TY - JOUR
T1 - Antimicrobiota vaccine induces lysine-mediated modulation of tick immunity affecting Borrelia colonization
AU - Mateos-Hernandez, Lourdes
AU - Abuin-Denis, Lianet
AU - Wu-Chuang, Alejandra
AU - Maitre, Apolline
AU - Roháčková, Helena
AU - Rego, Ryan O.M.
AU - Piloto-Sardiñas, Elianne
AU - Valdes, James
AU - Porcelli, Stefania
AU - Heckmann, Aurelie
AU - Moutailler, Sara
AU - Lucas-Torres, Covadonga
AU - Moos, Martin
AU - Opekar, Stanislav
AU - Kratou, Myriam
AU - Obregon, Dasiel
AU - Cabezas-Cruz, Alejandro
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.
PY - 2025/9/1
Y1 - 2025/9/1
N2 - Tick microbiota influences Borrelia colonization, but changes in the microbiota-derived metabolite and how this affects tick physiology and vector competence is unclear. We investigated whether microbiota-induced metabolite modifications influence tick physiology and pathogen transmission. Using an antimicrobiota vaccine (live Escherichia coli) to immunize mice, we generated host antibodies that modulated the tick microbiome, decreasing bacterial abundance and increasing lysine levels in ticks. Elevated lysine correlated with increased tick weight. Lysine supplementation experiments enhanced defensin expression with DefMT6 exhibiting anti-Borrelia activity, reducing pathogen load in ticks. Our findings demonstrate that antimicrobiota vaccines induce metabolite changes, affecting tick physiology, immunity, and vector competence.
AB - Tick microbiota influences Borrelia colonization, but changes in the microbiota-derived metabolite and how this affects tick physiology and vector competence is unclear. We investigated whether microbiota-induced metabolite modifications influence tick physiology and pathogen transmission. Using an antimicrobiota vaccine (live Escherichia coli) to immunize mice, we generated host antibodies that modulated the tick microbiome, decreasing bacterial abundance and increasing lysine levels in ticks. Elevated lysine correlated with increased tick weight. Lysine supplementation experiments enhanced defensin expression with DefMT6 exhibiting anti-Borrelia activity, reducing pathogen load in ticks. Our findings demonstrate that antimicrobiota vaccines induce metabolite changes, affecting tick physiology, immunity, and vector competence.
KW - Borrelia
KW - defensins
KW - lysine
KW - metabolites
KW - tick immunity
KW - tick microbiota
KW - tick physiology
KW - vector competence
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105013835291
U2 - 10.1093/femsec/fiaf082
DO - 10.1093/femsec/fiaf082
M3 - Article
C2 - 40810454
AN - SCOPUS:105013835291
SN - 0168-6496
VL - 101
JO - FEMS Microbiology Ecology
JF - FEMS Microbiology Ecology
IS - 9
M1 - fiaf082
ER -
