{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T09:02:02Z","timestamp":1792659722245,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":71,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,21]],"date-time":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1642723200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000200","name":"United States Agency for International Development","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["NA"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NA"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000200","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"NIH NIGMS","award":["P20GM103476"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P20GM103476"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease in North America. However, the prevalence of Lyme borreliosis is clustered around the Northern States of the United States of America. This study utilized a metagenomic sequencing approach to compare the microbial communities residing within Ix. scapularis populations from northern and southern geographic locations in the USA. Using a SparCC network construction model, we performed potential interactions between members of the microbial communities from Borrelia burgdorferi\u2013infected tissues of unfed and blood-fed ticks. A significant difference in bacterial composition and diversity was found between northern and southern tick populations. The network analysis predicted a potential antagonistic interaction between endosymbiont Rickettsia buchneri and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The network analysis, as expected, predicted significant positive and negative microbial interactions in ticks from these geographic regions, with the genus Rickettsia, Francisella, and Borreliella playing an essential role in the identified clusters. Interactions between Rickettsia buchneri and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato need more validation and understanding. Understanding the interplay between the microbiome and tick-borne pathogens within tick vectors may pave the way for new strategies to prevent tick-borne infections.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens11020130","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,23]],"date-time":"2022-01-23T20:34:40Z","timestamp":1642970080000},"page":"130","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["An Exploratory Study on the Microbiome of Northern and Southern Populations of Ixodes scapularis Ticks Predicts Changes and Unique Bacterial Interactions"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1963-9926","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Deepak","family":"Kumar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5951-1011","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Latoyia P.","family":"Downs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2390-4435","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdulsalam","family":"Adegoke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erika","family":"Machtinger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kelly","family":"Oggenfuss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12542, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Richard S.","family":"Ostfeld","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12542, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4051-7592","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monica","family":"Embers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Immunology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, 18703 Three Rivers Rd., Covington, LA 70433, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5596-3304","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shahid","family":"Karim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA"},{"name":"Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2158","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1063699","article-title":"Climate warming and disease risks for terrestrial and marine biota","volume":"296","author":"Harvell","year":"2002","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8399","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1208059110","article-title":"Zoonosis emergence linked to agricultural intensification and environmental change","volume":"110","author":"Jones","year":"2013","journal-title":"Proc. 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