Skip to main content
Entomology 2024 Main banner
Bayer Crop Science
Icon Legend
 
Oral Presentation
Oral Presentation
Poster Display
Poster Display
Student Competition
Student Competition
Ticketed Event
Ticketed Event
Back

Student 10-Minute Presentation

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

Student

Student Competition

Grad 10-min Competition: PBT, Biocontrol and Invasive Species

Genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis of the Rocky Mountain wood tick

Monday, November 11, 2024
8:48 AM – 9:00 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 126 C, PCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
Dermacentor andersoni, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, is an important vector for pathogens impacting human and animal health, including bovine anaplasmosis, Colorado tick fever, and Rock Mountain spotted fever. A better understanding of the biology of this under-studied tick is needed for developing disease prevention and vector control strategies. A reference genome was assembled for D. andersoni using high fidelity (HiFi) long-read PacBio sequences and HiC contact mapping which resulted in a contiguous assembly with most contigs matching one of 11 chromosomes. Genome annotation by the NCBI eukaryotic genome annotation pipeline revealed a high level of completeness in terms of gene content, resulting in a genome completeness score of 94.0% using the arachnida ortholog dataset. Following our genome sequencing, this project identified specific genes involved in blood feeding across a range of tissue types and life stages for D. andersoni. To accomplish this, RNA-seq analysis was used to investigate differential gene expression in most organs of D. andersoni adults, nymphs, and larvae from before and after feeding. Based on this analysis, several gene groups have been identified that are involved in blood feeding. Furthermore, we establish specific transcriptional profiles associated with sex and developmental stages for this tick. This outcome will further knowledge of the biology of D. andersoni and allow for the development of strategies that limit the spread of diseases transmitted by this tick.