Assessment of the Tick Gut Metabolome Composition

The Lyme disease agent, borrelia burgdorferi, colonizing the gut of the tick lxodes scapularis,can transmit pathogens to vertebrate hosts including humans. B. burgdorferi colonization increases the expression of several tick gut genes including pixr. Abrogation of PIXR function in vivo alters the gut microbiome, metabolome and immune responses. Changes in the gut microbial members are likely to influence the metabolome of the tick gut due to differences in the metabolic functions unique to the specific bacteria genera. Changes in the composition of intestinal metabolites can be analyzed by means of untargeted metabolomics.