Adnan Hodžić, Martin Kunert, Mia Juračić, Gorana Veinović, Ratko Sukara, Snežana Tomanović, David Seki, David Berry
colonization through a host-mediated mechanism rather than direct microbial antagonism. These findings reveal a microbiota-driven immune pathway that constrains pathogen persistence in the tick gut and provide insights into the tripartite interplay between the tick host, its microbiota, and borrelial pathogens.