1
|
Frank EG. The economic impacts of ecosystem disruptions: Costs from substituting biological pest control. Science 2024; 385:eadg0344. [PMID: 39236171 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg0344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss is accelerating, yet we know little about how these ecosystem disruptions affect human well-being. Ecologists have documented both the importance of bats as natural predators of insects as well as their population declines after the emergence of a wildlife disease, resulting in a potential decline in biological pest control. In this work, I study how species interactions can extend beyond an ecosystem and affect agriculture and human health. I find that farmers compensated for bat decline by increasing their insecticide use by 31.1%. The compensatory increase in insecticide use by farmers adversely affected health-human infant mortality increased by 7.9% in the counties that experienced bat die-offs. These findings provide empirical validation to previous theoretical predictions about how ecosystem disruptions can have meaningful social costs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eyal G Frank
- Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Economic Policy Research, Paris, France
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen DV, Slowinski SP, Kido AK, Bruns EL. High temperatures reduce growth, infection, and transmission of a naturally occurring fungal plant pathogen. Ecology 2024; 105:e4373. [PMID: 38923499 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is rapidly altering the distribution of suitable habitats for many species as well as their pathogenic microbes. For many pathogens, including vector-borne diseases of humans and agricultural pathogens, climate change is expected to increase transmission and lead to pathogen range expansions. However, if pathogens have a lower heat tolerance than their host, increased warming could generate so-called thermal refugia for hosts. Predicting the outcomes of warming on disease transmission requires detailed knowledge of the thermal tolerances of both the host and the pathogen. Such thermal tolerance studies are generally lacking for fungal pathogens of wild plant populations, despite the fact that plants form the base of all terrestrial communities. Here, we quantified three aspects of the thermal tolerance (growth, infection, and propagule production) of the naturally occurring fungal pathogen Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae, which causes a sterilizing anther-smut disease on the herbaceous plant Silene latifolia. We also quantified two aspects of host thermal tolerance: seedling survival and flowering rate. We found that temperatures >30°C reduced the ability of anther-smut spores to germinate, grow, and conjugate in vitro. In addition, we found that high temperatures (30°C) during or shortly after the time of inoculation strongly reduced the likelihood of infection in seedlings. Finally, we found that high summer temperatures in the field temporarily cured infected plants, likely reducing transmission. Notably, high temperatures did not reduce survival or flowering of the host plants. Taken together, our results show that the fungus is considerably more sensitive to high temperatures than its host plant. A warming climate could therefore result in reduced disease spread or even local pathogen extirpation, leading to thermal refugia for the host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dalia V Chen
- Biology, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Samuel P Slowinski
- Biology, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Allyson K Kido
- Biology, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
- Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Emily L Bruns
- Biology, University of Maryland at College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Isidoro-Ayza M, Lorch JM, Klein BS. The skin I live in: Pathogenesis of white-nose syndrome of bats. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012342. [PMID: 39207947 PMCID: PMC11361426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in North America has resulted in mass mortalities of hibernating bats and total extirpation of local populations. The need to mitigate this disease has stirred a significant body of research to understand its pathogenesis. Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of WNS, is a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus that resides within the class Leotiomycetes, which contains mainly plant pathogens and is unrelated to other consequential pathogens of animals. In this review, we revisit the unique biology of hibernating bats and P. destructans and provide an updated analysis of the stages and mechanisms of WNS progression. The extreme life history of hibernating bats, the psychrophilic nature of P. destructans, and its evolutionary distance from other well-characterized animal-infecting fungi translate into unique host-pathogen interactions, many of them yet to be discovered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Isidoro-Ayza
- Department of Pediatrics, Medicine and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey M. Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Bruce S. Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, Medicine and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Isidoro-Ayza M, Klein BS. Pathogenic strategies of Pseudogymnoascus destructans during torpor and arousal of hibernating bats. Science 2024; 385:194-200. [PMID: 38991070 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn5606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Millions of hibernating bats across North America have died from white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging disease caused by a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, that invades their skin. Mechanisms of P. destructans invasion of bat epidermis remain obscure. Guided by our in vivo observations, we modeled hibernation with a newly generated little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) keratinocyte cell line. We uncovered the stealth intracellular lifestyle of P. destructans, which inhibits apoptosis of keratinocytes and spreads through the cells by two epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-dependent mechanisms: active penetration during torpor and induced endocytosis during arousal. Melanin of endocytosed P. destructans blocks endolysosomal maturation, facilitating P. destructans survival and germination after return to torpor. Blockade of EGFR aborts P. destructans entry into keratinocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Isidoro-Ayza
- Department of Pediatrics, Medicine and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Bruce S Klein
- Department of Pediatrics, Medicine and Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bhunjun C, Chen Y, Phukhamsakda C, Boekhout T, Groenewald J, McKenzie E, Francisco E, Frisvad J, Groenewald M, Hurdeal VG, Luangsa-ard J, Perrone G, Visagie C, Bai F, Błaszkowski J, Braun U, de Souza F, de Queiroz M, Dutta A, Gonkhom D, Goto B, Guarnaccia V, Hagen F, Houbraken J, Lachance M, Li J, Luo K, Magurno F, Mongkolsamrit S, Robert V, Roy N, Tibpromma S, Wanasinghe D, Wang D, Wei D, Zhao C, Aiphuk W, Ajayi-Oyetunde O, Arantes T, Araujo J, Begerow D, Bakhshi M, Barbosa R, Behrens F, Bensch K, Bezerra J, Bilański P, Bradley C, Bubner B, Burgess T, Buyck B, Čadež N, Cai L, Calaça F, Campbell L, Chaverri P, Chen Y, Chethana K, Coetzee B, Costa M, Chen Q, Custódio F, Dai Y, Damm U, Santiago A, De Miccolis Angelini R, Dijksterhuis J, Dissanayake A, Doilom M, Dong W, Álvarez-Duarte E, Fischer M, Gajanayake A, Gené J, Gomdola D, Gomes A, Hausner G, He M, Hou L, Iturrieta-González I, Jami F, Jankowiak R, Jayawardena R, Kandemir H, Kiss L, Kobmoo N, Kowalski T, Landi L, Lin C, Liu J, Liu X, Loizides M, Luangharn T, Maharachchikumbura S, Mkhwanazi GM, Manawasinghe I, Marin-Felix Y, McTaggart A, Moreau P, Morozova O, Mostert L, Osiewacz H, Pem D, Phookamsak R, Pollastro S, Pordel A, Poyntner C, Phillips A, Phonemany M, Promputtha I, Rathnayaka A, Rodrigues A, Romanazzi G, Rothmann L, Salgado-Salazar C, Sandoval-Denis M, Saupe S, Scholler M, Scott P, Shivas R, Silar P, Silva-Filho A, Souza-Motta C, Spies C, Stchigel A, Sterflinger K, Summerbell R, Svetasheva T, Takamatsu S, Theelen B, Theodoro R, Thines M, Thongklang N, Torres R, Turchetti B, van den Brule T, Wang X, Wartchow F, Welti S, Wijesinghe S, Wu F, Xu R, Yang Z, Yilmaz N, Yurkov A, Zhao L, Zhao R, Zhou N, Hyde K, Crous P. What are the 100 most cited fungal genera? Stud Mycol 2024; 108:1-411. [PMID: 39100921 PMCID: PMC11293126 DOI: 10.3114/sim.2024.108.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The global diversity of fungi has been estimated between 2 to 11 million species, of which only about 155 000 have been named. Most fungi are invisible to the unaided eye, but they represent a major component of biodiversity on our planet, and play essential ecological roles, supporting life as we know it. Although approximately 20 000 fungal genera are presently recognised, the ecology of most remains undetermined. Despite all this diversity, the mycological community actively researches some fungal genera more commonly than others. This poses an interesting question: why have some fungal genera impacted mycology and related fields more than others? To address this issue, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to identify the top 100 most cited fungal genera. A thorough database search of the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed was performed to establish which genera are most cited. The most cited 10 genera are Saccharomyces, Candida, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Botrytis, Pichia, Cryptococcus and Alternaria. Case studies are presented for the 100 most cited genera with general background, notes on their ecology and economic significance and important research advances. This paper provides a historic overview of scientific research of these genera and the prospect for further research. Citation: Bhunjun CS, Chen YJ, Phukhamsakda C, Boekhout T, Groenewald JZ, McKenzie EHC, Francisco EC, Frisvad JC, Groenewald M, Hurdeal VG, Luangsa-ard J, Perrone G, Visagie CM, Bai FY, Błaszkowski J, Braun U, de Souza FA, de Queiroz MB, Dutta AK, Gonkhom D, Goto BT, Guarnaccia V, Hagen F, Houbraken J, Lachance MA, Li JJ, Luo KY, Magurno F, Mongkolsamrit S, Robert V, Roy N, Tibpromma S, Wanasinghe DN, Wang DQ, Wei DP, Zhao CL, Aiphuk W, Ajayi-Oyetunde O, Arantes TD, Araujo JC, Begerow D, Bakhshi M, Barbosa RN, Behrens FH, Bensch K, Bezerra JDP, Bilański P, Bradley CA, Bubner B, Burgess TI, Buyck B, Čadež N, Cai L, Calaça FJS, Campbell LJ, Chaverri P, Chen YY, Chethana KWT, Coetzee B, Costa MM, Chen Q, Custódio FA, Dai YC, Damm U, de Azevedo Santiago ALCM, De Miccolis Angelini RM, Dijksterhuis J, Dissanayake AJ, Doilom M, Dong W, Alvarez-Duarte E, Fischer M, Gajanayake AJ, Gené J, Gomdola D, Gomes AAM, Hausner G, He MQ, Hou L, Iturrieta-González I, Jami F, Jankowiak R, Jayawardena RS, Kandemir H, Kiss L, Kobmoo N, Kowalski T, Landi L, Lin CG, Liu JK, Liu XB, Loizides M, Luangharn T, Maharachchikumbura SSN, Makhathini Mkhwanazi GJ, Manawasinghe IS, Marin-Felix Y, McTaggart AR, Moreau PA, Morozova OV, Mostert L, Osiewacz HD, Pem D, Phookamsak R, Pollastro S, Pordel A, Poyntner C, Phillips AJL, Phonemany M, Promputtha I, Rathnayaka AR, Rodrigues AM, Romanazzi G, Rothmann L, Salgado-Salazar C, Sandoval-Denis M, Saupe SJ, Scholler M, Scott P, Shivas RG, Silar P, Souza-Motta CM, Silva-Filho AGS, Spies CFJ, Stchigel AM, Sterflinger K, Summerbell RC, Svetasheva TY, Takamatsu S, Theelen B, Theodoro RC, Thines M, Thongklang N, Torres R, Turchetti B, van den Brule T, Wang XW, Wartchow F, Welti S, Wijesinghe SN, Wu F, Xu R, Yang ZL, Yilmaz N, Yurkov A, Zhao L, Zhao RL, Zhou N, Hyde KD, Crous PW (2024). What are the 100 most cited fungal genera? Studies in Mycology 108: 1-411. doi: 10.3114/sim.2024.108.01.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C.S. Bhunjun
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - Y.J. Chen
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - C. Phukhamsakda
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - T. Boekhout
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- The Yeasts Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J.Z. Groenewald
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - E.H.C. McKenzie
- Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - E.C. Francisco
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- Laboratório Especial de Micologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J.C. Frisvad
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - V. G. Hurdeal
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - J. Luangsa-ard
- BIOTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - G. Perrone
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council (CNR-ISPA), Via G. Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - C.M. Visagie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - F.Y. Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - J. Błaszkowski
- Laboratory of Plant Protection, Department of Shaping of Environment, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Słowackiego 17, PL-71434 Szczecin, Poland
| | - U. Braun
- Martin Luther University, Institute of Biology, Department of Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Neuwerk 21, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - F.A. de Souza
- Núcleo de Biologia Aplicada, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Rodovia MG 424 km 45, 35701–970, Sete Lagoas, MG, Brazil
| | - M.B. de Queiroz
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Sistemática e Evolução, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Natal-RN, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - A.K. Dutta
- Molecular & Applied Mycology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Gopinath Bordoloi Nagar, Jalukbari, Guwahati - 781014, Assam, India
| | - D. Gonkhom
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - B.T. Goto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Sistemática e Evolução, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Natal-RN, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - V. Guarnaccia
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy
| | - F. Hagen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J. Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - M.A. Lachance
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - J.J. Li
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - K.Y. Luo
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - F. Magurno
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Jagiellońska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland
| | - S. Mongkolsamrit
- BIOTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - V. Robert
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - N. Roy
- Molecular & Applied Mycology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Gopinath Bordoloi Nagar, Jalukbari, Guwahati - 781014, Assam, India
| | - S. Tibpromma
- Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan 655011, P.R. China
| | - D.N. Wanasinghe
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Honghe 654400, Yunnan, China
| | - D.Q. Wang
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - D.P. Wei
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, P.R. China
| | - C.L. Zhao
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, P.R. China
| | - W. Aiphuk
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - O. Ajayi-Oyetunde
- Syngenta Crop Protection, 410 S Swing Rd, Greensboro, NC. 27409, USA
| | - T.D. Arantes
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74605-050, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - J.C. Araujo
- Mykocosmos - Mycology and Science Communication, Rua JP 11 Qd. 18 Lote 13, Jd. Primavera 1ª etapa, Post Code 75.090-260, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil
- Secretaria de Estado da Educação de Goiás (SEDUC/ GO), Quinta Avenida, Quadra 71, número 212, Setor Leste Vila Nova, Goiânia, Goiás, 74643-030, Brazil
| | - D. Begerow
- Organismic Botany and Mycology, Institute of Plant Sciences and Microbiology, Ohnhorststraße 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany
| | - M. Bakhshi
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
| | - R.N. Barbosa
- Micoteca URM-Department of Mycology Prof. Chaves Batista, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Center for Biosciences, University City, Recife, Pernambuco, Zip Code: 50670-901, Brazil
| | - F.H. Behrens
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Geilweilerhof, D-76833 Siebeldingen, Germany
| | - K. Bensch
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - J.D.P. Bezerra
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Biociências e Tecnologia, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74605-050, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - P. Bilański
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - C.A. Bradley
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Kentucky, Princeton, KY 42445, USA
| | - B. Bubner
- Johan Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei, Institut für Forstgenetik, Eberswalder Chaussee 3a, 15377 Waldsieversdorf, Germany
| | - T.I. Burgess
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Australia
| | - B. Buyck
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 39, 75231, Paris cedex 05, France
| | - N. Čadež
- University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Food Science and Technology Department Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - L. Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - F.J.S. Calaça
- Mykocosmos - Mycology and Science Communication, Rua JP 11 Qd. 18 Lote 13, Jd. Primavera 1ª etapa, Post Code 75.090-260, Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil
- Secretaria de Estado da Educação de Goiás (SEDUC/ GO), Quinta Avenida, Quadra 71, número 212, Setor Leste Vila Nova, Goiânia, Goiás, 74643-030, Brazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Ensino de Ciências (LabPEC), Centro de Pesquisas e Educação Científica, Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Campus Central (CEPEC/UEG), Anápolis, GO, 75132-903, Brazil
| | - L.J. Campbell
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - P. Chaverri
- Centro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA) and Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, 11501-2060, San José, Costa Rica
- Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A
| | - Y.Y. Chen
- Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
| | - K.W.T. Chethana
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - B. Coetzee
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
- School for Data Sciences and Computational Thinking, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - M.M. Costa
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Q. Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - F.A. Custódio
- Departamento de Fitopatologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa-MG, Brazil
| | - Y.C. Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - U. Damm
- Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, PF 300 154, 02806 Görlitz, Germany
| | - A.L.C.M.A. Santiago
- Post-graduate course in the Biology of Fungi, Department of Mycology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, 50740-465, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - J. Dijksterhuis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - A.J. Dissanayake
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - M. Doilom
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - W. Dong
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - E. Álvarez-Duarte
- Mycology Unit, Microbiology and Mycology Program, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of Chile, Chile
| | - M. Fischer
- Julius Kühn-Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Geilweilerhof, D-76833 Siebeldingen, Germany
| | - A.J. Gajanayake
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - J. Gené
- Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut & IURESCAT, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Catalonia Spain
| | - D. Gomdola
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - A.A.M. Gomes
- Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife-PE, Brazil
| | - G. Hausner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5N6
| | - M.Q. He
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - L. Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Space Nutrition and Food Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - I. Iturrieta-González
- Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut & IURESCAT, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Catalonia Spain
- Department of Preclinic Sciences, Medicine Faculty, Laboratory of Infectology and Clinical Immunology, Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine-Scientific and Technological Nucleus (CEMT-BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4810296, Chile
| | - F. Jami
- Plant Health and Protection, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - R. Jankowiak
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - R.S. Jayawardena
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, South Korea
| | - H. Kandemir
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - L. Kiss
- Centre for Crop Health, Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment, University of Southern Queensland, QLD 4350 Toowoomba, Australia
- Centre for Research and Development, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, H-3300 Eger, Hungary
| | - N. Kobmoo
- BIOTEC, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
| | - T. Kowalski
- Department of Forest Ecosystems Protection, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland
| | - L. Landi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - C.G. Lin
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - J.K. Liu
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - X.B. Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650201, P.R. China
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Center, Temesvári krt. 62, Szeged H-6726, Hungary
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Fungal Diversity and Green Development, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | | | - T. Luangharn
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - S.S.N. Maharachchikumbura
- Center for Informational Biology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - G.J. Makhathini Mkhwanazi
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - I.S. Manawasinghe
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Y. Marin-Felix
- Department Microbial Drugs, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstrasse 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - A.R. McTaggart
- Centre for Horticultural Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park 4102, Queensland, Australia
| | - P.A. Moreau
- Univ. Lille, ULR 4515 - LGCgE, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et géo-Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - O.V. Morozova
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2, Prof. Popov Str., 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University, 125, Lenin av., 300026 Tula, Russia
| | - L. Mostert
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - H.D. Osiewacz
- Faculty for Biosciences, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - D. Pem
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - R. Phookamsak
- Center for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Honghe 654400, Yunnan, China
| | - S. Pollastro
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - A. Pordel
- Plant Protection Research Department, Baluchestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Iranshahr, Iran
| | - C. Poyntner
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A.J.L. Phillips
- Faculdade de Ciências, Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - M. Phonemany
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - I. Promputtha
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - A.R. Rathnayaka
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - A.M. Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, 04023062, Brazil
| | - G. Romanazzi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - L. Rothmann
- Plant Pathology, Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa
| | - C. Salgado-Salazar
- Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS), 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville MD, 20705, USA
| | - M. Sandoval-Denis
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - S.J. Saupe
- Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaire, UMR 5095 CNRS Université de Bordeaux, 1 rue Camille Saint Saëns, 33077 Bordeaux cedex, France
| | - M. Scholler
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstraße 13, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - P. Scott
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, 6150, Australia
- Sustainability and Biosecurity, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Perth WA 6000, Australia
| | - R.G. Shivas
- Centre for Crop Health, Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment, University of Southern Queensland, QLD 4350 Toowoomba, Australia
| | - P. Silar
- Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire des Energies de Demain, Université de Paris Cité, 75205 Paris Cedex, France
| | - A.G.S. Silva-Filho
- IFungiLab, Departamento de Ciências e Matemática (DCM), Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP), São Paulo, BraziI
| | - C.M. Souza-Motta
- Micoteca URM-Department of Mycology Prof. Chaves Batista, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, s/n, Center for Biosciences, University City, Recife, Pernambuco, Zip Code: 50670-901, Brazil
| | - C.F.J. Spies
- Agricultural Research Council - Plant Health and Protection, Private Bag X5017, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa
| | - A.M. Stchigel
- Unitat de Micologia i Microbiologia Ambiental, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut & IURESCAT, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Reus, Catalonia Spain
| | - K. Sterflinger
- Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts (INTK), Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Augasse 2–6, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - R.C. Summerbell
- Sporometrics, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - T.Y. Svetasheva
- Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University, 125, Lenin av., 300026 Tula, Russia
| | - S. Takamatsu
- Mie University, Graduate School, Department of Bioresources, 1577 Kurima-Machiya, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - B. Theelen
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - R.C. Theodoro
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica, Instituto de Medicina Tropical do RN, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59078-900, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - M. Thines
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - N. Thongklang
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
| | - R. Torres
- IRTA, Postharvest Programme, Edifici Fruitcentre, Parc Agrobiotech de Lleida, Parc de Gardeny, 25003, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - B. Turchetti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences and DBVPG Industrial Yeasts Collection, University of Perugia, Italy
| | - T. van den Brule
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- TIFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - X.W. Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - F. Wartchow
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Paraiba, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - S. Welti
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Spielmannstrasse 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S.N. Wijesinghe
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand
| | - F. Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - R. Xu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Internationally Cooperative Research Center of China for New Germplasm Breeding of Edible Mushroom, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Z.L. Yang
- Syngenta Crop Protection, 410 S Swing Rd, Greensboro, NC. 27409, USA
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Fungal Diversity and Green Development, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - N. Yilmaz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - A. Yurkov
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Brunswick, Germany
| | - L. Zhao
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - R.L. Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - N. Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana University of Science and Technology, Private Bag, 16, Palapye, Botswana
| | - K.D. Hyde
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand
- Innovative Institute for Plant Health/Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
| | - P.W. Crous
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Abu Bakar N, Chung BLY, Smykla J, Karsani SA, Alias SA. Proteomic characterization of Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolates from polar and temperate regions. Mycologia 2024; 116:449-463. [PMID: 38484286 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2024.2313429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Proteomics has been used extensively in the field of mycology, mainly in trying to understand the complex network of protein-protein interactions that has been implicated in the molecular functions of fungi. It is also a useful tool to compare metabolic differences within a genus. Species of Pseudogymnoascus, a genus under the phyla Ascomycota, have been shown to play an important role in the soil environment. They have been found in both polar and temperate regions and are a known producer of many extracellular hydrolases that contribute to soil decomposition. Despite the apparent importance of Pseudogymnoascus spp. in the soil ecosystem, investigations into their molecular functions are still very limited. In the present study, proteomic characterization of six Pseudogymnoascus spp. isolated from three biogeographic regions (the Arctic, Antarctic, and temperate regions) was carried out using tandem mass spectrometry. Prior to proteomic analysis, the optimization for protein extraction was carried out. Trichloroacetic acid‑acetone‑phenol was found to be the best extraction method to be used for proteomic profiling of Pseudogymnoascus spp. The proteomic analysis identified 2003 proteins that were successfully mapped to the UniProtKB database. The identified proteins were clustered according to their biological processes and molecular functions. The shared proteins found in all Pseudogymnoascus spp. (1201 proteins) showed a significantly close relationship in their basic cellular functions, despite differences in morphological structures. Analysis of Pseudogymnoascus spp. proteome also identified proteins that were unique to each region. However, a high number of these proteins belonged to protein families of similar molecular functions, namely, transferases and hydrolases. Our proteomic data can be used as a reference for Pseudogymnoascus spp. across different global regions and a foundation for future soil ecosystem function research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nurlizah Abu Bakar
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, C308, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- National Antarctic Research Centre, Universiti Malaya, B303, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Benjamin Lau Yii Chung
- Advanced Biotechnology and Breeding Centre, Persiaran Institusi, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, No. 6, Bandar Baru Bangi, Kajang, Selangor 43000, Malaysia
| | - Jerzy Smykla
- Department of Biodiversity, Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, Krakow 31-120, Poland
| | - Saiful Anuar Karsani
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Siti Aisyah Alias
- Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Universiti Malaya, C308, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- National Antarctic Research Centre, Universiti Malaya, B303, Institute of Advanced Studies Building, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Whiting-Fawcett F, Blomberg AS, Troitsky T, Meierhofer MB, Field KA, Puechmaille SJ, Lilley TM. A Palearctic view of a bat fungal disease. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14265. [PMID: 38616727 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The fungal infection causing white-nose disease in hibernating bats in North America has resulted in dramatic population declines of affected species, since the introduction of the causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fungus is native to the Palearctic, where it also infects several bat species, yet rarely causes severe pathology or the death of the host. Pseudogymnoascus destructans infects bats during hibernation by invading and digesting the skin tissue, resulting in the disruption of torpor patterns and consequent emaciation. Relations among pathogen, host, and environment are complex, and individuals, populations, and species respond to the fungal pathogen in different ways. For example, the Nearctic Myotis lucifugus responds to infection by mounting a robust immune response, leading to immunopathology often contributing to mortality. In contrast, the Palearctic M. myotis shows no significant immunological response to infection. This lack of a strong response, resulting from the long coevolution between the hosts and the pathogen in the pathogen's native range, likely contributes to survival in tolerant species. After more than 15 years since the initial introduction of the fungus to North America, some of the affected populations are showing signs of recovery, suggesting that the fungus, hosts, or both are undergoing processes that may eventually lead to coexistence. The suggested or implemented management methods of the disease in North America have encompassed, for example, the use of probiotics and fungicides, vaccinations, and modifying the environmental conditions of the hibernation sites to limit the growth of the pathogen, intensity of infection, or the hosts' responses to it. Based on current knowledge from Eurasia, policy makers and conservation managers should refrain from disrupting the ongoing evolutionary processes and adopt a holistic approach to managing the epizootic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F Whiting-Fawcett
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A S Blomberg
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Troitsky
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M B Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K A Field
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - S J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - T M Lilley
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gmutza HJ, Foster RW, Gmutza JM, Carter GG, Kurta A. Survival of hibernating little brown bats that are unaffected by white-nose syndrome: Using thermal cameras to understand arousal behavior. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297871. [PMID: 38319950 PMCID: PMC10846716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that has decimated hibernating bats from multiple North American species. In 2014, the invasive fungus arrived at a hibernaculum of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) inside the spillway of Tippy Dam, located near Wellston, Michigan, USA, yet surprisingly, this population has not experienced the declines seen elsewhere. Unlike a typical subterranean hibernaculum, light enters the spillway through small ventilation holes. We hypothesized that this light causes the hibernating bats to maintain a circadian rhythm, thereby saving energy via social thermoregulation during synchronous arousals. To test this idea, we used high-resolution thermal cameras to monitor arousals from October 2019 to April 2020. We found that arousals followed a circadian rhythm, peaking after sunset, and that most observed arousals (>68%) occurred within a cluster of bats allowing for social thermoregulation. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that light-induced synchronized arousals contribute to the unprecedented absence of mass mortality from white-nose syndrome in this large population. Using light to maintain a circadian rhythm in bats should be tested as a potential tool for mitigating mortality from white-nose syndrome. More generally, studying populations that have been largely unaffected by white-nose syndrome may provide insight into mitigation strategies for protecting the remaining populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haley J. Gmutza
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Rodney W. Foster
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Jonathan M. Gmutza
- eScape Technology LLC, Sterling Heights, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa Ancón, Panama
| | - Allen Kurta
- Department of Biology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Blejwas K, Beard L, Buchanan J, Lausen CL, Neubaum D, Tobin A, Weller TJ. COULD WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME MANIFEST DIFFERENTLY IN MYOTIS LUCIFUGUS IN WESTERN VERSUS EASTERN REGIONS OF NORTH AMERICA? A REVIEW OF FACTORS. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:381-397. [PMID: 37270186 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) has notably affected the abundance of Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) in North America. Thus far, substantial mortality has been restricted to the eastern part of the continent where the cause of WNS, the invasive fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has infected bats since 2006. To date, the state of Washington is the only area in the Western US or Canada (the Rocky Mountains and further west in North America) with confirmed cases of WNS in bats, and there the disease has spread more slowly than it did in Eastern North America. Here, we review differences between M. lucifugus in western and eastern parts of the continent that may affect transmission, spread, and severity of WNS in the West and highlight important gaps in knowledge. We explore the hypothesis that western M. lucifugus may respond differently to WNS on the basis of different hibernation strategies, habitat use, and greater genetic structure. To document the effect of WNS on M. lucifugus in the West most effectively, we recommend focusing on maternity roosts for strategic disease surveillance and monitoring abundance. We further recommend continuing the challenging work of identifying hibernation and swarming sites to better understand the microclimates, microbial communities, and role in disease transmission of these sites, as well as the ecology and hibernation physiology of bats in noncavernous hibernacula.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Blejwas
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, PO Box 110024, Juneau, Alaska 99811, USA
- Except for the first author, all others are listed in alphabetical order
| | - Laura Beard
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 260 Buena Vista, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Joseph Buchanan
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PO Box 43200, Olympia, Washington 98501, USA
| | - Cori L Lausen
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, 202 B Avenue, Kaslo, British Columbia V0G 1M0, Canada
| | - Daniel Neubaum
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, Colorado 81507, USA
| | - Abigail Tobin
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PO Box 43200, Olympia, Washington 98501, USA
| | - Theodore J Weller
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 1700 Bayview Drive, Arcata, California 95521, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kailing MJ, Hoyt JR, White JP, Kaarakka HM, Redell JA, Leon AE, Rocke TE, DePue JE, Scullon WH, Parise KL, Foster JT, Kilpatrick AM, Langwig KE. Sex-biased infections scale to population impacts for an emerging wildlife disease. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230040. [PMID: 36946110 PMCID: PMC10031401 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Demographic factors are fundamental in shaping infectious disease dynamics. Aspects of populations that create structure, like age and sex, can affect patterns of transmission, infection intensity and population outcomes. However, studies rarely link these processes from individual to population-scale effects. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying demographic differences in disease are frequently unclear. Here, we explore sex-biased infections for a multi-host fungal disease of bats, white-nose syndrome, and link disease-associated mortality between sexes, the distortion of sex ratios and the potential mechanisms underlying sex differences in infection. We collected data on host traits, infection intensity and survival of five bat species at 42 sites across seven years. We found females were more infected than males for all five species. Females also had lower apparent survival over winter and accounted for a smaller proportion of populations over time. Notably, female-biased infections were evident by early hibernation and likely driven by sex-based differences in autumn mating behaviour. Male bats were more active during autumn which likely reduced replication of the cool-growing fungus. Higher disease impacts in female bats may have cascading effects on bat populations beyond the hibernation season by limiting recruitment and increasing the risk of Allee effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Macy J. Kailing
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Joseph R. Hoyt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - J. Paul White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI 53707, USA
| | | | | | - Ariel E. Leon
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Tonie E. Rocke
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - John E. DePue
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Baraga, MI 49908, USA
| | | | - Katy L. Parise
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Jeffrey T. Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - A. Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Kate E. Langwig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hicks AC, Darling SR, Flewelling JE, von Linden R, Meteyer CU, Redell DN, White JP, Redell J, Smith R, Blehert DS, Rayman-Metcalf NL, Hoyt JR, Okoniewski JC, Langwig KE. Environmental transmission of Pseudogymnoascus destructans to hibernating little brown bats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4615. [PMID: 36944682 PMCID: PMC10030556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31515-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens with persistent environmental stages can have devastating effects on wildlife communities. White-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has caused widespread declines in bat populations of North America. In 2009, during the early stages of the WNS investigation and before molecular techniques had been developed to readily detect P. destructans in environmental samples, we initiated this study to assess whether P. destructans can persist in the hibernaculum environment in the absence of its conclusive bat host and cause infections in naive bats. We transferred little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) from an unaffected winter colony in northwest Wisconsin to two P. destructans contaminated hibernacula in Vermont where native bats had been excluded. Infection with P. destructans was apparent on some bats within 8 weeks following the introduction of unexposed bats to these environments, and mortality from WNS was confirmed by histopathology at both sites 14 weeks following introduction. These results indicate that environmental exposure to P. destructans is sufficient to cause the infection and mortality associated with WNS in naive bats, which increases the probability of winter colony extirpation and complicates conservation efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alan C Hicks
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4754, USA
| | - Scott R Darling
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 271 North Main Street, Suite 215, Rutland, VT, 05701, USA
| | - Joel E Flewelling
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 271 North Main Street, Suite 215, Rutland, VT, 05701, USA
| | - Ryan von Linden
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4754, USA
| | - Carol U Meteyer
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Rd., Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - David N Redell
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI, USA
| | - J Paul White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Ryan Smith
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 271 North Main Street, Suite 215, Rutland, VT, 05701, USA
| | - David S Blehert
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, 6006 Schroeder Rd., Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | | | - Joseph R Hoyt
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4754, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Joseph C Okoniewski
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4754, USA
| | - Kate E Langwig
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4754, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Langwig KE, Kilpatrick AM, Kailing MJ, Laggan NA, White JP, Kaarakka HM, Redell JA, DePue JE, Parise KL, Foster JT, Hoyt JR. Shifting effects of host physiological condition following pathogen establishment. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220574. [PMID: 36855852 PMCID: PMC9975657 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding host persistence with emerging pathogens is essential for conserving populations. Hosts may initially survive pathogen invasions through pre-adaptive mechanisms. However, whether pre-adaptive traits are directionally selected to increase in frequency depends on the heritability and environmental dependence of the trait and the costs of trait maintenance. Body condition is likely an important pre-adaptive mechanism aiding in host survival, although can be seasonally variable in wildlife hosts. We used data collected over 7 years on bat body mass, infection and survival to determine the role of host body condition during the invasion and establishment of the emerging disease, white-nose syndrome. We found that when the pathogen first invaded, bats with higher body mass were more likely to survive, but this effect dissipated following the initial epizootic. We also found that heavier bats lost more weight overwinter, but fat loss depended on infection severity. Lastly, we found mixed support that bat mass increased in the population after pathogen arrival; high annual plasticity in individual bat masses may have reduced the potential for directional selection. Overall, our results suggest that some factors that contribute to host survival during pathogen invasion may diminish over time and are potentially replaced by other host adaptations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate E. Langwig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - A. Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Macy J. Kailing
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Nichole A. Laggan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - J. Paul White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI 53707, USA
| | | | | | - John E. DePue
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Baraga, MI 49908, USA
| | - Katy L. Parise
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Jeffrey T. Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Joseph R. Hoyt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sewall BJ, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Gagnon MF, Johnson JS, Keel MK, Anis E, Lilley TM, White JP, Hauer CL, Overton BE. Environmental control reduces white‐nose syndrome infection in hibernating bats. Anim Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- B. J. Sewall
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | | | | | - M. F. Gagnon
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - J. S. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio University Athens OH USA
- School of Information Technology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH USA
| | - M. K. Keel
- School of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis CA USA
| | - E. Anis
- Department of Pathobiology University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center Kennett Square PA USA
| | - T. M. Lilley
- Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - J. P. White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison WI USA
| | - C. L. Hauer
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - B. E. Overton
- Department of Biology Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven PA USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Higher white-nose syndrome fungal isolate yields from UV-guided wing biopsies compared with skin swabs and optimal culture media. BMC Vet Res 2023; 19:40. [PMID: 36759833 PMCID: PMC9912490 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-023-03603-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND North American bat populations have suffered severe declines over the last decade due to the Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungus infection. The skin disease associated with this causative agent, known as white-nose syndrome (WNS), is specific to bats hibernating in temperate regions. As cultured fungal isolates are required for epidemiological and phylogeographical studies, the purpose of the present work was to compare the efficacy and reliability of different culture approaches based on either skin swabs or wing membrane tissue biopsies for obtaining viable fungal isolates of P. destructans. RESULTS In total, we collected and analysed 69 fungal and 65 bacterial skin swabs and 51 wing membrane tissue biopsies from three bat species in the Czech Republic, Poland and the Republic of Armenia. From these, we obtained 12 viable P. destructans culture isolates. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that the efficacy of cultures based on wing membrane biopsies were significantly higher. Cultivable samples tended to be based on collections from bats with lower body surface temperature and higher counts of UV-visualised lesions. While cultures based on both skin swabs and wing membrane tissue biopsies can be utilised for monitoring and surveillance of P. destructans in bat populations, wing membrane biopsies guided by UV light for skin lesions proved higher efficacy. Interactions between bacteria on the host's skin also appear to play an important role.
Collapse
|
15
|
Simonis MC, Hartzler LK, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Johnson JS, Rúa MA. Long‐term exposure to an invasive fungal pathogen decreases
Eptesicus fuscus
body mass with increasing latitude. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Simonis
- Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Lynn K. Hartzler
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Gregory G. Turner
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Michael R. Scafini
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- School of Information Technology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio USA
| | - Megan A. Rúa
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Summers JL, White JP, Kaarakka HM, Hygnstrom SE, Sedinger BS, Riddle J, Van Deelen T, Yahnke C. Influence of underground mining with explosives on a hibernating bat population. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Summers
- Wisconsin Center for Wildlife, University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point, Trainer Natural Resources Building Stevens Point Wisconsin USA
| | - John Paul White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison Wisconsin USA
| | | | - Scott E. Hygnstrom
- Wisconsin Center for Wildlife, University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point, Trainer Natural Resources Building Stevens Point Wisconsin USA
| | - Benjamin S. Sedinger
- Wisconsin Center for Wildlife, University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point, Trainer Natural Resources Building Stevens Point Wisconsin USA
| | - Jason Riddle
- Wisconsin Center for Wildlife, University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point, Trainer Natural Resources Building Stevens Point Wisconsin USA
| | | | - Christopher Yahnke
- University of Wisconsin‐Stevens Point, Trainer Natural Resources Building Stevens Point Wisconsin USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Gabriel KT, McDonald AG, Lutsch KE, Pattavina PE, Morris KM, Ferrall EA, Crow SA, Cornelison CT. Development of a multi-year white-nose syndrome mitigation strategy using antifungal volatile organic compounds. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278603. [PMID: 36454924 PMCID: PMC9714803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudogymnoascus destructans is a fungal pathogen responsible for a deadly disease among North American bats known as white-nose syndrome (WNS). Since detection of WNS in the United States in 2006, its rapid spread and high mortality has challenged development of treatment and prevention methods, a significant objective for wildlife management agencies. In an effort to mitigate precipitous declines in bat populations due to WNS, we have developed and implemented a multi-year mitigation strategy at Black Diamond Tunnel (BDT), Georgia, singly known as one of the most substantial winter colony sites for tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), with pre-WNS abundance exceeding 5000 individuals. Our mitigation approach involved in situ treatment of bats at the colony level through aerosol distribution of antifungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that demonstrated an in vitro ability to inhibit P. destructans conidia germination and mycelial growth through contact-independent exposure. The VOCs evaluated have been identified from microbes inhabiting naturally-occurring fungistatic soils and endophytic fungi. These VOCs are of low toxicity to mammals and have been observed to elicit antagonism of P. destructans at low gaseous concentrations. Cumulatively, our observations resolved no detrimental impact on bat behavior or health, yet indicated a potential for attenuation of WNS related declines at BDT and demonstrated the feasibility of this novel disease management approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle T. Gabriel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Ashley G. McDonald
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Kelly E. Lutsch
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Peter E. Pattavina
- United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Katrina M. Morris
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Wildlife Conservation Section, Social Circle, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Emily A. Ferrall
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Wildlife Conservation Section, Social Circle, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Sidney A. Crow
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Christopher T. Cornelison
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Forney R, Rios-Sotelo G, Lindauer A, Willis CKR, Voyles J. Temperature shifts associated with bat arousals during hibernation inhibit the growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211986. [PMID: 36425515 PMCID: PMC9682300 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is a critically important factor in many infectious disease systems, because it can regulate responses in both the host and the pathogen. White-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats is a severe infectious disease caused by the temperature-sensitive fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). One feature of WNS is an increase in the frequency of arousal bouts (i.e. when bat body temperatures are elevated) in Pd-infected bats during hibernation. While several studies have proposed that increased frequency of arousals may play a role in the pathophysiology of WNS, it is unknown if the temperature fluctuations might mediate Pd growth. We hypothesized that exposure to a high frequency of elevated temperatures would reduce Pd growth due to thermal constraints on the pathogen. We simulated the thermal conditions for arousal bouts of uninfected and infected bats during hibernation (fluctuating from 8 to 25°C at two different rates) and quantified Pd growth in vitro. We found that increased exposure to high temperatures significantly reduced Pd growth. Because temperature is one of the most critical abiotic factors mediating host-pathogen interactions, resolving how Pd responds to fluctuating temperatures will provide insights for understanding WNS in bats and other fungal diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronny Forney
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | | | - Alexa Lindauer
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
- Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, Mammoth Lakes, CA, USA
| | - Craig K. R. Willis
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jamie Voyles
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Barratt AE, Gonsalves L, Turbill C. Winter torpor and activity patterns of a fishing bat ( Myotis macropus) in a mild climate. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Small insectivorous bats often enter a state of torpor, a controlled, reversible decrease in body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor provides substantial energy savings and is used more extensively during periods of low temperature and reduced prey availability. We studied torpor use and activity of a small (10.1 ± 0.4 g) fishing bat, Myotis macropus, during winter in a mild climate in Australia. We predicted that the thermal stability of water would make foraging opportunities in winter more productive and consistent in a riparian habitat compared to a woodland habitat, and therefore, fishing bats would use torpor less than expected during winter compared to other bats. Using temperature-sensitive radio transmitters, we recorded the skin temperature of 12 adult (6 M, 6 F) bats over 161 bat-days (13.4 ± 5.4 days per bat) during Austral winter (late May to August), when daily air temperature averaged 6.2–18.2°C. Bats used torpor every day, with bouts lasting a median of 21.3 h and up to 144.6 h. Multiday torpor bouts were more common in females than males. Arousals occurred just after sunset and lasted 3.5 ± 2.9 h. Arousals tended to be longer in males than females and to occur on warmer evenings, suggesting some winter foraging and perhaps male harem territoriality or other mating-related activity was occurring. The extensive use of torpor by M. macropus during relatively mild winter conditions when food is likely available suggests torpor might function to minimize the risks of mortality caused by activity and to increase body condition for the upcoming breeding season.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice E Barratt
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment and School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus , Richmond, New South Wales 2753 , Australia
| | - Leroy Gonsalves
- Forest Science Unit, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries , Parramatta, New South Wales 2150 , Australia
| | - Christopher Turbill
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment and School of Science, Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus , Richmond, New South Wales 2753 , Australia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Jackson RT, Willcox EV, Zobel JM, Bernard RF. Emergence activity at hibernacula differs among four bat species affected by white-nose syndrome. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9113. [PMID: 35845385 PMCID: PMC9277409 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior to the introduction of white-nose syndrome (WNS) to North America, temperate bats were thought to remain within hibernacula throughout most of the winter. However, recent research has shown that bats in the southeastern United States emerge regularly from hibernation and are active on the landscape, regardless of their WNS status. The relationship between winter activity and susceptibility to WNS has yet to be explored but warrants attention, as it may enable managers to implement targeted management for WNS-affected species. We investigated this relationship by implanting 1346 passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in four species that vary in their susceptibility to WNS. Based on PIT-tag detections, three species entered hibernation from late October to early November. Bats were active at hibernacula entrances on days when midpoint temperatures ranged from -1.94 to 22.78°C (mean midpoint temperature = 8.70 ± 0.33°C). Eastern small-footed bats (Myotis leibii), a species with low susceptibility to WNS, were active throughout winter, with a significant decrease in activity in mid-hibernation (December 16 to February 15). Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), a species that is highly susceptible to WNS, exhibited an increase in activity beginning in mid-hibernation and extending through late hibernation (February 16 to March 31). Indiana bats (M. sodalis), a species determined to have a medium-high susceptibility to WNS, remained on the landscape into early hibernation (November 1 to December 15), after which we did not record any again until the latter portion of mid-hibernation. Finally, gray bats (M. grisescens), another species with low susceptibility to WNS, maintained low but regular levels of activity throughout winter. Given these results, we determined that emergence activity from hibernacula during winter is highly variable among bat species and our data will assist wildlife managers to make informed decisions regarding the timing of implementation of species-specific conservation actions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reilly T. Jackson
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of ArkansasFayettevilleArkansasUSA
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Emma V. Willcox
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - John M. Zobel
- Department of Forest ResourcesUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Riley F. Bernard
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and FisheriesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWyomingUSA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Loeb SC, Winters EA. Changes in hibernating tricolored bat ( Perimyotis subflavus) roosting behavior in response to white-nose syndrome. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9045. [PMID: 35822112 PMCID: PMC9259850 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding animals' behavioral and physiological responses to pathogenic diseases is critical for management and conservation. One such disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS), has greatly affected bat populations throughout eastern North America leading to significant population declines in several species. Although tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) populations have experienced significant declines, little research has been conducted on their responses to the disease, particularly in the southeastern United States. Our objective was to document changes in tricolored bat roost site use after the appearance of WNS in a hibernaculum in the southeastern U.S. and relate these to microsite temperatures, ambient conditions, and population trends. We censused a tricolored bat hibernaculum in northwestern South Carolina, USA, once each year between February 26 and March 2, 2014-2021, and recorded species, section of the tunnel, distance from the entrance, and wall temperature next to each bat. The number of tricolored bats in the hibernaculum dropped by 90.3% during the first 3 years after the arrival of WNS. However, numbers stabilized and slightly increased from 2018 to 2021. Prior to the arrival of WNS, 95.6% of tricolored bats roosted in the back portion of the tunnel that was the warmest. After the arrival of WNS, we observed a significant increase in the proportion of bats using the front, colder portions of the tunnel, particularly during the period of population stabilization and increase. Roost temperatures of bats were also positively associated with February external temperatures. Our results suggest that greater use of the colder sections of the tunnel by tricolored bats could have led to increased survival due to slower growth rates of the fungus that causes WNS in colder temperatures or decreased energetic costs associated with colder hibernation temperatures. Thus, management actions that provide cold hibernacula may be an option for long-term management of hibernacula, particularly in southern regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan C. Loeb
- U.S. Forest ServiceSouthern Research StationClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Eric A. Winters
- U.S. Forest ServiceSouthern Research StationClemsonSouth CarolinaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Forsythe A, Fontaine N, Bissonnette J, Hayashi B, Insuk C, Ghosh S, Kam G, Wong A, Lausen C, Xu J, Cheeptham N. Microbial isolates with Anti-Pseudogymnoascus destructans activities from Western Canadian bat wings. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9895. [PMID: 35701553 PMCID: PMC9198084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14223-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) is the causative agent of white-nose syndrome, which has resulted in the death of millions of bats in North America (NA) since 2006. Based on mortalities in eastern NA, the westward spread of infections likely poses a significant threat to western NA bats. To help prevent/reduce Pd infections in bats in western NA, we isolated bacteria from the wings of wild bats and screened for inhibitory activity against Pd. In total, we obtained 1,362 bacterial isolates from 265 wild bats of 13 species in western Canada. Among the 1,362 isolates, 96 showed inhibitory activity against Pd based on a coculture assay. The inhibitory activities varied widely among these isolates, ranging from slowing fungal growth to complete inhibition. Interestingly, host bats containing isolates with anti-Pd activities were widely distributed, with no apparent geographic or species-specific pattern. However, characteristics of roosting sites and host demography showed significant associations with the isolation of anti-Pd bacteria. Specifically, anthropogenic roosts and swabs from young males had higher frequencies of anti-Pd bacteria than those from natural roosts and those from other sex and age-groups, respectively. These anti-Pd bacteria could be potentially used to help mitigate the impact of WNS. Field trials using these as well as additional microbes from future screenings are needed in order to determine their effectiveness for the prevention and treatment against WNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Forsythe
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Nick Fontaine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Julianna Bissonnette
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Brandon Hayashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Chadabhorn Insuk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Soumya Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada.,Department of Genetics, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Gabrielle Kam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Aaron Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada
| | - Cori Lausen
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, P.O. Box 606, Kaslo, BC, V0G 1M0, Canada.
| | - Jianping Xu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Naowarat Cheeptham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC, V2C 08C, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Venesky MD, DeMarchi J, Hickerson C, Anthony CD. Does the thermal mismatch hypothesis predict disease outcomes in different morphs of a terrestrial salamander? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:467-476. [PMID: 35167180 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many aspects of ectotherm physiology are temperature-dependent. The immune system of temperate-dwelling ectothermic host species is no exception and their immune function is often downregulated in cold temperatures. Likewise, species of ectothermic pathogens experience temperature-mediated effects on rates of transmission and/or virulence. Although seemingly straightforward, predicting the outcomes of ectothermic host-pathogen interactions is quite challenging. A recent hypothesis termed the thermal mismatch hypothesis posits that cool-adapted host species should be most susceptible to pathogen infection during warm temperature periods whereas warm-adapted host species should be most susceptible to pathogens during periods of cool temperatures. We explore this hypothesis using two ecologically and physiologically differentiated color morphs of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and a pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; hereafter "Bd") using a fully factorial laboratory experiment. At cool temperatures, unstriped salamanders (i.e., those that are tolerant of warm temperatures) had a significantly higher probability of Bd infection compared with cool-tolerant striped salamanders, consistent with the thermal mismatch hypothesis. However, we found no support for this hypothesis when salamanders were exposed to Bd at warm temperatures: the probability of Bd infection in the cool-tolerant striped salamanders was nearly identical in both cool and warm temperatures, opposite the predictions of the thermal mismatch hypothesis. Our results are most consistent with the fact that Bd grows poorly at warm temperatures. Alternatively, our data could indicate that the two color morphs do not differ in their tolerance to warm temperatures but that striped salamanders are more tolerant to cool temperatures than unstriped salamanders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Venesky
- Department of Biology, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph DeMarchi
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Cari Hickerson
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Carl D Anthony
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sewall BJ, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Johnson JS. Cooling subterranean environments for climate adaptation and disease management: reply to Meierhofer et al. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13928. [PMID: 35510359 PMCID: PMC9325374 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brent J. Sewall
- Department of BiologyTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Meteyer CU, Dutheil JY, Keel MK, Boyles JG, Stukenbrock EH. Plant pathogens provide clues to the potential origin of bat white-nose syndrome Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Virulence 2022; 13:1020-1031. [PMID: 35635339 PMCID: PMC9176227 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2082139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome has killed millions of bats, yet both the origins and infection strategy of the causative fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, remain elusive. We provide evidence for a novel hypothesis that P. destructans emerged from plant-associated fungi and retained invasion strategies affiliated with fungal pathogens of plants. We demonstrate that P. destructans invades bat skin in successive biotrophic and necrotrophic stages (hemibiotrophic infection), a mechanism previously only described in plant fungal pathogens. Further, the convergence of hyphae at hair follicles suggests nutrient tropism. Tropism, biotrophy, and necrotrophy are often associated with structures termed appressoria in plant fungal pathogens; the penetrating hyphae produced by P. destructans resemble appressoria. Finally, we conducted a phylogenomic analysis of a taxonomically diverse collection of fungi. Despite gaps in genetic sampling of prehistoric and contemporary fungal species, we estimate an 88% probability the ancestral state of the clade containing P. destructans was a plant-associated fungus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carol Uphoff Meteyer
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53711
| | - Julien Y. Dutheil
- Molecular Systems Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - M. Kevin Keel
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Dept of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Justin G. Boyles
- Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois 62901
| | - Eva H. Stukenbrock
- Environmental Genomics Group, Botanical Institute, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Winter torpor expression varies in four bat species with differential susceptibility to white-nose syndrome. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5688. [PMID: 35383238 PMCID: PMC8983705 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09692-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies examining the overwintering behaviors of North American hibernating bats are limited to a handful of species. We deployed temperature-sensitive transmitters on four species of bat that exhibit differences in their susceptibility to white nose syndrome (WNS; Myotis grisescens, M. leibii, M. sodalis, and Perimyotis subflavus) to determine if these differences are correlated with behavior exhibited during hibernation (i.e., torpor expression and arousal frequency). Mean torpor skin temperature (Tsk) and torpor bout duration varied significantly among species (P ≤ 0.024), but arousal Tsk and duration did not (P ≥ 0.057). One of the species with low susceptibility to WNS, M. leibii, had significantly shorter torpor bout durations (37.67 ± 26.89 h) than M. sodalis (260.67 ± 41.33 h), the species with medium susceptibility to WNS. Myotis leibii also had significantly higher torpor Tsk (18.57 °C ± 0.20) than M. grisescens (13.33 °C ± 0.60), a second species with low WNS susceptibility. The high susceptibility species, Perimyotis subflavus, exhibited low torpor Tsk (14.42 °C ± 0.36) but short torpor bouts (72.36 ± 32.16 h). We demonstrate that the four cavernicolous species examined exhibit a wide range in torpid skin temperature and torpor bout duration. Information from this study may improve WNS management in multispecies hibernacula or individual species management by providing insight into how some species may differ in their techniques for overwinter survival.
Collapse
|
27
|
ROADWAY-ASSOCIATED CULVERTS MAY SERVE AS A TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR FOR PSEUDOGYMNOASCUS DESTRUCTANS AND WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME IN THE COASTAL PLAINS AND COASTAL REGION OF GEORGIA, USA. J Wildl Dis 2022; 58:322-332. [PMID: 35276010 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease among hibernating North American bats caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Since its discovery in New York state, US, in 2006, and as of 2020, WNS has rapidly spread to 34 American states and seven Canadian provinces, causing precipitous declines of native bat populations across North America. The rapid spread of this fungal pathogen has been facilitated by the social behavior of bats, as well as the ability of subterranean hibernacula to support a favorable environment for P. destructans, and is probably exacerbated by anthropogenic transmission events. Although many bat species roost in natural cave environments, bats also selectively use diverse structures for hibernacula. Certain areas of the US lack caves, forcing bats to select different winter roosting environments. Bats have been observed using roadway-associated structures, such as bridges and culverts, for roosting, especially in regions that lack natural cave environments. However, the potential for P. destructans transmission in such roadway-associated structures requires further investigation. Understanding potential pathogen transmission in these widely used anthropogenic structures is crucial to disease management and preventing further declines of imperiled bat populations. Our study investigated these structures as potential pathogen transmission corridors by surveying the use of these structures by Perimyotis subflavus and other susceptible bat populations and by measuring their temperature. The results suggest the environments of roadway-associated culverts are thermally conducive to the proliferation of P. destructans-even in regions with mild winters-and the development of WNS in susceptible bat populations. It is apparent these roadway-associated structures have the potential to spread P. destructans and exacerbate the effect of WNS on susceptible bat populations.
Collapse
|
28
|
Turner GG, Sewall BJ, Scafini MR, Lilley TM, Bitz D, Johnson JS. Cooling of bat hibernacula to mitigate white-nose syndrome. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13803. [PMID: 34224186 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has caused precipitous declines in several North American bat species, creating an urgent need for conservation. We examined how microclimates and other characteristics of hibernacula have affected bat populations following WNS-associated declines and evaluated whether cooling of warm, little-used hibernacula could benefit bats. During the period following mass mortality (2013-2020), we conducted 191 winter surveys of 25 unmanipulated hibernacula and 6 manipulated hibernacula across Pennsylvania (USA). We joined these data with additional datasets on historical (pre-WNS) bat counts and on the spatial distribution of underground sites. We used generalized linear mixed models and model selection to identify factors affecting bat populations. Winter counts of Myotis lucifugus were higher and increased over time in colder hibernacula (those with midwinter temperatures of 3-6 °C) compared with warmer (7-11 °C) hibernacula. Counts of Eptesicus fuscus, Myotis leibii, and Myotis septentrionalis were likewise higher in colder hibernacula (temperature effects = -0.73 [SE 0.15], -0.51 [0.18], and -0.97 [0.28], respectively). Populations of M. lucifugus and M. septentrionalis increased most over time in hibernacula surrounded by more nearby sites, whereas Eptesicus fuscus counts remained high where they had been high before WNS onset (pre-WNS high count effect = 0.59 [0.22]). Winter counts of M. leibii were higher in hibernacula with high vapor pressure deficits (VPDs) (particularly over 0.1 kPa) compared with sites with lower VPDs (VPD effect = 15.3 [4.6]). Counts of M. lucifugus and E. fuscus also appeared higher where VPD was higher. In contrast, Perimyotis subflavus counts increased over time in relatively warm hibernacula and were unaffected by VPD. Where we manipulated hibernacula, we achieved cooling of on average 2.1 °C. At manipulated hibernacula, counts of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus increased over time (years since manipulation effect = 0.70 [0.28] and 0.51 [0.15], respectively). Further, there were more E. fuscus where cooling was greatest (temperature difference effect = -0.46 [SE 0.11]), and there was some evidence there were more P. subflavus in hibernacula sections that remained warm after manipulation. These data show bats are responding effectively to WNS through habitat selection. In M. lucifugus, M. septentrionalis, and possibly P. subflavus, this response is ongoing, with bats increasingly aggregating at suitable hibernacula, whereas E. fuscus remain in previously favored sites. Our results suggest that cooling warm sites receiving little use by bats is a viable strategy for combating WNS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brent J Sewall
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Thomas M Lilley
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniel Bitz
- CNX Gas Company LLC, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph S Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Grimaudo AT, Hoyt JR, Yamada SA, Herzog CJ, Bennett AB, Langwig KE. Host traits and environment interact to determine persistence of bat populations impacted by white-nose syndrome. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:483-497. [PMID: 34935272 PMCID: PMC9299823 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases have resulted in severe population declines across diverse taxa. In some instances, despite attributes associated with high extinction risk, disease emergence and host declines are followed by host stabilisation for unknown reasons. While host, pathogen, and the environment are recognised as important factors that interact to determine host-pathogen coexistence, they are often considered independently. Here, we use a translocation experiment to disentangle the role of host traits and environmental conditions in driving the persistence of remnant bat populations a decade after they declined 70-99% due to white-nose syndrome and subsequently stabilised. While survival was significantly higher than during the initial epidemic within all sites, protection from severe disease only existed within a narrow environmental space, suggesting host traits conducive to surviving disease are highly environmentally dependent. Ultimately, population persistence following pathogen invasion is the product of host-pathogen interactions that vary across a patchwork of environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph R. Hoyt
- Department of Biological SciencesVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Carl J. Herzog
- New York State Department of Environmental ConservationAlbanyNew YorkUSA
| | | | - Kate E. Langwig
- Department of Biological SciencesVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Experimental inoculation trial to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on White-nose Syndrome in hibernating bats. Sci Rep 2022; 12:971. [PMID: 35046462 PMCID: PMC8770465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease results from interactions among the host, pathogen, and environment. Inoculation trials can quantify interactions among these players and explain aspects of disease ecology to inform management in variable and dynamic natural environments. White-nose Syndrome, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), has caused severe population declines of several bat species in North America. We conducted the first experimental infection trial on the tri-colored bat, Perimyotis subflavus, to test the effect of temperature and humidity on disease severity. We also tested the effects of temperature and humidity on fungal growth and persistence on substrates. Unexpectedly, only 37% (35/95) of bats experimentally inoculated with Pd at the start of the experiment showed any infection response or disease symptoms after 83 days of captive hibernation. There was no evidence that temperature or humidity influenced infection response. Temperature had a strong effect on fungal growth on media plates, but the influence of humidity was more variable and uncertain. Designing laboratory studies to maximize research outcomes would be beneficial given the high costs of such efforts and potential for unexpected outcomes. Understanding the influence of microclimates on host-pathogen interactions remains an important consideration for managing wildlife diseases, particularly in variable environments.
Collapse
|
31
|
|
32
|
Korn VL, Pennerman KK, Padhi S, Bennett JW. Trans-2-hexenal downregulates several pathogenicity genes of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of white-nose syndrome in bats. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 48:kuab060. [PMID: 34415032 PMCID: PMC8788850 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuab060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
White-nose syndrome is an emergent wildlife disease that has killed millions of North American bats. It is caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans, a cold-loving, invasive fungal pathogen that grows on bat tissues and disrupts normal hibernation patterns. Previous work identified trans-2-hexenal as a fungistatic volatile compound that potentially could be used as a fumigant against P. destructans in bat hibernacula. To determine the physiological responses of the fungus to trans-2-hexenal exposure, we characterized the P. destructans transcriptome in the presence and absence of trans-2-hexenal. Specifically, we analyzed the effects of sublethal concentrations (5 μmol/L, 10 μmol/L, and 20 μmol/L) of gas-phase trans-2-hexenal of the fungus grown in liquid culture. Among the three treatments, a total of 407 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 74 were commonly affected across all three treatments, with 44 upregulated and 30 downregulated. Downregulated DEGs included several probable virulence genes including those coding for a high-affinity iron permease, a superoxide dismutase, and two protein-degrading enzymes. There was an accompanying upregulation of an ion homeostasis gene, as well as several genes involved in transcription, translation, and other essential cellular processes. These data provide insights into the mechanisms of action of trans-2-hexenal as an anti-fungal fumigant that is active at cold temperatures and will guide future studies on the molecular mechanisms by which six carbon volatiles inhibit growth of P. destructans and other pathogenic fungi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Kayla K Pennerman
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Sally Padhi
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Joan W Bennett
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Meierhofer MB, Leivers SJ, Pierce BL, Powers GW, Evans JW, Morrison ML. Structural and environmental predictors of tricolored bat presence and abundance in Texas caves. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The identification of bat colonies is essential to conserve and manage these globally threatened mammals. Caves offer potential roosting locations (hibernacula) to hibernating bat species; however, identifying regions where bat-occupied caves exist can be time-consuming. In Texas, caves are often on privately owned land, creating difficulties for accessing and managing potential hibernacula. The tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus), a species susceptible to white-nose syndrome, hibernates in caves in the winter in Texas. We sought to identify and quantify site-specific structural and environmental features that influence the presence and abundance of overwintering tricolored bats. We surveyed caves for bats and recorded environmental and structural features of 116 caves January–February 2016, December–February 2016–2017, January–February 2018, and December–February 2018–2019. We used a zero-inflated Poisson regression to identify which features best explained the presence and abundance of tricolored bats. We found that bat presence increased as cave length decreased, and as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and external vapor pressure deficit increased. Bat abundance increased as number of portals, cave length, NDVI, and external temperature increased. Combining surface data with subsurface features can assist with identifying specific karst regions and known caves within those regions for survey and management efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Meierhofer
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Samantha J Leivers
- Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Brian L Pierce
- Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Garrett W Powers
- Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jonah W Evans
- Wildlife Diversity Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Boerne, TX, USA
| | - Michael L Morrison
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Gajewski Z, Stevenson LA, Pike DA, Roznik EA, Alford RA, Johnson LR. Predicting the growth of the amphibian chytrid fungus in varying temperature environments. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17920-17931. [PMID: 35003647 PMCID: PMC8717292 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental temperature is a crucial abiotic factor that influences the success of ectothermic organisms, including hosts and pathogens in disease systems. One example is the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has led to widespread amphibian population declines. Understanding its thermal ecology is essential to effectively predict outbreaks. Studies that examine the impact of temperature on hosts and pathogens often do so in controlled constant temperatures. Although varying temperature experiments are becoming increasingly common, it is unrealistic to test every temperature scenario. Thus, reliable methods that use constant temperature data to predict performance in varying temperatures are needed. In this study, we tested whether we could accurately predict Bd growth in three varying temperature regimes, using a Bayesian hierarchical model fit with constant temperature Bd growth data. We fit the Bayesian hierarchical model five times, each time changing the thermal performance curve (TPC) used to constrain the logistic growth rate to determine how TPCs influence the predictions. We then validated the model predictions using Bd growth data collected from the three tested varying temperature regimes. Although all TPCs overpredicted Bd growth in the varying temperature regimes, some functional forms performed better than others. Varying temperature impacts on disease systems are still not well understood and improving our understanding and methodologies to predict these effects could provide insights into disease systems and help conservation efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Gajewski
- Department of Biological ScienceVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
- Department of StatisticsVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| | - Lisa A. Stevenson
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQldAustralia
| | - David A. Pike
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQldAustralia
| | - Elizabeth A. Roznik
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQldAustralia
- North Carolina ZooAsheboroNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Ross A. Alford
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQldAustralia
| | - Leah R. Johnson
- Department of Biological ScienceVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
- Department of StatisticsVirginia TechBlacksburgVirginiaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Roodi D, Millner JP, McGill CR, Johnson RD, Hea SY, Brookes JJ, Glare TR, Card SD. Development of Plant-Fungal Endophyte Associations to Suppress Phoma Stem Canker in Brassica. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9112387. [PMID: 34835512 PMCID: PMC8620040 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Endophytic microorganisms are found within the tissues of many plants species, with some conferring several benefits to the host plant including resistance to plant diseases. In this study, two putative endophytic fungi that were previously isolated from wild seeds of Brassica, identified as Beauveria bassiana and Pseudogymnoascus pannorum, were inoculated into cultivars of three Brassica species—Brassica napus, Br. rapa and Br. oleracea. Both fungal endophytes were reisolated from above- and below-ground tissues of inoculated plants at four different plant-growth stages, including cotyledon, one-leaf, two-leaf, and four-leaf stages. None of the plants colonised by these fungi exhibited any obvious disease symptoms, indicating the formation of novel mutualistic associations. These novel plant–endophyte associations formed between Brassica plants and Be. bassiana significantly inhibited phoma stem canker, a devastating disease of Brassica crops worldwide, caused by the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. The novel association formed with P. pannorum significantly suppressed the amount of disease caused by L. maculans in one out of two experiments. Although biological control is not a new strategy, endophytic fungi with both antiinsect and antifungal activity are a highly conceivable, sustainable option to manage pests and diseases of economically important crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davood Roodi
- Resilient Agriculture, AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; (D.R.); (R.D.J.)
- School of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; (J.P.M.); (C.R.M.)
- Khorasan Razavi Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Mashhad 91769-83641, Iran
| | - James P. Millner
- School of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; (J.P.M.); (C.R.M.)
| | - Craig R. McGill
- School of Agriculture & Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; (J.P.M.); (C.R.M.)
| | - Richard D. Johnson
- Resilient Agriculture, AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; (D.R.); (R.D.J.)
| | - Shen-Yan Hea
- Digital Agriculture, AgResearch Limited, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel 9053, New Zealand;
| | - Jenny J. Brookes
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand; (J.J.B.); (T.R.G.)
| | - Travis R. Glare
- Bio-Protection Research Centre, P.O. Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand; (J.J.B.); (T.R.G.)
| | - Stuart D. Card
- Resilient Agriculture, AgResearch Limited, Grasslands Research Centre, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand; (D.R.); (R.D.J.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
López-Romero T, Ramírez-Bravo OE, Camargo-Rivera EE, Jiménez-García D, Bernal-Mendoza H, Marques R. Detection of mucormycosis caused by Apophysomyces elegans in a Lesser Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) in Central Mexico. NEOTROPICAL BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.16.e73365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a case of mucormycosis in a Lesser Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) caused by Apophysomyces elegans in Puebla, Central Mexico. The diagnosis was supported by laboratory analysis and necropsy. We present the first report of the fungus in a wild host; therefore, we indicate that further studies are necessary to understand its infection cycle since this pathogen may indicate a risk of zoonotic, and anthropozoonotic diseases.
Collapse
|
37
|
Grider JF, Russell RE, Ballmann AE, Hefley TJ. Long‐term
Pseudogymnoascus destructans
surveillance data reveal factors contributing to pathogen presence. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John F. Grider
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center Madison Wisconsin 53711 USA
- Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Robin E. Russell
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center Madison Wisconsin 53711 USA
| | - Anne E. Ballmann
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center Madison Wisconsin 53711 USA
| | - Trevor J. Hefley
- Department of Statistics Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas 66506 USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Fischer NM, Altewischer A, Ranpal S, Dool S, Kerth G, Puechmaille SJ. Population genetics as a tool to elucidate pathogen reservoirs: Lessons from Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of White-Nose disease in bats. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:675-690. [PMID: 34704285 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases pose a major threat to human, animal, and plant health. The risk of species-extinctions increases when pathogens can survive in the absence of the host. Environmental reservoirs can facilitate this. However, identifying such reservoirs and modes of infection is often highly challenging. In this study, we investigated the presence and nature of an environmental reservoir for the ascomycete fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of White-Nose disease. Using 18 microsatellite markers, we determined the genotypic differentiation between 1497 P. destructans isolates collected from nine closely situated underground sites where bats hibernate (i.e., hibernacula) in Northeastern Germany. This approach was unique in that it ensured that every isolate and resulting multilocus genotype was not only present, but also viable and therefore theoretically capable of infecting a bat. The distinct distribution of multilocus genotypes across hibernacula demonstrates that each hibernaculum has an essentially unique fungal population. This would be expected if bats become infected in their hibernaculum (i.e., the site they spend winter in to hibernate) rather than in other sites visited before they start hibernating. In one hibernaculum, both the walls and the hibernating bats were sampled at regular intervals over five consecutive winter seasons (1062 isolates), revealing higher genotypic richness on walls compared to bats and a stable frequency of multilocus genotypes over multiple winters. This clearly implicates hibernacula walls as the main environmental reservoir of the pathogen, from which bats become reinfected annually during the autumn.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola M Fischer
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Andrea Altewischer
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Surendra Ranpal
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Serena Dool
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Institut Agro, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Gerald Kerth
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sebastien J Puechmaille
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.,Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Hranac CR, Haase CG, Fuller NW, McClure ML, Marshall JC, Lausen CL, McGuire LP, Olson SH, Hayman DTS. What is winter? Modeling spatial variation in bat host traits and hibernation and their implications for overwintering energetics. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:11604-11614. [PMID: 34522327 PMCID: PMC8427580 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) has decimated hibernating bat populations across eastern and central North America for over a decade. Disease severity is driven by the interaction between bat characteristics, the cold-loving fungal agent, and the hibernation environment. While we further improve hibernation energetics models, we have yet to examine how spatial heterogeneity in host traits is linked to survival in this disease system. Here, we develop predictive spatial models of body mass for the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) and reassess previous definitions of the duration of hibernation of this species. Using data from published literature, public databases, local experts, and our own fieldwork, we fit a series of generalized linear models with hypothesized abiotic drivers to create distribution-wide predictions of prehibernation body fat and hibernation duration. Our results provide improved estimations of hibernation duration and identify a scaling relationship between body mass and body fat; this relationship allows for the first continuous estimates of prehibernation body mass and fat across the species' distribution. We used these results to inform a hibernation energetic model to create spatially varying fat use estimates for M. lucifugus. These results predict WNS mortality of M. lucifugus populations in western North America may be comparable to the substantial die-off observed in eastern and central populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C. Reed Hranac
- Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health LaboratoryHopkirk Research InstituteMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| | - Catherine G. Haase
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
- Present address:
Department of BiologyAustin Peay State UniversityClarksvilleTNUSA
| | - Nathan W. Fuller
- Department of Biological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTXUSA
- Present address:
Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentNongame and Rare Species ProgramAustinTXUSA
| | | | | | | | - Liam P. McGuire
- Department of Biological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTXUSA
- Present address:
Department of BiologyUniversity of WaterlooWaterlooONCanada
| | | | - David T. S. Hayman
- Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health LaboratoryHopkirk Research InstituteMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthNew Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Blejwas KM, Pendleton GW, Kohan ML, Beard LO. The Milieu Souterrain Superficiel as hibernation habitat for bats: implications for white-nose syndrome. J Mammal 2021; 102:1110-1127. [PMID: 34393669 PMCID: PMC8357076 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that western populations of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) in North America exhibit different hibernation behavior than their eastern counterparts. Understanding these differences is essential for assessing the risk white-nose syndrome (WNS) poses to western bat populations. We used acoustic monitoring and radiotelemetry to study the overwintering behavior of little brown bats near Juneau, Alaska during 2011-2014. Our objectives were to identify the structures they use for hibernation, measure the microclimates within those structures, and determine the timing of immergence and emergence and the length of the hibernation season. We radiotracked 10 little brown bats to underground hibernacula dispersed along two ridge systems. All hibernacula were ≤ 24.2 km from where the bats were captured. Eight bats hibernated in the "Milieu Souterrain Superficiel" (MSS), a network of air-filled underground voids between the rock fragments found in scree (talus) deposits. Two bats hibernated in holes in the soil beneath the root system of a tree or stump (rootball). At least two hibernacula in the MSS were reused in subsequent years. Average MSS and rootball temperatures were warmer and more stable than ambient temperature and were well below the optimal growth range of the fungus that causes WNS. Temperatures in the MSS dropped below freezing, but MSS temperatures increased with depth, indicating bats could avoid subfreezing temperatures by moving deeper into the MSS. Relative humidity (RH) approached 100% in the MSS and under rootballs and was more stable than ambient RH, which also was high, but dropped substantially during periods of extreme cold. Acoustic monitoring revealed that bats hibernated by late October and began emerging by the second week of April; estimates of minimum length of the hibernation season ranged from 156 to 190 days. The cold temperatures, dispersed nature of the hibernacula, and close proximity of hibernacula to summering areas may slow the spread and reduce the impacts of WNS on local populations of little brown bats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Blejwas
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Grey W Pendleton
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Michael L Kohan
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
| | - Laura O Beard
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Threatened, Endangered and Diversity Program, Juneau, AK, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Newman BA, Loeb SC, Jachowski DS. Winter roosting ecology of tricolored bats ( Perimyotis subflavus) in trees and bridges. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) that roost in subterranean hibernacula have experienced precipitous declines from white-nose syndrome (WNS); however, understudied populations also use during winter non-subterranean roosts such as tree cavities, bridges, and foliage. Our objectives were to determine winter roost use by tricolored bats in an area devoid of subterranean roosts, determine roost microclimates to relate them to growth requirements of the fungal causal agent of WNS, and determine habitat factors influencing winter tree selection. From November to March 2017–2019, we used radiotelemetry to track 15 bats to their day roosts in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina and recorded microclimates in accessible tree cavities and bridges. We also characterized habitat and tree characteristics of 24 used trees and 153 random, available trees and used discrete choice models to determine selection. Roost structures included I-beam bridges, cavities in live trees, and foliage. Bridges were warmer and less humid than cavities. Roost temperatures often were amenable to fungal growth (< 19.5°C) but fluctuated widely depending on ambient temperatures. Bats used bridges on colder days (8.7°C ± 5.0 SD) and trees on warmer days (11.3°C ± 5.4). Bats selected low-decay trees closer to streams in areas with high canopy closure and cavity abundance. Bats also appeared to favor hardwood forests and avoid pine forests. Our results suggest that access to multiple roost microclimates might be important for tricolored bats during winter, and forest management practices that retain live trees near streams and foster cavity formation in hardwood forests likely will benefit this species. Our results also suggest tricolored bats using bridge and tree roosts might be less susceptible to WNS than bats using subterranean hibernaculum roosts. Thus, forests in areas without subterranean hibernacula in the southeastern United States that support bats during winter might represent important refugia from WNS for multiple species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Blaise A Newman
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA (BAN, DSJ)
| | - Susan C Loeb
- United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 233 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA (SCL)
| | - David S Jachowski
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA (BAN, DSJ)
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Olson DH, Ronnenberg KL, Glidden CK, Christiansen KR, Blaustein AR. Global Patterns of the Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Support Conservation Urgency. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:685877. [PMID: 34336978 PMCID: PMC8322974 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.685877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a skin pathogen that can cause the emerging infectious disease chytridiomycosis in susceptible species. It has been considered one of the most severe threats to amphibian biodiversity. We aimed to provide an updated compilation of global Bd occurrences by host taxon and geography, and with the larger global Bd dataset we reanalyzed Bd associations with environmental metrics at the world and regional scales. We also compared our Bd data compilation with a recent independent assessment to provide a more comprehensive count of species and countries with Bd occurrences. Bd has been detected in 1,375 of 2,525 (55%) species sampled, more than doubling known species infections since 2013. Bd occurrence is known from 93 of 134 (69%) countries at this writing; this compares to known occurrences in 56 of 82 (68%) countries in 2013. Climate-niche space is highly associated with Bd detection, with different climate metrics emerging as key predictors of Bd occurrence at regional scales; this warrants further assessment relative to climate-change projections. The accretion of Bd occurrence reports points to the common aims of worldwide investigators to understand the conservation concerns for amphibian biodiversity in the face of potential disease threat. Renewed calls for better mitigation of amphibian disease threats resonate across continents with amphibians, especially outside Asia. As Bd appears to be able to infect about half of amphibian taxa and sites, there is considerable room for biosecurity actions to forestall its spread using both bottom-up community-run efforts and top-down national-to-international policies. Conservation safeguards for sensitive species and biodiversity refugia are continuing priorities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deanna H Olson
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Kathryn L Ronnenberg
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | | | - Kelly R Christiansen
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Andrew R Blaustein
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Fritze M, Puechmaille SJ, Fickel J, Czirják GÁ, Voigt CC. A Rapid, in-Situ Minimally-Invasive Technique to Assess Infections with Pseudogymnoascus destructans in Bats. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.1.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Fritze
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jörns Fickel
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gábor Á. Czirják
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian C. Voigt
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Borzęcka J, Piecuch A, Kokurewicz T, Lavoie KH, Ogórek R. Greater Mouse-Eared Bats ( Myotis myotis) Hibernating in the Nietoperek Bat Reserve (Poland) as a Vector of Airborne Culturable Fungi. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:593. [PMID: 34199108 PMCID: PMC8301124 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Bats can contribute to an increase of aeromycota in underground ecosystems and might be a vector/reservoir of microorganisms; however, there is no information about the number and species composition of fungi around hibernating bats. One of the most common species in Europe with direct human contact is the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis). The goal of our research was the first report of the airborne fungi present in the close vicinity of hibernating M. myotis in the Nietoperek bat reserve (Western Poland) by the use of culture-based techniques and genetic and phenotypic identifications. Aerobiological investigations of mycobiota under hibernating bats were performed on two culture media (PDA and YPG) and at two incubation temperatures (7 and 24 ± 0.5 °C). Overall, we detected 32 fungal species from three phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Zygomycota) and 12 genera. The application of YPG medium and the higher incubation temperature showed higher numbers of isolated fungal species and CFU. Penicillium spp. were dominant in the study, with spores found outside the underground hibernation site from 51.9% to 86.3% and from 56.7% to 100% inside the bat reserve. Penicillium chrysogenum was the most frequently isolated species, then Absidia glauca, Aspergillus fumigatus, A. tubingensis, Mortierella polycephala, Naganishia diffluens, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. Temperature, relative humidity, and the abundance of bats correlated positively with the concentration of airborne fungal propagules, between fungal species diversity, and the concentration of aeromycota, but the number of fungal species did not positively correlate with the number of bats. The air in the underground site was more contaminated by fungi than the air outside; however, the concentration of aeromycota does not pose a threat for human health. Nevertheless, hibernating bats contribute to an increase in the aeromycota and as a vector/reservoir of microscopic fungi, including those that may cause allergies and infections in mammals, and should be monitored.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Borzęcka
- Department of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63-77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Agata Piecuch
- Department of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63-77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Tomasz Kokurewicz
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Paleontology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 5b, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Kathleen H. Lavoie
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, USA;
| | - Rafał Ogórek
- Department of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63-77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Blehert DS, Lorch JM. Laboratory Maintenance and Culture of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Fungus That Causes Bat White-Nose Syndrome. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e23. [PMID: 33497534 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Pseudogymnoascus destructans is a fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome, an emerging and fatal disease of North American bats that has led to unprecedented population declines. As a psychrophile, P. destructans is adapted to infect bats during winter hibernation, when host metabolic activity and core body temperature are greatly reduced. The ability to maintain and cultivate isolates of P. destructans in the laboratory is necessary for conducting research with this fungus. This article describes protocols for culturing P. destructans from bat wing skin and soil, for cryopreserving the fungus, and for preparing liquid suspensions for laboratory experimentation. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Isolating Pseudogymnoascus destructans from bat wing skin Basic Protocol 2: Isolating Pseudogymnoascus destructans from soil Basic Protocol 3: Cryopreservation of Pseudogymnoascus destructans Basic Protocol 4: Preparing liquid conidial suspension of Pseudogymnoascus destructans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David S Blehert
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jeffrey M Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Meierhofer MB, Lilley TM, Ruokolainen L, Johnson JS, Parratt SR, Morrison ML, Pierce BL, Evans JW, Anttila J. Ten-year projection of white-nose syndrome disease dynamics at the southern leading-edge of infection in North America. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210719. [PMID: 34074117 PMCID: PMC8170204 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting the emergence and spread of infectious diseases is critical for the effective conservation of biodiversity. White-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging infectious disease of bats, has resulted in high mortality in eastern North America. Because the fungal causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans is constrained by temperature and humidity, spread dynamics may vary by geography. Environmental conditions in the southern part of the continent are different than the northeast, where disease dynamics are typically studied, making it difficult to predict how the disease will manifest. Herein, we modelled WNS pathogen spread in Texas based on cave densities and average dispersal distances of hosts, projecting these results out to 10 years. We parameterized a predictive model of WNS epidemiology and its effects on bat populations with observed cave environmental data. Our model suggests that bat populations in northern Texas will be more affected by WNS mortality than southern Texas. As such, we recommend prioritizing the preservation of large overwintering colonies of bats in north Texas through management actions. Our model illustrates that infectious disease spread and infectious disease severity can become uncoupled over a gradient of environmental variation and highlight the importance of understanding host, pathogen and environmental conditions across a breadth of environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Meierhofer
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA.,Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thomas M Lilley
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lasse Ruokolainen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Yliopistonkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Joseph S Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Steven R Parratt
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK
| | - Michael L Morrison
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Brian L Pierce
- Natural Resources Institute, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jonah W Evans
- Wildlife Diversity Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744, USA
| | - Jani Anttila
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
White-nose syndrome-related changes to Mid-Atlantic bat communities across an urban-to-rural gradient. BMC ZOOL 2021; 6:12. [PMID: 37170299 PMCID: PMC10127033 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-021-00079-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States’ Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data.
Results
The results indicated the continued presence of the threatened Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared bat) and species of conservation concern, including Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown bat). However, we documented a significant reduction in the abundance and distribution of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in the abundance of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown bat).
Conclusions
Documented post-WNS M. septentrionalis recruitment suggests that portions of the NCR may be important bat conservation areas. Decreases in distribution and abundance of P. subflavus and M. lucifugus indicate probable extirpation from many previously occupied portions of the region.
Collapse
|
48
|
Neubaum DJ, Siemers JL. Bat swarming behavior among sites and its potential for spreading white-nose syndrome. Ecology 2021; 102:e03325. [PMID: 33690894 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Neubaum
- Terrestrial Section, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 711 Independent Avenue, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81505, USA
| | - Jeremy L Siemers
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1475, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Characteristics of Caves Used by Wintering Bats in a Subtropical Environment. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.3996/jfwm-20-078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many cave-roosting bats are declining in number throughout their range because of multiple threats, including disease, disturbance by humans, and habitat loss. Successful conservation of cave-roosting bats requires an understanding of the roles of microclimate, cave structure, and the surrounding landscape on the distribution and abundance of bats, and in particular, the use of winter cave roosts. Cave bats have been well studied in temperate climates, but we know little about these bats in subtropical climates. From 2015 to 2017, we conducted 399 winter surveys of 162 caves in Florida to evaluate factors affecting the presence and abundance of bats at cave roosts. We also determined whether temperatures at these cave roosts were suitable for Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. Across all 3 y, we detected three species of bats: tricolored bat Perimyotis subflavus in 126 (77.8%) caves, southeastern myotis Myotis austroriparius in 51 (31.5%) caves, and a single Rafinesque's big-eared bat Corynorhinus rafinesquii. We analyzed the presence of both tricolored bats and southeastern myotis in caves by using mixed-effects models with a binomial distribution and the number of tricolored bats by using generalized linear mixed-effects models with a Poisson error distribution. Tricolored bat presence was significantly and positively influenced by a cooler cave surface temperature, larger cave entrance size, a single entrance, and the presence of solution holes. Tricolored bat abundance increased in longer, cooler caves that had solution holes, a single, unobstructed entrance, and had no signs of flooding. Southeastern myotis presence was positively associated with longer, domed caves. To be most effective, conservation efforts in subtropical climates should focus on caves with the identified characteristics. More than 90% of caves surveyed each year had a cave interior surface temperature below the upper critical growth limit for P. destructans (19.8°C), indicating that most Florida caves are suitable for growth of P. destructans. Therefore, regular monitoring of winter bat populations in subtropical caves may be important for detecting P. destructans and white-nose syndrome.
Collapse
|
50
|
Vanderwolf KJ, McAlpine DF. Hibernacula microclimate and declines in overwintering bats during an outbreak of white-nose syndrome near the northern range limit of infection in North America. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2273-2288. [PMID: 33717454 PMCID: PMC7920769 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We document white-nose syndrome (WNS), a lethal disease of bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), and hibernacula microclimate in New Brunswick, Canada. Our study area represents a more northern region than is common for hibernacula microclimate investigations, providing insight as to how WNS may impact bats at higher latitudes. To determine the impact of the March 2011 arrival of Pd in New Brunswick and the role of hibernacula microclimate on overwintering bat mortality, we surveyed bat numbers at hibernacula twice a year from 2009 to 2015. We also collected data from iButton temperature loggers deployed at all sites and data from HOBO temperature and humidity loggers at three sites. Bat species found in New Brunswick hibernacula include Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) and M. septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), with small numbers of Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). All known hibernacula in the province were Pd-positive with WNS-positive bats by winter 2013. A 99% decrease in the overwintering bat population in New Brunswick was observed between 2011 and 2015. We did not observe P. subflavus during surveys 2013-2015 and the species appears to be extirpated from these sites. Bats did not appear to choose hibernacula based on winter temperatures, but dark zone (zone where no light penetrates) winter temperatures did not differ among our study sites. Winter dark zone temperatures were warmer and less variable than entrance or above ground temperatures. We observed visible Pd growth on hibernating bats in New Brunswick during early winter surveys (November), even though hibernacula temperatures were colder than optimum for in vitro Pd growth. This suggests that cold hibernacula temperatures encountered near the apparent northern range limit for Pd do not sufficiently slow fungal growth to prevent the onset of WNS and associated bat mortality over the winter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Vanderwolf
- Canadian Wildlife FederationKanataONCanada
- New Brunswick MuseumSaint JohnNBCanada
- Present address:
Trent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | | |
Collapse
|