Transmission efficiency of the plague pathogen (Y. pestis) by the flea, Xenopsylla skrjabini, to mice and great gerbils

Zhāng, Yújiāng; Ding, Xuanming; Wang, Qiguo; Chen, Hongjian; Meng, Weiwei; Wu, Kegong; Luò, Tāo; Wang, Xinhui; Rehemu, Azhati; Guo, Rong; Yu, Xiaotao; Cao, Hanli; Song, Yajun

doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0852-z

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…In this respect, the extended phenotype triggered by the full blockage of the foregut of the fleas is one of frenzied feeding and regurgitation of the bacteria, and is estimated to increase the probability of transmission of the disease to 25-50% per flea per bite, compared with the low 0-10% probability of early-phase transmission per flea during the 3-day time window of earlyphase transmission 29 . The probability of plague transmission is ultimately dependent on multiple factors, such as flea species, temperature, and blood source 7,30,31 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary selection of biofilm-mediated extended phenotypes in Yersinia pestis in response to a fluctuating environment

et al. 2020

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Yersinia pestis is transmitted from fleas to rodents when the bacterium develops an extensive biofilm in the foregut of a flea, starving it into a feeding frenzy, or, alternatively, during a brief period directly after feeding on a bacteremic host. These two transmission modes are in a trade-off regulated by the amount of biofilm produced by the bacterium. Here by investigating 446 global isolated Y. pestis genomes, including 78 newly sequenced isolates sampled over 40 years from a plague focus in China, we provide evidence for strong selection pressures on the RNA polymerase ω-subunit encoding gene rpoZ. We demonstrate that rpoZ variants have an increased rate of biofilm production in vitro, and that they evolve in the ecosystem during colder and drier periods. Our results support the notion that the bacterium is constantly adapting-through extended phenotype changes in the fleas-in response to climate-driven changes in the niche. w | www.nature.com/naturecommunications 1 1234567890():,; † Two small clusters (at CO92 position 2,577,933 and 2,606,316) were excluded as they were the result of copy-number variations in tandem repeat loci * K, the number of variations within a cluster # N, region size of the cluster NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | https://doi.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary selection of biofilm-mediated extended phenotypes in Yersinia pestis in response to a fluctuating environment

et al. 2020

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“…pestis in the feces before the bacteria can multiply and form the large biofilm aggregates that typify a chronic infection. Frequent blood meal acquisition and defecation are also characteristic of Xenopsylla skrjabini , a flea that will normally feed several times a day on great gerbils [ 47 ]. Infected X .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding Behavior Modulates Biofilm-Mediated Transmission of Yersinia pestis by the Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides felis

Bland

Hinnebusch

2016

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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BackgroundThe cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is prevalent worldwide, will parasitize animal reservoirs of plague, and is associated with human habitations in known plague foci. Despite its pervasiveness, limited information is available about the cat flea’s competence as a vector for Yersinia pestis. It is generally considered to be a poor vector, based on studies examining early-phase transmission during the first week after infection, but transmission potential by the biofilm-dependent proventricular-blocking mechanism has never been systematically evaluated. In this study, we assessed the vector competence of cat fleas by both mechanisms. Because the feeding behavior of cat fleas differs markedly from important rat flea vectors, we also examined the influence of feeding behavior on transmission dynamics.Methodology/Principal FindingsGroups of cat fleas were infected with Y. pestis and subsequently provided access to sterile blood meals twice-weekly, 5 times per week, or daily for 4 weeks and monitored for infection, the development of proventricular biofilm and blockage, mortality, and the ability to transmit. In cat fleas allowed prolonged, daily access to blood meals, mimicking their natural feeding behavior, Y. pestis did not efficiently colonize the digestive tract and could only be transmitted during the first week after infection. In contrast, cat fleas that were fed intermittently, mimicking the feeding behavior of the efficient vector Xenopsylla cheopis, could become blocked and regularly transmitted Y. pestis for 3–4 weeks by the biofilm-mediated mechanism, but early-phase transmission was not detected.ConclusionsThe normal feeding behavior of C. felis, more than an intrinsic resistance to infection or blockage by Y. pestis, limits its vector competence. Rapid turnover of midgut contents results in bacterial clearance and disruption of biofilm accumulation in the proventriculus. Anatomical features of the cat flea foregut may also restrict transmission by both early-phase and proventricular biofilm-dependent mechanisms.

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“…10 The results indicated that a new plague focus, with an area of 16,000 km 2 , had emerged in Junggar Basin, in which the great gerbil was the main host 12 and X. skrjabini the main vector. 13 Understanding the phenotypic features and genetic diversity of Y. pestis isolates is important in characterizing a plague focus and contributes to the prevention and control of plague. Molecular genotyping and evolutionary analyses were used to describe the phylogenetic positions of the Junggar strains, including a multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA), which is based on the diversity of variable numbers of tandem repeats (VNTR), 14,15 typing with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), which is based on the varying compositions of the spacer arrays in three CRISPR loci in the genome, 16 and whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic and Molecular Genetic Characteristics of Yersinia pestis at an Emerging Natural Plague Focus, Junggar Basin, China

Zhāng

Luò

Yang

et al. 2018

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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The 15th natural plague focus in China, the Junggar Basin plague focus, is located near an important communication route connecting China and Central Asia and was discovered after 2005. To characterize the phenotypic and genetic diversity of the population in this newly established focus, we collected 25 strains from six counties across Junggar Basin in 2005-2006, and determined their biochemical features and genotypes based on multiple-locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats analysis. We inferred the phylogenetic positions and possible sources of the Junggar strains by comparing their genotypes with the genetic diversity for known representative strains. Our results indicate that the major genotype of Junggar strains belongs to 2.MED1, a lineage of biovar Medievalis with identical biochemical characters and high virulence in mice. Although share a similar ecology, the 2.MED1 in Junggar Basin are not descended from known strains in the neighboring Central Asian Desert plague foci. Therefore, the emergence of the Junggar Basin plague focus is not attributable to the recent clonal spread of from Central Asia. We also identified two distinct minor genotypes in Junggar Basin, one of which clusters genetically with the 0.ANT1 strains of the Tianshan Mountain natural plague focus and another belongs to a 1.IN lineage not previously reported. Our study clarifies the phenotypic and genetic characters of Junggar strains. These findings extend our knowledge of the population diversity of and will facilitate future plague surveillance and prevention in Junggar Basin and adjacent regions.

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Transmission efficiency of the plague pathogen (Y. pestis) by the flea, Xenopsylla skrjabini, to mice and great gerbils

Cited by 15 publications

References 35 publications

Evolutionary selection of biofilm-mediated extended phenotypes in Yersinia pestis in response to a fluctuating environment

Evolutionary selection of biofilm-mediated extended phenotypes in Yersinia pestis in response to a fluctuating environment

Feeding Behavior Modulates Biofilm-Mediated Transmission of Yersinia pestis by the Cat Flea, Ctenocephalides felis

Phenotypic and Molecular Genetic Characteristics of Yersinia pestis at an Emerging Natural Plague Focus, Junggar Basin, China

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