MiSeq sequencing were used to characterize and compare the overall bacterial and fungal composition of field-collected sand flies: Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. perniciosus, Ph. riouxi, and Ph. sergenti. Thirty-eight bacterial genera belonging to five phyla were identified in 117 female specimens. The similarities and differences between the microbiome data from different samples collected from three collections were determined using principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Substantial variations in the bacterial composition were found between geographically distinct populations of the same sand fly species, but not between different species at the same location, suggesting that the microbiota content was structured according to environmental factors rather than host species. These findings suggest that host phylogeny may play a minor role in determining the insect gut microbiota, and its potential to affect the transmission of the Leishmania parasite appear to be very low. These results highlight the need for further studies to decode sand fly Leishmania-microbiota interactions, as even the same bacterial species, such as Enterococcus faecalis, can exert completely opposite effects when confronted with different pathogens within various host insects and vice versa. Author summary: Leishmania major and L. tropica are the causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Tataouine governorate of southeast Tunisia. In this study, the microbiota of Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. perniciosus, Ph. riouxi, and Ph. sergenti, which were caught from three diverse ecotypes, were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplification and Illumina MiSeq sequencing. In total, 117 Leishmania-free and blood-non-fed female specimens were used individually in this study to avoid any bias caused by pooling samples. We found that the gut microbiota was mainly controlled by environmental habitats and other factors, as remarkable differences in microbiota composition within the same species collected from the same location was revealed. Moreover, the results suggested that host phylogeny may play a minor role in determining the insect gut microbiota, and the potential of the host factor to affect the transmission of the Leishmania parasite appeared to be very low. A better understanding of microorganism-insect-gut bacterial interactions is critical, as the interactions between pathogens and gut microbiota do not adhere to a consistent pattern of synergy or antagonism. Even the same bacterial species, such as Enterococcus faecalis, can exert opposing effects when confronted with different pathogens in various host insects
- Subjects
SAND flies; CUTANEOUS leishmaniasis; GUT microbiome; LEISHMANIA major; GENE amplification; LEISHMANIA mexicana
- Publication
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2024, Vol 18, Issue 9, p1
- ISSN
1935-2727
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pntd.0012458