Study of microbiome of Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected in regions of Russia

Ixodes persulcatus ticks were collected in regions of Russia during spring and summer 2021: in Altai Republic, near Gorno-Altaisk city (14-May-2021), in Irkutsk region, Pribaikalsky National Park (02/06-Jun-2021), in Khabarovsk Krai, near Khabarovsk city (27-May-2021), in Chelyabinsk region, near Verkhny Ufaley town (04/06-May-2021). The collected ticks were identified using a taxonomic keys. For shotgun analysis of microbiome pools of ticks of both sexes (50 individuals) was frozen in liquid nitrogen and mechanically homogenized, and DNA extraction was subsequently performed using a QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. In another experiment, ticks of both sexes were dissected, and a lateral longitudinal dissection was performed; then all internal organs were gently isolated and DNA extraction was subsequently performed from pool of organs from 50 ticks using a QIAamp DNA Microbiome kit.