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Cultivation of Bartonella henselae in an Ixodes ricinus cell line to assess this tick as a potential reservoir of the bacterium

Violetta Zając

Violetta Zając

Department of Health Biohazards and Parasitology, Institute of Rural HealthLublin, Poland
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Zając, Violetta
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Jacek Sroka

Jacek Sroka

Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Bee Diseases and Aquatic Animal Diseases, National Veterinary Research InstitutePuławy, Poland
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Sroka, Jacek
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Ewa Bilska-Zając

Ewa Bilska-Zając

Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Bee Diseases and Aquatic Animal Diseases, National Veterinary Research InstitutePuławy, Poland
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Bilska-Zając, Ewa
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Angelina Wójcik-Fatla

Angelina Wójcik-Fatla

Department of Health Biohazards and Parasitology, Institute of Rural HealthLublin, Poland
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Wójcik-Fatla, Angelina
  
Aug 31, 2025
Cultivation of Bartonella henselae in an Ixodes ricinus cell line to assess this tick as a potential reservoir of the bacterium's Cover Image
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Published Online: Aug 31, 2025
Received: Jan 31, 2025
Accepted: Aug 27, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2025-0045
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© 2025 Violetta Zając et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Introduction

Bartonella spp. are gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacteria with zoonotic potential. These microorganisms are emerging vector-borne pathogens distributed worldwide and infecting humans, domestic mammals and wildlife. This study investigated the possibility of culturing Bartonella henselae in a tick cell line derived from Ixodes ricinus.

Material and Methods

The Ixodes ricinus embryonic cell line (IRE/CTVM19) and the Houston-1 strain of B. henselae were used for culture studies. Replication of B. henselae was quantified with the use of a SYBR Green real-time PCR and transcribed complementary DNA (cDNA) in samples collected separately from the supernatant and monolayer of culture from 1 to 9 days post-infection (d.p.i.). Identification of B. henselae was based on the detection of a fragment of the ribC gene encoding riboflavin synthase. Quantification was performed indirectly by determining the threshold cycle.

Results

Microscopic observations confirmed that infection with B. henselae did not show any visible negative effect on tick cells. The quantity of B. henselae cDNA from the monolayer remained low, and a slight increase was observed at 4, 8 and 9 d.p.i. Significantly, the highest amount of B. henselae was observed at 2 d.p.i. in samples isolated from the supernatant.

Conclusion

The maintenance of live B. henselae in an I. ricinus-derived cell line was confirmed. The low level of multiplication in the tick cell line suggested a limited role of I. ricinus as a reservoir of B. henselae. The IRE/CTVM19 tick cell line is suitable for culture of B. henselae, and this model may be useful in further studies.
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Life Sciences, Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Virology, Life Sciences, other, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine
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