The relationship between spotted fever group Rickettsiae and Ixodid ticks

Cristina Socolovschi , Oleg Mediannikov (1) , Didier Raoult (1) , Philippe Parola (1)

1 URMITE - Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes

Spotted fever group Rickettsiae are predominantly transmitted by ticks. Rickettsiae have developed many strategies to adapt to different environmental conditions, including those within their arthropod vectors and vertebrate hosts. The tick-Rickettsiae relationship has been a point of interest for many researchers, with most studies concentrating on the role of ticks as vectors. Unfortunately, less attention has been directed towards the relationship of Rickettsiae with tick cells, tissues, and organs. This review summarizes our current understanding of the mechanisms involved in the relationship between ticks and Rickettsiae and provides an update on the recent methodological improvements that have allowed for comprehensive studies at the molecular level.

Mots clés: ticks; spotted fever group Rickettsiae; vector; reservoir

Domaines: Biologie moléculaire; Génétique animale; Biologie cellulaire; Interactions cellulaires [q-bio.CB]; Microbiologie et Parasitologie; Immunologie; Neurosciences [q-bio.NC]; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Biologie animale

Cristina Socolovschi, Oleg Mediannikov, Didier Raoult, Philippe Parola. The relationship between spotted fever group Rickettsiae and Ixodid ticks. Veterinary Research, 2009, 40 (2), ⟨10.1051/vetres/2009017⟩. ⟨hal-00903105⟩