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Bacigalupe LD, Solano‐Iguaran JJ, Longo AV, Gaitán‐Espitia JD, Valenzuela‐Sánchez A, Alvarado‐Rybak M, Azat C. Nor climate nor human impact factors: Chytrid infection shapes the skin bacterial communities of an endemic amphibian in a biodiversity hotspot. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11249. [PMID: 38590552 PMCID: PMC10999949 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The bacterial communities of the amphibian skin (i.e., the bacteriome) are critical to the host's innate immune system. However, it is unclear how different drivers can alter this function by modulating the bacteriome's structure. Our aim was to assess the extent to which different host attributes and extrinsic factors influence the structure of the bacterial communities of the skin. Skin bacterial diversity was examined in 148 individuals of the four-eyed frog (Pleurodema thaul) from 16 localities spanning almost 1800 km in latitude. The richness and beta diversity of bacterial families and the richness and abundance of Bd-inhibitory bacterial genera were used to describe their structure. Predictors associated with the host (developmental stage, genetic lineage, individual Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd] infection status) and the landscape (current climate, degree of anthropogenic disturbance) were used in the statistical modeling in an information theoretical approach. Bd infection and host developmental stage were the only predictors affecting bacteriome richness, with Bd+ individuals and postmetamorphic stages (adults and juveniles) having higher richness than Bd- ones and tadpoles. High diversity in Bd+ individuals is not driven by bacterial genera with known anti-Bd properties. Beta diversity was not affected by Bd infection and was mainly a consequence of bacterial family turnover rather than nestedness. Finally, for those bacterial genera known to have inhibitory effects on chytrid, Bd+ individuals had a slightly higher diversity than Bd- ones. Our study confirms an association between Bd infection and the host developmental stage with the bacterial communities of the skin of P. thaul. Unexpectedly, macroclimate and human impact factors do not seem to play a role in shaping the amphibian skin microbiome. Our study exemplifies that focusing on a single host-parasite system over a large geographic scale can provide essential insights into the factors driving host-parasite-bacteriome interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaiber J. Solano‐Iguaran
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y EvolutivasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Departamento de Salud HidrobiológicaInstituto de Fomento PesqueroPuerto MonttChile
| | - Ana V. Longo
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Juan D. Gaitán‐Espitia
- School of Biological Sciences and the SWIRE Institute of Marine ScienceThe University of Hong KongHong KongSARChina
| | | | - Mario Alvarado‐Rybak
- Núcleo de Ciencias Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y AgronómicasUniversidad de Las AméricasSantiagoChile
| | - Claudio Azat
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD in Conservation MedicineUniversidad Andres BelloSantiagoChile
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2
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Buttimer S, Moura-Campos D, Greenspan SE, Neely WJ, Ferrante L, Toledo LF, Becker CG. Skin microbiome disturbance linked to drought-associated amphibian disease. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14372. [PMID: 38288868 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The onset of global climate change has led to abnormal rainfall patterns, disrupting associations between wildlife and their symbiotic microorganisms. We monitored a population of pumpkin toadlets and their skin bacteria in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest during a drought. Given the recognized ability of some amphibian skin bacteria to inhibit the widespread fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), we investigated links between skin microbiome health, susceptibility to Bd and host mortality during a die-off event. We found that rainfall deficit was an indirect predictor of Bd loads through microbiome disruption, while its direct effect on Bd was weak. The microbiome was characterized by fewer putative Bd-inhibitory bacteria following the drought, which points to a one-month lagged effect of drought on the microbiome that may have increased toadlet susceptibility to Bd. Our study underscores the capacity of rainfall variability to disturb complex host-microbiome interactions and alter wildlife disease dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Buttimer
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Ecology Institute, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Diego Moura-Campos
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sasha E Greenspan
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Wesley J Neely
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Lucas Ferrante
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Guilherme Becker
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Ecology Institute, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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3
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Reinhold JM, Halbert E, Roark M, Smith SN, Stroh KM, Siler CD, McLeod DS, Lahondère C. The role of Culex territans mosquitoes in the transmission of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis to amphibian hosts. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:424. [PMID: 37974288 PMCID: PMC10655354 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05992-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquitoes are the deadliest organisms in the world, killing an estimated 750,000 people per year due to the pathogens they can transmit. Mosquitoes also pose a major threat to other vertebrate animals. Culex territans is a mosquito species found in temperate zones worldwide that feeds almost exclusively on amphibians and can transmit parasites; however, little is known about its ability to transmit other pathogens, including fungi. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a topical pathogenic fungus that spreads through contact. With amphibian populations around the world experiencing mass die-offs and extinctions due to this pathogen, it is critical to study all potential modes of transmission. Because Cx. territans mosquitoes are in contact with their hosts for long periods of time while blood-feeding, we hypothesize that they can transmit and pick up Bd. METHODS In this study, we first assessed Cx. territans ability to transfer the fungus from an infected surface to a clean one under laboratory conditions. We also conducted a surveillance study of Bd infections in frogs and mosquitoes in the field (Mountain Lake Biological station, VA, USA). In parallel, we determined Cx. territans host preference via blood meal analysis of field caught mosquitoes. RESULTS We found that this mosquito species can carry the fungus to an uninfected surface, implying that they may have the ability to transmit Bd to their amphibian hosts. We also found that Cx. territans feed primarily on green frogs (Rana clamitans) and bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and that the prevalence of Bd within the frog population at our field site varied between years. CONCLUSIONS This study provides critical insights into understanding the role of amphibian-biting mosquitoes in transmitting pathogens, which can be applied to disease ecology of susceptible amphibian populations worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M Reinhold
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- The Fralin Life Science, InstituteVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | | | - Megan Roark
- University of Virginia's College at Wise, Wise, VA, 24293, USA
| | - Sierra N Smith
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73072, USA
| | - Katherine M Stroh
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73072, USA
| | - Cameron D Siler
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73072, USA
| | - David S McLeod
- Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences, Mary Baldwin University, Staunton, VA, 24401, USA
| | - Chloé Lahondère
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- The Fralin Life Science, InstituteVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- Center of Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- The Global Change Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
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4
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Bolom‐Huet R, Pineda E, Andrade‐Torres A, Díaz‐Fleischer F, Muñoz AL, Galindo‐González J. Chytrid prevalence and infection intensity in treefrogs from three environments with different degrees of conservation in Mexico. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- René Bolom‐Huet
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México Toluca Estado de México Mexico
- Universidad Veracruzana – Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA) Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Eduardo Pineda
- Instituto de Ecologia – Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Antonio Andrade‐Torres
- Universidad Veracruzana – Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA) Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Francisco Díaz‐Fleischer
- Universidad Veracruzana – Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA) Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Antonio L. Muñoz
- ECOSUR – Conservación de la Biodiversidad San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas Mexico
| | - Jorge Galindo‐González
- Universidad Veracruzana – Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada (INBIOTECA) Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
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5
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Torres-Sánchez M, Longo AV. Linking pathogen-microbiome-host interactions to explain amphibian population dynamics. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:5784-5794. [PMID: 36130047 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic interactions can determine the evolutionary trajectories of host species, influencing genetic variation through selection and changes in demography. In the context of strong selective pressures such as those imposed by infectious diseases, symbionts providing defences could contribute to increase host fitness upon pathogen emergence. Here, we generated genome-wide data of an amphibian species to find evidence of evolutionary pressures driven by two skin symbionts: a batrachochytrid fungal pathogen and an antifungal bacterium. Using demographic modelling, we found evidence of decreased effective population size, probably due to pathogen infections. Additionally, we investigated host genetic associations with infection status, antifungal bacterium abundance and overall microbiome diversity using structural equation models. We uncovered relatively lower nucleotide diversity in infected frogs and potential heterozygote advantage to recruit the candidate beneficial symbiont and fight infections. Our models indicate that environmental conditions have indirect effects on symbiont abundance through both host body traits and microbiome diversity. Likewise, we uncovered a potential offsetting effect among host heterozygosity-fitness correlations, plausibly pointing to different ecological and evolutionary processes among the three species due to dynamic interactions. Our findings revealed that evolutionary pressures not only arise from the pathogen but also from the candidate beneficial symbiont, and both interactions shape the genetics of the host. Our results advance knowledge about multipartite symbiotic relationships and provide a framework to model ecological and evolutionary dynamics in wild populations. Finally, our study approach can be applied to inform conservation actions such as bioaugmentation strategies for other imperilled amphibians affected by infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana V Longo
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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6
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Hulting KA, Mason SD, Story CM, Keller GS. Wetland cohesion is associated with increased probability of infection by the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2022; 151:97-109. [PMID: 36226838 DOI: 10.3354/dao03692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) poses a substantial threat to amphibian populations. Understanding the landscape conditions that facilitate Bd transmission and persistence is crucial for predicting Bd trends in amphibian populations. Here, we investigated the interactions between land use, wetland connectivity, and Bd occurrence and infection intensity. In northeastern Massachusetts, we sampled Pseudacris crucifer, Lithobates sylvaticus, L. clamitans, and L. pipiens from 24 sites. We found an overall 30.6% Bd prevalence at our sites, with prevalence differing among species. Bd occurrence increased with wetland-patch cohesion, potentially due to microclimate shifts from decreased forest or changes in host movement. Bd infection intensity was not mediated by landscape context. Overall, our results highlight the importance of landscape structure for Bd dynamics, suggesting that certain landscapes may facilitate transmission and harbor Bd more than others. To mitigate the impacts of Bd on amphibian populations, conservation efforts should account for interactions between Bd and landscape variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Hulting
- Landscape Ecology Lab, Department of Life, Health, and Physical Sciences, Gordon College, Wenham, MA 01984, USA
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7
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Basanta MD, Anaya‐Morales SL, Martínez‐Ugalde E, González Martínez TM, Ávila‐Akerberg VD, Trejo MV, Rebollar EA. Metamorphosis and seasonality are major determinants of chytrid infection in a paedomorphic salamander. Anim Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. D. Basanta
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavaca Morelos Mexico
- Department of Biology University of Nevada Reno Reno NV USA
| | - S. L. Anaya‐Morales
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavaca Morelos Mexico
| | - E. Martínez‐Ugalde
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavaca Morelos Mexico
| | - T. M. González Martínez
- Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
| | - V. D. Ávila‐Akerberg
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México Toluca Estado de México Mexico
| | - M. V. Trejo
- Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México Mexico
| | - E. A. Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Cuernavaca Morelos Mexico
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8
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Martins RA, Greenspan SE, Medina D, Buttimer S, Marshall VM, Neely WJ, Siomko S, Lyra ML, Haddad CFB, São-Pedro V, Becker CG. Signatures of functional bacteriome structure in a tropical direct-developing amphibian species. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:40. [PMID: 35672870 PMCID: PMC9172097 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00188-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Host microbiomes may differ under the same environmental conditions and these differences may influence susceptibility to infection. Amphibians are ideal for comparing microbiomes in the context of disease defense because hundreds of species face infection with the skin-invading microbe Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and species richness of host communities, including their skin bacteria (bacteriome), may be exceptionally high. We conducted a landscape-scale Bd survey of six co-occurring amphibian species in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. To test the bacteriome as a driver of differential Bd prevalence, we compared bacteriome composition and co-occurrence network structure among the six focal host species.
Results
Intensive sampling yielded divergent Bd prevalence in two ecologically similar terrestrial-breeding species, a group with historically low Bd resistance. Specifically, we detected the highest Bd prevalence in Ischnocnema henselii but no Bd detections in Haddadus binotatus. Haddadus binotatus carried the highest bacteriome alpha and common core diversity, and a modular network partitioned by negative co-occurrences, characteristics associated with community stability and competitive interactions that could inhibit Bd colonization.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that community structure of the bacteriome might drive Bd resistance in H. binotatus, which could guide microbiome manipulation as a conservation strategy to protect diverse radiations of direct-developing species from Bd-induced population collapses.
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9
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Longo AV. Metabarcoding approaches in amphibian disease ecology: Disentangling the functional contributions of skin bacteria on disease outcome. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:252-261. [PMID: 35640913 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular technologies have revolutionized the field of wildlife disease ecology, allowing the detection of outbreaks, novel pathogens, and invasive strains. In particular, metabarcoding approaches, defined here as tools used to amplify and sequence universal barcodes from a single sample (e.g., 16S rRNA for bacteria, ITS for fungi, 18S rRNA for eukaryotes), are expanding our traditional view of host-pathogen dynamics by integrating microbial interactions that modulate disease outcome. Here, I provide an analysis from the perspective of the field of amphibian disease ecology, where the emergence of multi-host pathogens has caused global declines and species extinctions. I re-analyzed an experimental mesocosm dataset to infer the functional profiles of the skin microbiomes of coqui frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui), an amphibian species that is consistently found infected with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and has high turnover of skin bacteria driven by seasonal shifts. I found that the metabolic activities of microbiomes operate at different capacities depending on the season. Global enrichment of predicted functions was more prominent during the warm-wet season, indicating that microbiomes during the cool-dry season were either depauperate, resistant to new bacterial colonization, or that their functional space was more saturated. These findings suggest important avenues to investigate how microbes regulate population growth and contribute to host physiological processes. Overall, this study highlights the current challenges and future opportunities in the application of metabarcoding to investigate the causes and consequences of disease in wild systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana V Longo
- University of Florida, Department of Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL
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10
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Li Z, Wang Q, Sun K, Feng J. Prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Amphibians From 2000 to 2021: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:791237. [PMID: 34977222 PMCID: PMC8718539 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.791237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chytridiomycosis is an amphibian fungal disease caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has caused large-scale death and population declines on several continents around the world. To determine the current status of Bd infection in amphibians, we conducted a global meta-analysis. Using PubMed, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang database searches, we retrieved a total of 111 articles from 2000 to 2021. Based on these, we estimated the Bd prevalence to be 18.54% (95% CI: 13.76–20.52) in current extent amphibians. Among these populations, the prevalence of Bd in Asia was the lowest at 7.88% (95% CI: 1.92–8.71). Further, no Bd infection was found in Vietnam. However, the prevalence of Bd in Oceania was the highest at 36.34% (95% CI: 11.31–46.52). The Bd prevalence in Venezuela was as high as 49.77% (95% CI: 45.92–53.62). After 2009, the global Bd prevalence decreased to 18.91% (95% CI: 13.23–21.56). The prevalence of Bd in epizootic populations was significantly higher than enzootic populations. The highest prevalence of Bd was detected with real-time PCR at 20.11% (95% CI: 13.12–21.38). The prevalence of Bd in frogs was the highest at 20.04% (95% CI: 13.52–21.71), and this different host was statistically significant (P < 0.05). At the same time, we analyzed the geographic factors (longitude, latitude, elevation, rainfall and temperature) that impacted the fungal prevalence in amphibians. Our meta-analysis revealed that factors including region, disease dynamic, detection method, host and climate may be sources of the observed heterogeneity. These results indicate that chytridiomycosis was a consistent threat to amphibians from 2000 to 2021. Based on different habitat types and geographical conditions, we recommend formulating corresponding control plans and adopting reasonable and efficient biological or chemical methods to reduce the severity of such diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongle Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Qi Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Keping Sun
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Changchun, China
| | - Jiang Feng
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
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11
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Basanta MD, Rebollar EA, García-Castillo MG, Rosenblum EB, Byrne AQ, Piovia-Scott J, Parra-Olea G. Genetic variation of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is linked to skin bacterial diversity in the Pacific treefrog Hyliola regilla (hypochondriaca). Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:494-506. [PMID: 34959256 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Symbiotic bacterial communities are crucial to combating infections and contribute to host health. The amphibian skin microbiome plays an important role in protecting their hosts against pathogens such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), one of the causative agents of chytridiomycosis, which is responsible for dramatic amphibian population declines worldwide. Although symbiotic skin bacteria are known to inhibit Bd growth, an understanding of the relationship between Bd genetic variability, environmental conditions, and skin bacterial communities is limited. Therefore, we examined the associations between Bd infection load, Bd genetic diversity and skin bacterial communities in five populations of Hyliola regilla (hypochondriaca) from environmentally contrasting sites in Baja California, Mexico. We observed differences in Bd genetics and infection load among sites and environments. Genetic analysis of Bd isolates revealed patterns of spatial structure corresponding to the five sites sampled. Amphibian skin bacterial diversity and community structure differed among environments and sites. Bacterial community composition was correlated with Bd genetic differences and infection load, with specific bacterial taxa enriched on infected and un-infected frogs. Our results indicate that skin-associated bacteria and Bd strains likely interact on the host skin, with consequences for microbial community structure and Bd infection intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Delia Basanta
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.,Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, AP 70-153, C.P. 04510, Mexico.,Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Eria A Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Mirna G García-Castillo
- Universidad Politécnica de Huatusco, Huatusco, Veracruz, Mexico.,Universidad Veracruzana, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias Región: Orizaba-Córdoba, Amatlán de los Reyes, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Erica Bree Rosenblum
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Allison Q Byrne
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jonah Piovia-Scott
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
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12
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Urgiles VL, Ramírez ER, Villalta CI, Siddons DC, Savage AE. Three Pathogens Impact Terrestrial Frogs from a High-Elevation Tropical Hotspot. ECOHEALTH 2021; 18:451-464. [PMID: 34894333 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-021-01570-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Three infectious pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), Ranavirus (Rv) and Perkinsea (Pr) are associated with widespread and ongoing amphibian population declines. Although their geographic and host ranges vary widely, recent studies have suggested that the occurrence of these pathogens could be more common than previously thought, even in direct-developing terrestrial species traditionally considered less likely to harbor these largely aquatic pathogens. Here, we characterize Bd, Rv, and Pr infections in direct-developing terrestrial amphibians of the Pristimantis genus from the highland Ecuadorean Andes. We confirm the first detection of Pr in terrestrial-breeding amphibians and in the Andean region, present the first report of Rv in Ecuador, and we add to the handful of studies finding Bd infecting Pristimantis. Infection prevalence did not differ significantly among pathogens, but infection intensity was significantly higher for Bd compared to Pr. Neither prevalence nor intensity differed significantly across locality and elevation for Bd and Rv, although low prevalence in our dataset and lack of seasonal sampling could have prevented important epidemiological patterns from emerging. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating pathogen surveillance in biodiversity monitoring in the Andean region and serves as starting point to understand pathogen dynamics, transmission, and impacts in terrestrial-breeding frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica L Urgiles
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Dr, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA.
- Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad del Ecuador, Pasaje Rumipamba 341 y Avenida de los Shirys, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Ervin R Ramírez
- Escuela de Biología, Ecología y Gestión, Universidad del Azuay, Ave 24 de Mayo 7-77, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Cristian I Villalta
- Escuela de Biología, Ecología y Gestión, Universidad del Azuay, Ave 24 de Mayo 7-77, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - David C Siddons
- Escuela de Biología, Ecología y Gestión, Universidad del Azuay, Ave 24 de Mayo 7-77, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Anna E Savage
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4110 Libra Dr, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
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13
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INFECTION DYNAMICS OF BATRACHOCHYTRIUM DENDROBATIDIS IN TWO FROG SPECIES INHABITING QUITO'S METROPOLITAN GUANGÜILTAGUA PARK, ECUADOR. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:749-760. [PMID: 34525187 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) infection is one of the principal causes of amphibian declines worldwide. The presence of Bd has been determined in Gastrotheca riobambae tadpoles that inhabit ponds in Quito's Metropolitan Guangüiltagua Park, Ecuador. This study sought to determine whether these tadpoles are infected and to determine the presence of chytridiomycosis in another frog species, Pristimantis unistrigatus, which also inhabits the park and has different reproductive biology and distinct behavioral habits. We used end-point and real-time PCR techniques to detect and quantify Bd infection. At 1 yr, samples were taken from the skin of P. unistrigatus using swabs and were also taken from the mouthparts of G. riobambae tadpoles. It was found that the two species were infected with a Bd prevalence of 39% (53/135) in G. riobambae tadpoles and 15% (57/382) in P. unistrigatus frogs. The two types of samples (tissue and swabs) from mouthparts showed differences in the zoospores per microliter loads (x̄=1,376.7±3,450.2 vs. x̄=285.0±652.3). Moreover, a correlation (r2=0.621) was discovered between the monthly mean maximum temperature of the pond with disease prevalence in G. riobambae tadpoles. Infection levels in the P. unistrigatus population varied significantly over time, and distance to the pond was a determinant factor for infection intensity.
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14
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Nava-González B, Suazo-Ortuño I, López PB, Maldonado-López Y, Lopez-Toledo L, Raggi L, Parra-Olea G, Alvarado-Díaz J, Gómez-Gil B. Inhibition of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection by Skin Bacterial Communities in Wild Amphibian Populations. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2021; 82:666-676. [PMID: 33598748 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01706-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Skin-associated bacteria are known to inhibit infection by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in amphibians. It has also been postulated that skin-associated bacterial community is related to Bd infection intensity. However, our understanding of host microbial dynamics and their importance in regulating Bd intensity is limited. We analyzed Bd infection and skin-associated bacteria from two amphibian species, the salamander Ambystoma rivulare and the frog Lithobates spectabilis that co-occurred in a tropical high-altitude site in central Mexico. Sixty-three percent of sampled salamander individuals and 80% of frog individuals tested positive for Bd. Overall, we registered 622 skin-associated bacterial genera, from which 73 are known to have Bd inhibitory effects. These inhibitory taxa represented a relative abundance of 50% in relation to total relative bacterial abundance. Our results indicated that, although sharing some bacterial taxa, bacterial community from the skin of both species was different in taxonomic composition and in relative abundance. Pseudomonas spp. and Stenotrophomonas spp. were among the five most abundant bacterial taxa of both species. Both bacterial taxa inhibit Bd infection. We detected that bacterial richness and relative abundance of inhibitory Bd bacteria were negatively related to intensity of Bd infection independent of species and seasons. Despite the high Bd prevalence in both host species, no dead or sick individuals were registered during field surveys. The relatively low levels of Bd load apparently do not compromise survival of host species. Therefore, our results suggested that individuals analyzed were able to survive and thrive under a dynamic relation with enzootic infections of Bd and their microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bisbrian Nava-González
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Avenida Juanito Itzícuaro SN, Nueva Esperanza, 58330, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Ireri Suazo-Ortuño
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Avenida Juanito Itzícuaro SN, Nueva Esperanza, 58330, Morelia, Michoacán, México.
| | - Perla Bibian López
- Universidad Tecnológica de Morelia, Avenida Vicepresidente Pino Suárez 750, Cd. Industrial, 58200, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Yurixhi Maldonado-López
- CONACyT-Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Avenida Juanito Itzícuaro SN, Nueva Esperanza, 58330, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Leonel Lopez-Toledo
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Avenida Juanito Itzícuaro SN, Nueva Esperanza, 58330, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Luciana Raggi
- CONACYT-Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Avenida Juanito Itzícuaro SN, Nueva Esperanza, 58330, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Gabriela Parra-Olea
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd de México, México
| | - Javier Alvarado-Díaz
- Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Avenida Juanito Itzícuaro SN, Nueva Esperanza, 58330, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Bruno Gómez-Gil
- CIAD A.C., Mazatlán Unit for Aquaculture, AP 711, Mazatlán, 82000, Sinaloa, México
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15
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Alvarado-Rybak M, Lepe-Lopez M, Peñafiel-Ricaurte A, Valenzuela-Sánchez A, Valdivia C, Mardones FO, Bacigalupe LD, Puschendorf R, Cunningham AA, Azat C. Bioclimatic and anthropogenic variables shape the occurrence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis over a large latitudinal gradient. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17383. [PMID: 34462470 PMCID: PMC8405646 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96535-w] [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: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has caused the greatest known loss of biodiversity due to an infectious disease. We used Bd infection data from quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assays of amphibian skin swabs collected across Chile during 2008-2018 to model Bd occurrence with the aim to determine bioclimatic and anthropogenic variables associated with Bd infection. Also, we used Bd presence/absence records to identify geographical Bd high-risk areas and compare Bd prevalence and infection loads between amphibian families, ecoregions, and host ecology. Data comprised 4155 Bd-specific qPCR assays from 162 locations across a latitudinal gradient of 3700 km (18º to 51ºS). Results showed a significant clustering of Bd associated with urban centres and anthropogenically highly disturbed ecosystems in central-south Chile. Both Bd prevalence and Bd infection loads were higher in aquatic than terrestrial amphibian species. Our model indicated positive associations of Bd prevalence with altitude, temperature, precipitation and human-modified landscapes. Also, we found that macroscale drivers, such as land use change and climate, shape the occurrence of Bd at the landscape level. Our study provides with new evidence that can improve the effectiveness of strategies to mitigate biodiversity loss due to amphibian chytridiomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Alvarado-Rybak
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD Programme in Conservation Medicine, Life Sciences Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Republica 252, Santiago, Chile
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
- Núcleo de Ciencias Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Universidad de las Américas, Echaurren 140, Santiago, Chile
| | - Manuel Lepe-Lopez
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD Programme in Conservation Medicine, Life Sciences Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Republica 252, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexandra Peñafiel-Ricaurte
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD Programme in Conservation Medicine, Life Sciences Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Republica 252, Santiago, Chile
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Andrés Valenzuela-Sánchez
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD Programme in Conservation Medicine, Life Sciences Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Republica 252, Santiago, Chile
- ONG Ranita de Darwin, Nataniel Cox 152, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Conservación, Biodiversidad y Territorio, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Austral de Chile, 5110566, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Catalina Valdivia
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD Programme in Conservation Medicine, Life Sciences Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Republica 252, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando O Mardones
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Leonardo D Bacigalupe
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Robert Puschendorf
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Andrew A Cunningham
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Claudio Azat
- Sustainability Research Centre & PhD Programme in Conservation Medicine, Life Sciences Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Republica 252, Santiago, Chile.
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16
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Retuci Pontes M, Bardier C, Medina D, Pereira G, Lambertini C, Toledo LF. Seasonal variation of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in a threatened anuran species from Uruguay. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2021; 145:79-88. [PMID: 34137378 DOI: 10.3354/dao03603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Chytridiomycosis, an emergent infectious disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is considered one of the drivers of the current amphibian biodiversity loss. To inform endangered species conservation efforts, it is essential to improve our knowledge about the abiotic and biotic factors that influence Bd infection dynamics in the wild. Here, we analyzed variation of Bd infection in the redbelly toad Melanophryniscus montevidensis, a threatened bufonid from Uruguay. We tested the influence of temperature, precipitation, season, and host population size on Bd prevalence and intensity. Additionally, considering the sub-lethal effects of Bd, we tested if these variables, potentially through their effect on Bd, also explain the variation in host body condition. We determined a high Bd prevalence of 41% (100/241), and that population size influenced both Bd prevalence and infection intensity. We identified an effect of precipitation and season on Bd infection intensity and an effect of season on toad body condition. In addition, we found a negative effect of infection intensity on body condition; moreover, while some toads cleared the infection, their body condition did not improve, suggesting a long-term cost. This is the first report on host population size as an important factor in Bd infection dynamics in a threatened anuran species, and seasonal demographic changes appear to play an important role in the dynamics. Finally, we highlight the need for monitoring Bd in this and other endangered amphibian populations, especially those within the genus Melanophryniscus, which includes several Endangered and Data Deficient species in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Retuci Pontes
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP 13083-862, Brazil
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17
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Delazeri F, Ernetti JR, De Bastiani VIM, Lingnau R, Toledo LF, Lucas EM. Forest cover influences chytrid infections in populations of Boana curupi, a threatened treefrog of south Brazil. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2021; 144:133-142. [PMID: 33955851 DOI: 10.3354/dao03585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Complex interactions among hosts, pathogens, and the environment affect the vulnerability of amphibians to the emergence of infectious diseases such as chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Boana curupi is a forest-dwelling amphibian endemic to the southern Atlantic Forest of South America, a severely fragmented region. Here, we evaluated whether abiotic factors (including air and water temperature, relative air humidity, and landscape) are correlated with chytrid infection intensity and prevalence in B. curupi. We found individuals infected with Bd in all populations sampled. Prevalence ranged from 25-86%, and the infection burden ranged from 1 to over 130000 zoospore genomic equivalents (g.e.) (mean ± SD: 4913 ± 18081 g.e.). The infection load differed among populations and was influenced by forest cover at scales of 100, 500, and 1000 m, with the highest infection rates recorded in areas with a higher proportion of forest cover. Our results suggest that the fungus is widely distributed in the populations of B. curupi in southern Brazil. Population and disease monitoring are necessary to better understand the relationships between host, pathogen, and environment, especially when, as in the case of B. curupi, threatened species are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francieli Delazeri
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Comunitária da Região de Chapecó, Chapecó, Santa Catarina 89809-900, Brazil
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18
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Walke JB, Becker MH, Krinos A, Chang EAB, Santiago C, Umile TP, Minbiole KPC, Belden LK. Seasonal changes and the unexpected impact of environmental disturbance on skin bacteria of individual amphibians in a natural habitat. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6024676. [PMID: 33278302 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibians host diverse skin bacteria that have a role in pathogen defense, but these skin communities could change over time and impact this function. Here, we monitored individual Eastern red-spotted newts (Notophthalmus viridescens; N = 17) for 2 years in a field pond enclosure and assessed the effects of season and disturbance on skin bacterial community dynamics. We created disturbances by adding additional pond substrate to the enclosure at two timepoints. We planned to sample the skin bacterial community and metabolite profiles of each newt every 6 weeks; we ultimately sampled eight individuals at least six times. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to characterize the bacterial communities and HPLC-MS for metabolite profiling. We found that disturbance had a dramatic effect on skin bacterial communities and metabolite profiles, while season had an effect only using select metrics. There were seven core bacterial taxa (97% OTUs) that were found on all newts in all seasons, pre- and post-disturbance. Lastly, there was a correlation between bacterial and metabolite profiles post-disturbance, which was not observed pre-disturbance. This longitudinal study suggests that environmental disturbances can have lasting effects on skin bacterial communities that overwhelm seasonal changes, although the core bacteria remain relatively consistent over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenifer B Walke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Matthew H Becker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Arianna Krinos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | | | - Celina Santiago
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Thomas P Umile
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | | | - Lisa K Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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19
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Abstract
Amphibians represent a diverse group of animals with highly varied behaviors depending on their anatomy, physiology, and ecological niche. Behavioral and welfare issues in amphibians are frequent in captive settings and warrant evaluation. Welfare criteria and clinical diagnostic assays when combined with a comprehension of the natural history of a species are useful tools to improve both the well-being of the individual animal and the population. Correction of environmental factors that affect behavior and, secondarily, survival and reproduction is important in captivity and for the conservation of wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon T Ferrell
- Zoo de Granby, 525, rue Saint-Hubert, Granby, Quebec J2G 5P3, Canada.
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20
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Burns TJ, Scheele BC, Brannelly LA, Clemann N, Gilbert D, Driscoll DA. Indirect terrestrial transmission of amphibian chytrid fungus from reservoir to susceptible host species leads to fatal chytridiomycosis. Anim Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J. Burns
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University (Burwood Campus) Geelong Vic. Australia
| | - Ben C. Scheele
- Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - Laura A. Brannelly
- Melbourne Veterinary School Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences University of Melbourne Werribee Vic. Australia
| | - Nick Clemann
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Vic. Australia
| | - Deon Gilbert
- Wildlife Conservation and Science. Zoos Victoria Parkville Vic. Australia
| | - Don A. Driscoll
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University (Burwood Campus) Geelong Vic. Australia
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21
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Ruthsatz K, Lyra ML, Lambertini C, Belasen AM, Jenkinson TS, da Silva Leite D, Becker CG, Haddad CFB, James TY, Zamudio KR, Toledo LF, Vences M. Skin microbiome correlates with bioclimate and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection intensity in Brazil's Atlantic Forest treefrogs. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22311. [PMID: 33339839 PMCID: PMC7749163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79130-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In Brazil’s Atlantic Forest (AF) biodiversity conservation is of key importance since the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has led to the rapid loss of amphibian populations here and worldwide. The impact of Bd on amphibians is determined by the host's immune system, of which the skin microbiome is a critical component. The richness and diversity of such cutaneous bacterial communities are known to be shaped by abiotic factors which thus may indirectly modulate host susceptibility to Bd. This study aimed to contribute to understanding the environment-host–pathogen interaction determining skin bacterial communities in 819 treefrogs (Anura: Hylidae and Phyllomedusidae) from 71 species sampled across the AF. We investigated whether abiotic factors influence the bacterial community richness and structure on the amphibian skin. We further tested for an association between skin bacterial community structure and Bd co-occurrence. Our data revealed that temperature, precipitation, and elevation consistently correlate with richness and diversity of the skin microbiome and also predict Bd infection status. Surprisingly, our data suggest a weak but significant positive correlation of Bd infection intensity and bacterial richness. We highlight the prospect of future experimental studies on the impact of changing environmental conditions associated with global change on environment-host–pathogen interactions in the AF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ruthsatz
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany. .,Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 4, 38106, Brunswick, Germany.
| | - Mariana L Lyra
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Depto de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina Lambertini
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Anat M Belasen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853-2701, USA
| | - Thomas S Jenkinson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Domingos da Silva Leite
- Laboratório de Antígenos Bacterianos II, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Caixa Postal 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, CEP 13083-862, Brazil
| | - C Guilherme Becker
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35847, USA
| | - Célio F B Haddad
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Depto de Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853-2701, USA
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 4, 38106, Brunswick, Germany
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22
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Density Dependence and Adult Survival Drive Dynamics in Two High Elevation Amphibian Populations. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12120478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian conservation has progressed from the identification of declines to mitigation, but efforts are hampered by the lack of nuanced information about the effects of environmental characteristics and stressors on mechanistic processes of population regulation. Challenges include a paucity of long-term data and scant information about the relative roles of extrinsic (e.g., weather) and intrinsic (e.g., density dependence) factors. We used a Bayesian formulation of an open population capture-recapture model and >30 years of data to examine intrinsic and extrinsic factors regulating two adult boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) populations. We modelled population growth rate and apparent survival directly, assessed their temporal variability, and derived estimates of recruitment. Populations were relatively stable (geometric mean population growth rate >1) and regulated by negative density dependence (i.e., higher population sizes reduced population growth rate). In the smaller population, density dependence also acted on adult survival. In the larger population, higher population growth was associated with warmer autumns. Survival estimates ranged from 0.30–0.87, per-capita recruitment was <1 in most years, and mean seniority probability was >0.50, suggesting adult survival is more important to population growth than recruitment. Our analysis indicates density dependence is a primary driver of population dynamics for P. maculata adults.
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23
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Zamudio KR, McDonald CA, Belasen AM. High Variability in Infection Mechanisms and Host Responses: A Review of Functional Genomic Studies of Amphibian Chytridiomycosis. HERPETOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1655/0018-0831-76.2.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kelly R. Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2701, USA
| | - Cait A. McDonald
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2701, USA
| | - Anat M. Belasen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-2701, USA
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24
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Weldon C, Channing A, Misinzo G, Cunningham AA. Disease driven extinction in the wild of the Kihansi spray toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis. AFR J HERPETOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2020.1752313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ché Weldon
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Alan Channing
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Gerald Misinzo
- SACIDS Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases of Humans and Animals in Eastern and Southern Africa, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
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25
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Jacinto-Maldonado M, García-Peña G, Paredes-León R, Saucedo B, Sarmiento-Silva R, García A, Martínez-Gómez D, Ojeda M, Del Callejo E, Suzán G. Chiggers (Acariformes: Trombiculoidea) do not increase rates of infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus in the endemic Dwarf Mexican Treefrog Tlalocohyla smithii (Anura: Hylidae). Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020; 11:163-173. [PMID: 32099787 PMCID: PMC7031141 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.12.005] [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: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian populations are globally declining at an alarming rate, and infectious diseases are among the main causes of their decline. Two micro-parasites, the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and the virus Ranavirus (RV) have caused mass mortality of amphibians and population declines. Other, less understood epizootics are caused by macro-parasites, such as Trombiculoidea chiggers. Infection with chiggers can affect frog behavior and survival. Furthermore, synergistic effects of co-infection with both macro and micro-parasites may lead to higher morbidity. To better understand these potential synergies, we investigated the presence and co-infection by chiggers, Bd and RV in the endemic frog Tlalocohyla smithii (T. smithii). Co-infection of Bd, RV, and/or chiggers is expected in habitats that are suitable for their co-occurrence; and if infection with one parasite facilitates infection with the others. On the other hand, co-infection could decrease if these parasites were to differ in their micro-environmental requirements (i.e. niche apportionment). A total of 116 frogs of T. smithii were studied during 2014 and 2016 in three streams within the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve in Jalisco, Mexico. Our results show that 31% of the frogs were infected with Trombiculoidea chiggers (Hannemania sp. and Eutrombicula alfreddugesi); Hannemania prevalence increased with air temperature and decreased in sites with high canopies and with water pH values above 8.5 and below 6.7. Bd prevalence was 2.6%, RV prevalence was 0%, and none of the frogs infected with chiggers were co-infected with Bd. Together, this study suggests that chiggers do not facilitate infection with Bd, as these are apportioned in different micro-habitats. Nevertheless, the statistical power to assure this is low. We recommend further epidemiological monitoring of multiple parasites in different geographical locations in order to provide insight on the true hazards, risks and conservation options for amphibian populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Jacinto-Maldonado
- The Complexity Sciences Center C3 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad, 3000, Mexico City, Mexico
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Av. Universidad, 3000, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - G.E. García-Peña
- The Complexity Sciences Center C3 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad, 3000, Mexico City, Mexico
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Av. Universidad, 3000, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - R. Paredes-León
- National Mite Collection, Biology Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - B. Saucedo
- Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, CB87UU, Newmarket, United Kingdom
| | - R.E. Sarmiento-Silva
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Av. Universidad, 3000, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - A. García
- Chamela Biological Station, Biology Institute, San Patricio Melaque, 48980, La Huerta, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - D. Martínez-Gómez
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Production, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. Unit of Xochimilco. Prol, Canal de Miramontes, 3855, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - M. Ojeda
- National Mite Collection, Biology Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - E. Del Callejo
- The Complexity Sciences Center C3 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad, 3000, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - G. Suzán
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Av. Universidad, 3000, Mexico City, Mexico
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26
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Olaya-Arenas P, Meléndez-Ackerman EJ, Pérez ME. Long-term temperature and precipitation trends in the Luquillo Mountains, and their relationships to global atmospheric indices used in climate change predictions. CARIBB J SCI 2020. [DOI: 10.18475/cjos.v50i1.a13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Olaya-Arenas
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, U. S. A
| | - Elvia J. Meléndez-Ackerman
- Department of Environmental Science, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
| | - María E. Pérez
- Department of Mathematics, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico
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27
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Longo AV, Rodríguez‐Gómez CA, Zegarra JP, Monzón O, Claudio‐Hernández HJ, Joglar RL, Zamudio KR, Burrowes PA, López‐Torres AL. Tick parasitism as a cost of sexual selection and male parental care in a Neotropical frog. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana V. Longo
- Department of Biology University of Florida P.O. Box 118525 Gainesville Florida 32605 USA
| | - Carlos A. Rodríguez‐Gómez
- Proyecto Coquí 120 La Sierra #132 San Juan 00926 Puerto Rico
- Para La Naturaleza P.O. Box 9023554 San Juan 00902‐3554 Puerto Rico
| | - Jan P. Zegarra
- Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service P.O. Box 491 Boquerón 00622 Puerto Rico
| | - Omar Monzón
- Para La Naturaleza P.O. Box 9023554 San Juan 00902‐3554 Puerto Rico
| | | | - Rafael L. Joglar
- Proyecto Coquí 120 La Sierra #132 San Juan 00926 Puerto Rico
- Department of Biology University of Puerto Rico P.O. Box 23360 San Juan 00931‐3360 Puerto Rico
| | - Kelly R. Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University E145 Corson Hall Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - Patricia A. Burrowes
- Department of Biology University of Puerto Rico P.O. Box 23360 San Juan 00931‐3360 Puerto Rico
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28
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Scheele BC, Pasmans F, Skerratt LF, Berger L, Martel A, Beukema W, Acevedo AA, Burrowes PA, Carvalho T, Catenazzi A, De la Riva I, Fisher MC, Flechas SV, Foster CN, Frías-Álvarez P, Garner TWJ, Gratwicke B, Guayasamin JM, Hirschfeld M, Kolby JE, Kosch TA, La Marca E, Lindenmayer DB, Lips KR, Longo AV, Maneyro R, McDonald CA, Mendelson J, Palacios-Rodriguez P, Parra-Olea G, Richards-Zawacki CL, Rödel MO, Rovito SM, Soto-Azat C, Toledo LF, Voyles J, Weldon C, Whitfield SM, Wilkinson M, Zamudio KR, Canessa S. Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity. Science 2019; 363:1459-1463. [PMID: 30923224 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav0379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 538] [Impact Index Per Article: 107.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic trade and development have broken down dispersal barriers, facilitating the spread of diseases that threaten Earth's biodiversity. We present a global, quantitative assessment of the amphibian chytridiomycosis panzootic, one of the most impactful examples of disease spread, and demonstrate its role in the decline of at least 501 amphibian species over the past half-century, including 90 presumed extinctions. The effects of chytridiomycosis have been greatest in large-bodied, range-restricted anurans in wet climates in the Americas and Australia. Declines peaked in the 1980s, and only 12% of declined species show signs of recovery, whereas 39% are experiencing ongoing decline. There is risk of further chytridiomycosis outbreaks in new areas. The chytridiomycosis panzootic represents the greatest recorded loss of biodiversity attributable to a disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben C Scheele
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. .,National Environmental Science Programme, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.,One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Frank Pasmans
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology, and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Lee F Skerratt
- One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Lee Berger
- One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - An Martel
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology, and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Wouter Beukema
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology, and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Aldemar A Acevedo
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile.,Grupo de Investigación en Ecología y Biogeografía, Universidad de Pamplona, Barrio El Buque, Km 1, Vía a Bucaramanga, Pamplona, Colombia
| | - Patricia A Burrowes
- Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Tamilie Carvalho
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Alessandro Catenazzi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Ignacio De la Riva
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Matthew C Fisher
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK
| | - Sandra V Flechas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.,Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Sede Venado de Oro, Paseo Bolívar 16-20, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Claire N Foster
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Patricia Frías-Álvarez
- One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Trenton W J Garner
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.,Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Brian Gratwicke
- Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Juan M Guayasamin
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Ambientales BIOSFERA, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Campus Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador.,Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático, Facultad de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Calle Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Ecuador.,Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mareike Hirschfeld
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Jonathan E Kolby
- One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia.,Honduras Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Center, Lancetilla Botanical Garden and Research Center, Tela, Honduras.,The Conservation Agency, Jamestown, RI 02835, USA
| | - Tiffany A Kosch
- One Health Research Group, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia.,AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Enrique La Marca
- School of Geography, Faculty of Forestry Engineering and Environmental Sciences, University of Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela
| | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.,National Environmental Science Programme, Threatened Species Recovery Hub, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Karen R Lips
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Ana V Longo
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Raúl Maneyro
- Laboratorio de Sistemática e Historia Natural de Vertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República. Igua 4225, CP 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cait A McDonald
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Joseph Mendelson
- Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | | | - Gabriela Parra-Olea
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | | | - Mark-Oliver Rödel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstr. 43, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Sean M Rovito
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (Langebio), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, km 9.6 Libramiento Norte Carretera Irapuato-León, Irapuato, Guanajuato CP36824, México
| | - Claudio Soto-Azat
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370251, Chile
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Jamie Voyles
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Ché Weldon
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Steven M Whitfield
- Zoo Miami, Conservation and Research Department, Miami, FL 33177, USA.,Florida International University School of Earth, Environment, and Society, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Stefano Canessa
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology, and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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29
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Hudson MA, Griffiths RA, Martin L, Fenton C, Adams SL, Blackman A, Sulton M, Perkins MW, Lopez J, Garcia G, Tapley B, Young RP, Cunningham AA. Reservoir frogs: seasonality of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection in robber frogs in Dominica and Montserrat. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7021. [PMID: 31231595 PMCID: PMC6573808 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases are an increasingly important threat to wildlife conservation, with amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the disease most commonly associated with species declines and extinctions. However, some amphibians can be infected with B. dendrobatidis in the absence of disease and can act as reservoirs of the pathogen. We surveyed robber frogs (Eleutherodactylus spp.), potential B. dendrobatidis reservoir species, at three sites on Montserrat, 2011-2013, and on Dominica in 2014, to identify seasonal patterns in B. dendrobatidis infection prevalence and load (B. dendrobatidis genomic equivalents). On Montserrat there was significant seasonality in B. dendrobatidis prevalence and B. dendrobatidis load, both of which were correlated with temperature but not rainfall. B. dendrobatidis prevalence reached 35% in the cooler, drier months but was repeatedly undetectable during the warmer, wetter months. Also, B. dendrobatidis prevalence significantly decreased from 53.2% when the pathogen emerged on Montserrat in 2009 to a maximum 34.8% by 2011, after which it remained stable. On Dominica, where B. dendrobatidis emerged seven years prior to Montserrat, the same seasonal pattern was recorded but at lower prevalence, possibly indicating long-term decline. Understanding the dynamics of disease threats such as chytridiomycosis is key to planning conservation measures. For example, reintroductions of chytridiomycosis-threatened species could be timed to coincide with periods of low B. dendrobatidis infection risk, increasing potential for reintroduction success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Hudson
- Zoological Society of London, London, UK.,Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands.,Durrell Insitute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Richard A Griffiths
- Durrell Insitute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Lloyd Martin
- Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Housing, Lands and Environment, Brades, Montserrat, West Indies
| | - Calvin Fenton
- Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Housing, Lands and Environment, Brades, Montserrat, West Indies
| | | | | | - Machel Sulton
- Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Environment, Climate Resilience, Disaster Management and Urban Renewal, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies
| | | | | | | | | | - Richard P Young
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands
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30
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Cádiz A, Reytor ML, Díaz LM, Chestnut T, Burns JA, Amato G. The Chytrid Fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is Widespread Among Cuban Amphibians. ECOHEALTH 2019; 16:128-140. [PMID: 30377876 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-018-1383-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a generalist amphibian pathogen responsible for chytridiomycosis. It was documented for the first time in Cuba in 2007, the apparent cause of the decline in one species of toad. In a recent survey, Bd was reported only for the highlands of Central Cuba. In the present study, we reexamined the geographic distribution and level of impact of Bd in Cuba by conducting an island-wide sampling in 10 localities and collecting skin swabs from 18 species and 28 environmental samples. We report detection of Bd in 60% of sampled sites and in 58% of sampled taxa. We show that Bd is associated with riparian, arboreal and terrestrial species, and it was estimated to occur in approximately 30% of the aquatic habitats we sampled. In addition, we confirmed that a dying individual of the species Eleutherodactylus casparii was severely infected with Bd. We also rise concern about the endanger toad Peltophryne longinasus and about three species of endemic riparian frogs that were not detected during our surveys. This study demonstrates that this pathogen is widespread throughout Cuba and provides relevant evidence to advance our understanding of its detection in amphibians and the aquatic environment in Cuba and about the occurrence of Bd in species with different ecologies. We provide valuable baseline information for Bd risk assessment and decision-making processes to mitigate its negative impact on Cuban amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Cádiz
- Faculty of Biology, Havana University, La Havana, Cuba.
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
- , Weehawken, USA.
| | | | - Luis M Díaz
- National Museum of Natural History of Cuba, La Havana, Cuba
| | | | - John A Burns
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
| | - George Amato
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
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31
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Muletz-Wolz CR, Barnett SE, DiRenzo GV, Zamudio KR, Toledo LF, James TY, Lips KR. Diverse genotypes of the amphibian-killing fungus produce distinct phenotypes through plastic responses to temperature. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:287-298. [PMID: 30650220 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypes are the target of selection and affect the ability of organisms to persist in variable environments. Phenotypes can be influenced directly by genes and/or by phenotypic plasticity. The amphibian-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has a global distribution, unusually broad host range, and high genetic diversity. Phenotypic plasticity may be an important process that allows this pathogen to infect hundreds of species in diverse environments. We quantified phenotypic variation of nine Bd genotypes from two Bd lineages (Global Pandemic Lineage [GPL] and Brazil) and a hybrid (GPL-Brazil) grown at three temperatures (12, 18 and 24°C). We measured five functional traits including two morphological traits (zoospore and zoosporangium sizes) and three life history traits (carrying capacity, time to fastest growth and exponential growth rate) in a phylogenetic framework. Temperature caused highly plastic responses within each genotype, with all Bd genotypes showing phenotypic plasticity in at least three traits. Among genotypes, Bd generally showed the same direction of plastic response to temperature: larger zoosporangia, higher carrying capacity, longer time to fastest growth and slower exponential growth at lower temperatures. The exception was zoospore size, which was highly variable. Our findings indicate that Bd genotypes have evolved novel phenotypes through plastic responses to temperature over very short timescales. High phenotypic variability likely extends to other traits and may facilitate the large host range and rapid spread of Bd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia.,Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Samuel E Barnett
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.,School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Graziella V DiRenzo
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.,Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Timothy Y James
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Karen R Lips
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
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32
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Lister BC, Garcia A. Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E10397-E10406. [PMID: 30322922 PMCID: PMC6217376 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1722477115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of studies indicate that tropical arthropods should be particularly vulnerable to climate warming. If these predictions are realized, climate warming may have a more profound impact on the functioning and diversity of tropical forests than currently anticipated. Although arthropods comprise over two-thirds of terrestrial species, information on their abundance and extinction rates in tropical habitats is severely limited. Here we analyze data on arthropod and insectivore abundances taken between 1976 and 2012 at two midelevation habitats in Puerto Rico's Luquillo rainforest. During this time, mean maximum temperatures have risen by 2.0 °C. Using the same study area and methods employed by Lister in the 1970s, we discovered that the dry weight biomass of arthropods captured in sweep samples had declined 4 to 8 times, and 30 to 60 times in sticky traps. Analysis of long-term data on canopy arthropods and walking sticks taken as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research program revealed sustained declines in abundance over two decades, as well as negative regressions of abundance on mean maximum temperatures. We also document parallel decreases in Luquillo's insectivorous lizards, frogs, and birds. While El Niño/Southern Oscillation influences the abundance of forest arthropods, climate warming is the major driver of reductions in arthropod abundance, indirectly precipitating a bottom-up trophic cascade and consequent collapse of the forest food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford C Lister
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic University, Troy, NY 12180;
| | - Andres Garcia
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 47152 Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico
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33
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Mutnale MC, Anand S, Eluvathingal LM, Roy JK, Reddy GS, Vasudevan K. Enzootic frog pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Asian tropics reveals high ITS haplotype diversity and low prevalence. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10125. [PMID: 29973607 PMCID: PMC6031667 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28304-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) are a major threat to wildlife and a key player in the declining amphibian populations worldwide. One such EID is chytridiomycosis caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungal pathogen. Aetiology of Bd infection is poorly known from tropical frogs in Asian biodiversity hotspots. Surveys were carried out in four biodiversity hotspots to ascertain the status of Bd fungus. We collected a total of 1870 swab samples from frogs representing 32 genera and 111 species. Nested PCRs revealed low prevalence (8.4%) and high Bd haplotype richness was revealed after sequencing. We document 57 Bd Internal Transcribed Spacer region (ITS) haplotypes, of which 46 were unique to the global database. Bd ITS region showed indels at the Taqman binding site and qPCR reverse primer binding site, suggesting qPCR is unsuitable for diagnosis in Asian Bd coldspots. Our median-joining network and Bayesian tree analyses reveal that the Asian haplotypes, with the exception of Korea, formed a separate clade along with pandemic BdGPL (Bd Global Panzootic Lineage) haplotype. We hypothesise that the frog populations in Asian tropics might harbour several endemic strains of Bd, and the high levels of diversity and uniqueness of Bd haplotypes in the region, probably resulted from historical host-pathogen co-evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milind C Mutnale
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sachin Anand
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | | | - Jayanta K Roy
- Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Diphu Campus, Karbi Anglong, Assam, 782460, India
| | - Gundlapally S Reddy
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Karthikeyan Vasudevan
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
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34
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Hybrids of amphibian chytrid show high virulence in native hosts. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9600. [PMID: 29941894 PMCID: PMC6018099 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27828-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybridization of parasites can generate new genotypes with high virulence. The fungal amphibian parasite Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) hybridizes in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot where amphibian declines have been linked to Bd, but the virulence of hybrid genotypes in native hosts has never been tested. We compared the virulence (measured as host mortality and infection burden) of hybrid Bd genotypes to the parental lineages, the putatively hypovirulent lineage Bd-Brazil and the hypervirulent Global Pandemic Lineage (Bd-GPL), in a panel of native Brazilian hosts. In Brachycephalus ephippium, the hybrid exceeded the virulence (host mortality) of both parents, suggesting that novelty arising from hybridization of Bd is a conservation concern. In Ischnocnema parva, host mortality in the hybrid treatment was intermediate between the parent treatments, suggesting that this species is more vulnerable to the aggressive phenotypes associated with Bd-GPL. Dendropsophus minutus showed low overall mortality, but infection burdens were higher in frogs treated with hybrid and Bd-GPL genotypes than with Bd-Brazil genotypes. Our experiment suggests that Bd hybrids have the potential to increase disease risk in native hosts. Continued surveillance is needed to track potential spread of hybrid genotypes and detect future genomic shifts in this dynamic disease system.
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35
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Varela BJ, Lesbarrères D, Ibáñez R, Green DM. Environmental and Host Effects on Skin Bacterial Community Composition in Panamanian Frogs. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:298. [PMID: 29520260 PMCID: PMC5826957 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the amphibian skin microbiota has focused on identifying bacterial taxa that deter a pathogenic chytrid fungus, and on describing patterns of microbiota variation. However, it remains unclear how environmental variation affects amphibian skin bacterial communities, and whether the overall functional diversity of the amphibian skin microbiota is associated to such variation. We sampled skin microbial communities from one dendrobatoid frog species across an environmental gradient along the Panama Canal, and from three dendrobatoid frog species before and after the onset of the wet season in one site. We found frog skin microbial alpha diversity to be highest in frogs from sites with low soil pH, but no clear effect of the onset of the wet season. However, we found frog skin microbial community structure to be affected by soil pH and the onset of the wet season, which also resulted in a decrease in between-sample variation. Across the sampled frog species, bacterial functional groups changed with the onset of the wet season, with certain bacterial functional groups entirely disappearing and others differing in their relative abundances. In particular, we found the proportion of Bd-inhibitory bacteria to correlate with mean soil pH, and to increase in two of the frog species with the onset of the wet season. Taken together, our results suggest that structure and predicted function of amphibian bacterial skin communities may be influenced by environmental variables such as pH and precipitation, site effects, and host effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J. Varela
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | | | - Roberto Ibáñez
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Departamento de Zoología, Universidad de Panamá, Panama City, Panama
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Becker CG, Longo AV, Haddad CFB, Zamudio KR. Land cover and forest connectivity alter the interactions among host, pathogen and skin microbiome. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0582. [PMID: 28835551 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Deforestation has detrimental consequences on biodiversity, affecting species interactions at multiple scales. The associations among vertebrates, pathogens and their commensal/symbiotic microbial communities (i.e. microbiomes) have important downstream effects for biodiversity conservation, yet we know little about how deforestation contributes to changes in host microbial diversity and pathogen abundance. Here, we tested the effects of landcover, forest connectivity and infection by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) on amphibian skin bacterial diversity along deforestation gradients in Brazilian landscapes. If disturbance to natural habitat alters skin microbiomes as it does in vertebrate host communities, then we would expect higher host bacterial diversity in natural forest habitats. Bd infection loads are also often higher in these closed-canopy forests, which may in turn impact skin-associated bacterial communities. We found that forest corridors shaped composition of host skin microbiomes; high forest connectivity predicted greater similarity of skin bacterial communities among host populations. In addition, we found that host skin bacterial diversity and Bd loads increased towards natural vegetation. Because symbiotic bacteria can potentially buffer hosts from Bd infection, we also evaluated the bi-directional microbiome-Bd link but failed to find a significant effect of skin bacterial diversity reducing Bd infections. Although weak, we found support for Bd increasing bacterial diversity and/or for core bacteria dominance reducing Bd loads. Our research incorporates a critical element in the study of host microbiomes by linking environmental heterogeneity of landscapes to the host-pathogen-microbiome triangle.
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Affiliation(s)
- C G Becker
- Universidade Estadual Paulista, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - A V Longo
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - C F B Haddad
- Universidade Estadual Paulista, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
| | - K R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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37
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Ruggeri J, Carvalho-E-Silva SP, James TY, Toledo LF. Amphibian chytrid infection is influenced by rainfall seasonality and water availability. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2018; 127:107-115. [PMID: 29384480 DOI: 10.3354/dao03191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians suffer from a number of factors that make them the most threatened group of vertebrates. One threat is the fungal disease chytridiomycosis caused by the emerging pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has rapidly spread and caused the loss of massive amphibian biodiversity worldwide. Recently, Bd was associated with a few amphibian population declines and extinctions in some areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. However, the mechanisms underlying such declines are not fully understood. Therefore, it is essential to improve our knowledge of abiotic factors that can possibly influence Bd prevalence and chytridiomycosis disease severity. Herein we tested the hypothesis that water availability (such as in perennial streams, where Bd is frequently present in larvae) and rainfall would increase the prevalence of Bd. To test this, we sampled frogs from 6 transects with different numbers of perennial waterbodies, and we report that the more water available in the area, the higher the probability of Bd infection on anurans. Seasonality also influenced both the Bd prevalence in the area and the intensity of infection in infected frogs. However, Bd prevalence was higher during the rainy months whereas the infection burden was lower. We suggest that Bd is likely spread during the summer, when most anuran species gather near the water for spawning and when rainfall overfills ephemeral wetlands. On the other hand, during the drier months, a higher infection burden may be explained by increased disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joice Ruggeri
- Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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38
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Familiar López M, Rebollar EA, Harris RN, Vredenburg VT, Hero JM. Temporal Variation of the Skin Bacterial Community and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection in the Terrestrial Cryptic Frog Philoria loveridgei. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2535. [PMID: 29312226 PMCID: PMC5744006 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In animals and plants, symbiotic bacteria can play an important role in disease resistance of host and are the focus of much current research. Globally, amphibian population declines and extinctions have occurred due to chytridiomycosis, a skin disease caused by the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Currently amphibian skin bacteria are increasingly recognized as important symbiont communities with a relevant role in the defense against pathogens, as some bacteria can inhibit the growth of B. dendrobatidis. This study aims to document the B. dendrobatidis infection status of wild populations of a terrestrial cryptic frog (Philoria loveridgei), and to determine whether infection status is correlated with changes in the skin microbial communities. Skin samples of P. loveridgei were collected along an altitudinal range within the species distribution in subtropical rainforests in southeast Australia. Sampling was conducted in two years during two breeding seasons with the first classified as a “La Niña” year. We used Taqman real-time PCR to determine B. dendrobatidis infection status and 16S amplicon sequencing techniques to describe the skin community structure. We found B. dendrobatidis-positive frogs only in the second sampling year with low infection intensities, and no correlation between B. dendrobatidis infection status and altitude, frog sex or size. Skin bacterial diversity was significantly higher in P. loveridgei frogs sampled in the 1st year than in the 2nd year. In addition, 7.4% of the total OTUs were significantly more abundant in the 1st year compared to the 2nd year. We identified 67 bacterial OTUs with a significant positive correlation between infection intensity and an OTU’s relative abundance. Forty-five percent of these OTUs belonged to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Overall, temporal variation was strongly associated with changes in B. dendrobatidis infection status and bacterial community structure of wild populations of P. loveridgei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariel Familiar López
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Eria A Rebollar
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Reid N Harris
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, United States.,Amphibian Survival Alliance, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vance T Vredenburg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jean-Marc Hero
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.,School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia
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39
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Campos-Cerqueira M, Aide TM. Lowland extirpation of anuran populations on a tropical mountain. PeerJ 2017; 5:e4059. [PMID: 29158987 PMCID: PMC5694215 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Climate change and infectious diseases threaten animal and plant species, even in natural and protected areas. To cope with these changes, species may acclimate, adapt, move or decline. Here, we test for shifts in anuran distributions in the Luquillo Mountains (LM), a tropical montane forest in Puerto Rico by comparing species distributions from historical (1931–1989)and current data (2015/2016). Methods Historical data, which included different methodologies, were gathered through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and published literature, and the current data were collected using acoustic recorders along three elevational transects. Results In the recordings, we detected the 12 native frog species known to occur in LM. Over a span of ∼25 years, two species have become extinct and four species suffered extirpation in lowland areas. As a consequence, low elevation areas in the LM (<300 m) have lost at least six anuran species. Discussion We hypothesize that these extirpations are due to the effects of climate change and infectious diseases, which are restricting many species to higher elevations and a much smaller area. Land use change is not responsible for these changes because LM has been a protected reserve for the past 80 years. However, previous studies indicate that (1) climate change has increased temperatures in Puerto Rico, and (2) Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) was found in 10 native species and early detection of Bd coincides with anurans declines in the LM. Our study confirms the general impressions of amphibian population extirpations at low elevations, and corroborates the levels of threat assigned by IUCN.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - T Mitchell Aide
- University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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40
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Hydeman ME, Longo AV, Velo-Antón G, Rodriguez D, Zamudio KR, Bell RC. Prevalence and genetic diversity of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Central African island and continental amphibian communities. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:7729-7738. [PMID: 29043029 PMCID: PMC5632636 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) infects hundreds of amphibian species and is implicated in global amphibian declines. Bd is comprised of several lineages that differ in pathogenicity, thus, identifying which Bd strains are present in a given amphibian community is essential for understanding host–pathogen dynamics. The presence of Bd has been confirmed in Central Africa, yet vast expanses of this region have not yet been surveyed for Bd prevalence, and the genetic diversity of Bd is largely unknown in this part of the world. Using retrospective surveys of museum specimens and contemporary field surveys, we estimated the prevalence of Bd in Central African island and continental amphibian assemblages, and genotyped strains of Bd present in each community. Our sampling of museum specimens included just a few individuals collected in the Gulf of Guinea archipelago prior to 1998, yet one of these individuals was Bd‐positive indicating that the pathogen has been on Bioko Island since 1966. We detected Bd across all subsequent sample years in our study and found modest support for a relationship between host life history and Bd prevalence, a positive relationship between prevalence and host community species richness, and no significant relationship between elevation and prevalence. The Global Panzootic Lineage (BdGPL) was present in all the island and continental amphibian communities we surveyed. Our results are consistent with a long‐term and widespread distribution of Bd in amphibian communities of Gabon and the Gulf of Guinea archipelago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina E Hydeman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Ana V Longo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA.,CIBIO-InBIO Universidade do Porto Campus Agrário de Vairão Vairão Portugal
| | - David Rodriguez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA.,Department of Biology Texas State University San Marcos TX USA
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA
| | - Rayna C Bell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca NY USA.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington DC USA
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41
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Longo AV, Zamudio KR. Temperature variation, bacterial diversity and fungal infection dynamics in the amphibian skin. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:4787-4797. [PMID: 28664981 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Host-associated bacterial communities on the skin act as the first line of defence against invading pathogens. Yet, for most natural systems, we lack a clear understanding of how temperature variability affects structure and composition of skin bacterial communities and, in turn, promotes or limits the colonization of opportunistic pathogens. Here, we examine how natural temperature fluctuations might be related to changes in skin bacterial diversity over time in three amphibian populations infected by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Our focal host species (Eleutherodactylus coqui) is a direct-developing frog that has suffered declines at some populations in the last 20 years, while others have not experienced any changes. We quantified skin bacterial alpha- and beta-diversity at four sampling time points, a period encompassing two seasons and ample variation in natural infections and environmental conditions. Despite the different patterns of infection across populations, we detected an overall increase in bacterial diversity through time, characterized by the replacement of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Increased frog body temperatures possibly allowed the colonization of bacteria as well as the recruitment of a subset of indicator OTUs, which could have promoted the observed changes in diversity patterns. Our results suggest that natural environmental fluctuations might be involved in creating opportunities for bacterial replacement, potentially attenuating pathogen transmission and thus contributing to host persistence in E. coqui populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana V Longo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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42
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Bletz MC, Perl RGB, Bobowski BT, Japke LM, Tebbe CC, Dohrmann AB, Bhuju S, Geffers R, Jarek M, Vences M. Amphibian skin microbiota exhibits temporal variation in community structure but stability of predicted Bd-inhibitory function. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 11:1521-1534. [PMID: 28387770 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Host-associated microbiomes are increasingly recognized to contribute to host disease resistance; the temporal dynamics of their community structure and function, however, are poorly understood. We investigated the cutaneous bacterial communities of three newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris, Lissotriton vulgaris and Triturus cristatus, at approximately weekly intervals for 3 months using 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing. We hypothesized cutaneous microbiota would vary across time, and that such variation would be linked to changes in predicted fungal-inhibitory function. We observed significant temporal variation within the aquatic phase, and also between aquatic and terrestrial phase newts. By keeping T. cristatus in mesocosms, we demonstrated that structural changes occurred similarly across individuals, highlighting the non-stochastic nature of the bacterial community succession. Temporal changes were mainly associated with fluctuations in relative abundance rather than full turnover of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Newt skin microbe fluctuations were not correlated with that of pond microbiota; however, a portion of community variation was explained by environmental temperature. Using a database of amphibian skin bacteria that inhibit the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), we found that the proportion of reads associated with 'potentially' Bd-inhibitory OTUs did not vary temporally for two of three newt species, suggesting that protective function may be maintained despite temporal variation in community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C Bletz
- Zoologisches Institut, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - R G Bina Perl
- Zoologisches Institut, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Bianca Tc Bobowski
- Zoologisches Institut, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Laura M Japke
- Zoologisches Institut, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christoph C Tebbe
- Institut für Biodiversität, Thünen Institut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anja B Dohrmann
- Institut für Biodiversität, Thünen Institut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sabin Bhuju
- Genomanalytik, Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Robert Geffers
- Genomanalytik, Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Jarek
- Genomanalytik, Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoologisches Institut, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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43
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Burrowes PA, Martes MC, Torres-Ríos M, Longo AV. Arboreality predicts Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection level in tropical direct-developing frogs. J NAT HIST 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1297504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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44
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Adams AJ, Kupferberg SJ, Wilber MQ, Pessier AP, Grefsrud M, Bobzien S, Vredenburg VT, Briggs CJ. Extreme drought, host density, sex, and bullfrogs influence fungal pathogen infection in a declining lotic amphibian. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J. Adams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology; University of California; Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Sarah J. Kupferberg
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of California; Berkeley California 94720 USA
| | - Mark Q. Wilber
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology; University of California; Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Allan P. Pessier
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology; College of Veterinary Medicine; Washington State University; Pullman Washington 99164 USA
| | - Marcia Grefsrud
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Bay Delta Region Napa California 94558 USA
| | - Steve Bobzien
- East Bay Regional Park District; Oakland California 94605 USA
| | | | - Cheryl J. Briggs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology; University of California; Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
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45
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Burrowes PA, De la Riva I. Unraveling the historical prevalence of the invasive chytrid fungus in the Bolivian Andes: implications in recent amphibian declines. Biol Invasions 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-017-1390-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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46
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Longo AV, Zamudio KR. Environmental fluctuations and host skin bacteria shift survival advantage between frogs and their fungal pathogen. ISME JOURNAL 2016; 11:349-361. [PMID: 27935596 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fluctuating environments can modulate host-pathogen interactions by providing a temporary advantage to one of the interacting organisms. However, we know very little about how environmental conditions facilitate beneficial interactions between hosts and their microbial communities, resulting in individual persistence with a particular pathogen. Here, we experimentally infected Eleutherodactylus coqui frogs with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) under environmental conditions known to confer the survival advantage to the host during the warm-wet season, or alternatively to the pathogen during the cool-dry season. We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to quantify changes in bacterial richness and phylogenetic diversity, and identified operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that became overrepresented or suppressed as a consequence of Bd infection. During the warm-wet season, frogs limited Bd infections, recruited putatively beneficial bacteria and returned to pre-infection levels of richness and phylogenetic diversity. In contrast, during the cool-dry season, Bd infections kept increasing through time, and bacterial diversity remained constant. Our findings confirm that infection outcome not only depends on abiotic factors, but also on biotic interactions between hosts and their associated bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana V Longo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Kelly R Zamudio
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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47
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Hudson MA, Young RP, D'Urban Jackson J, Orozco-terWengel P, Martin L, James A, Sulton M, Garcia G, Griffiths RA, Thomas R, Magin C, Bruford MW, Cunningham AA. Dynamics and genetics of a disease-driven species decline to near extinction: lessons for conservation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30772. [PMID: 27485994 PMCID: PMC4971493 DOI: 10.1038/srep30772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibian chytridiomycosis has caused precipitous declines in hundreds of species worldwide. By tracking mountain chicken (Leptodactylus fallax) populations before, during and after the emergence of chytridiomycosis, we quantified the real-time species level impacts of this disease. We report a range-wide species decline amongst the fastest ever recorded, with a loss of over 85% of the population in fewer than 18 months on Dominica and near extinction on Montserrat. Genetic diversity declined in the wild, but emergency measures to establish a captive assurance population captured a representative sample of genetic diversity from Montserrat. If the Convention on Biological Diversity’s targets are to be met, it is important to evaluate the reasons why they appear consistently unattainable. The emergence of chytridiomycosis in the mountain chicken was predictable, but the decline could not be prevented. There is an urgent need to build mitigation capacity where amphibians are at risk from chytridiomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Hudson
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.,Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NR, UK.,Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augres Manor, Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands, UK
| | - R P Young
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augres Manor, Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UK
| | - J D'Urban Jackson
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.,Department of Biology &Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - P Orozco-terWengel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - L Martin
- Department of Environment, Montserrat Ministry of Agriculture, Housing, Lands and Environment, Montserrat, West Indies
| | - A James
- Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Dominica Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Botanical Gardens, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies
| | - M Sulton
- Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Dominica Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Botanical Gardens, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies
| | - G Garcia
- Chester Zoo, Cedar House, Caughall Road, Upton by Chester, Chester CH2 1LH, UK
| | - R A Griffiths
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augres Manor, Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands, UK
| | - R Thomas
- Division of Agriculture, Dominica Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Botanical Gardens, Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies
| | - C Magin
- The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, UK
| | - M W Bruford
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.,Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3BB, UK
| | - A A Cunningham
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
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48
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Petersen CE, Lovich RE, Phillips CA, Dreslik MJ, Lannoo MJ. Prevalence and Seasonality of the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Along Widely Separated Longitudes Across the United States. ECOHEALTH 2016; 13:368-382. [PMID: 26935823 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-016-1101-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been implicated in amphibian declines on almost all continents. We report on prevalence and intensity of Bd in the United States amphibian populations across three longitudinally separated north-to-south transects conducted at 15 Department of Defense installations during two sampling periods (late-spring/early summer and mid to late summer). Such a standardized approach minimizes the effects of sampling and analytical bias, as well as human disturbance (by sampling restricted military bases), and therefore permits a cleaner interpretation of environmental variables known to affect chytrid dynamics such as season, temperature, rainfall, latitude, and longitude. Our prevalence of positive samples was 20.4% (137/670), and our mean intensity was 3.21 zoospore equivalents (SE = 1.03; range 0.001-103.59). Of the 28 amphibian species sampled, 15 tested positive. Three sites had no evidence of Bd infection; across the remaining 12 Bd-positive sites, neither infection prevalence nor intensity varied systematically. We found a more complicated pattern of Bd prevalence than anticipated. Early season samples showed no trend associated with increasing temperature and precipitation and decreasing (more southerly) latitudes; while in late season samples, the proportion of infected individuals decreased with increasing temperature and precipitation and decreasing latitudes. A similar pattern held for the east-west gradient, with the highest prevalence associated with more easterly/recently warmer sites in the early season then shifting to more westerly/recently cooler sites in the later season. Bd intensity across bases and sampling periods was comparatively low. Some of the trends in our data have been seen in previous studies, and our results offer further continental-level Bd sampling over which more concentrated local sampling efforts can be overlaid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher E Petersen
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, Code EV52CP, 6506 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.
| | - Robert E Lovich
- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA, 92132, USA
| | - Christopher A Phillips
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Michael J Dreslik
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Michael J Lannoo
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Terre Haute, IN, 47802, USA
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Preuss JF, Lambertini C, Leite DDS, Toledo LF, Lucas EM. Crossing the threshold: an amphibian assemblage highly infected withBatrachochytrium dendrobatidisin the southern Brazilian Atlantic forest. STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2016.1163857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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