Use of Tick Cell Lines in Co-Infection Studies with a Preliminary Study of Co-Culture of <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> and <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>
<i>Ixodes ricinus</i> is an important vector of infectious human and livestock diseases in Europe. Co-infections of pathogens in ticks and hosts have been reported. Tick cell lines offer a useful model system for study of co-infections. We present a review of the existing literature on c...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/1/78 |
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| Summary: | <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> is an important vector of infectious human and livestock diseases in Europe. Co-infections of pathogens in ticks and hosts have been reported. Tick cell lines offer a useful model system for study of co-infections. We present a review of the existing literature on co-infections in tick cell lines. Previous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of tick cell lines in studies on co-infection of different pathogens and their interaction with the tick microbiome. We also carried out a preliminary study to investigate the effects of co-culturing <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> and <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> on their growth and interactions with the <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> cell line IRE/CTVM19 over a 13-day period. Replication of both pathogens was quantified by real-time PCR. The presence of <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> appeared to have a slight inhibitory effect on the multiplication of <i>B. burgdorferi</i>, that were added subsequently. In contrast, the prior presence of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> appeared to have a stimulatory effect on <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> after 6 days in culture. We conclude that the IRE/CTVM19 tick cell line is suitable for simultaneous and continuous cultivation of both bacteria and can be applied in future research. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-0817 |