Kauer Lea, Dobler Gerhard, Schmuck Hannah M, Chitimia-Dobler Lidia, Pfeffer Martin, Kühn Ralph
Molecular Zoology, Department of Zoology, TUM School of Life Sciences Technical University of Munich Freising Germany.
Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology Munich Germany.
Ecol Evol. 2024 Aug 19;14(8):e70163. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70163. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is considered the medically most important arthropod-borne virus in Europe. Although TBE is endemic throughout central Europe, ticks and rodents determine its maintenance in small, difficult-to-assess, natural foci. We investigated the interrelation between the population genetics of the main TBE virus (TBEV) vector tick (), the most important reservoir host (, syn. ), and TBEV. Rodents and ticks were sampled on 15 sites within an exploratory study area, which has been screened regularly for TBEV occurrence in ticks for more than 10 years. On all 15 sites, ticks and bank voles were sampled, screened for TBEV presence via serology and RT-PCR, and genetically examined. Moreover, TBEV isolates derived from these analyses were sequenced. In long-term TBEV foci bank vole populations show extraordinary genetic constitutions, leading to a particular population structure, whereas ticks revealed a panmictic genetic structure overall sampling sites. Landscape genetics and habitat connectivity modeling (analysis of isolation by resistance) showed no landscape-related barriers explaining the genetic structure of the bank vole populations. The results suggest that bank voles do not simply serve as TBEV reservoirs, but their genetic composition appears to have a significant influence on establishing and maintaining long-term natural TBEV foci, whereas the genetic structure of TBEV's main vector does not play an important role in the sustainability of long-term TBEV foci. A thorough investigation of how and to which extent TBEV and genetics are associated is needed to further unravel the underlying mechanisms.
蜱传脑炎（TBE）病毒被认为是欧洲医学上最重要的节肢动物传播病毒。尽管TBE在整个中欧地区呈地方流行性，但蜱虫和啮齿动物决定了其在小型、难以评估的自然疫源地中的维持情况。我们研究了主要的TBE病毒（TBEV）传播媒介蜱虫（ ）、最重要的储存宿主（ ，同物异名 ）的种群遗传学与TBEV之间的相互关系。在一个探索性研究区域内的15个地点采集了啮齿动物和蜱虫样本，该区域已连续10多年定期筛查蜱虫中TBEV的存在情况。在所有15个地点，采集了蜱虫和林姬鼠样本，通过血清学和逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）筛查TBEV的存在，并进行基因检测。此外，对这些分析中获得的TBEV分离株进行了测序。在长期的TBEV疫源地中，林姬鼠种群呈现出特殊的遗传构成，导致了特定的种群结构，而蜱虫在所有采样地点总体上呈现出随机交配的遗传结构。景观遗传学和栖息地连通性建模（抗性隔离分析）表明，没有与景观相关的障碍可以解释林姬鼠种群的遗传结构。结果表明，林姬鼠不仅仅是TBEV的储存宿主，但其遗传组成似乎对长期自然TBEV疫源地的建立和维持有重大影响，而TBEV主要传播媒介蜱虫的遗传结构在长期TBEV疫源地的可持续性方面并不起重要作用。需要深入研究TBEV与 的遗传学如何以及在何种程度上相关联，以进一步揭示潜在机制。
