Immune factor of bacterial origin protects ticks against host microbial commensals
B. M. Hayes, A. D. Radkov, F. Yarza, S. Flores, J. R. Kim, Z. Zhao, K. W. Lexa, L. Marnin, J. Biboy, V. Bowcutt, W. Vollmer, J. H. Pedra, S. Chou
This study shows that a bacterial-derived immune factor in ticks protects them from host skin microbes but not from Lyme disease bacteria, revealing a complex interplay between ticks, their microbes, and hosts.
bioRxiv · Apr 10, 2020Evolutionary Biology