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Soto-Cortés E, Marroquín-Rodríguez M, Basanta MD, Maldonado-López Y, Parra-Olea G, Rebollar EA. Host Species and Environment Shape the Skin Microbiota of Mexican Axolotls. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2024; 87:98. [PMID: 39046491 PMCID: PMC11269437 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02411-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Skin microbiomes in amphibians are complex systems that can be influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. In this study, we examined the effect of host species and environmental conditions on the skin bacterial and fungal microbiota of four obligate paedomorphic salamander species, commonly known as axolotls (Ambystoma andersoni, A. dumerilii, A. mexicanum, and A. taylori), all of them endemic to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. We found that despite their permanent aquatic lifestyle, these species present a host-specific skin microbiota that is distinct from aquatic communities. We identified skin-associated taxa that were unique to each host species and that differentiated axolotl species based on alpha and beta diversity metrics. Moreover, we identified a set of microbial taxa that were shared across hosts with high relative abundances across skin samples. Specifically, bacterial communities were dominated by Burkholderiales and Pseudomonadales bacterial orders and Capnodiales and Pleosporales fungal orders. Host species and environmental variables collectively explained more microbial composition variation in bacteria (R2 = 0.46) in comparison to fungi (R2 = 0.2). Our results contribute to a better understanding of the factors shaping the diversity and composition of skin microbial communities in Ambystoma. Additional studies are needed to disentangle the effects of specific host associated and environmental factors that could influence the skin microbiome of these endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Soto-Cortés
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México
| | | | - Maria Delia Basanta
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV, USA
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | - Yurixhi Maldonado-López
- Cátedras CONAHCYT - Instituto de Investigaciones Sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Gabriela Parra-Olea
- Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | - Eria A Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México.
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2
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Wan B, Chen G, Poon ESK, Fung HS, Lau A, Sin SYW. Environmental factors and host sex influence the skin microbiota structure of Hong Kong newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis) in a coldspot of chytridiomycosis in subtropical East Asia. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38872359 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Chytridiomycosis, an infectious skin disease caused by the chytrid fungi, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and B. salamandrivorans, poses a significant threat to amphibian biodiversity worldwide. Antifungal bacteria found on the skin of chytrid-resistant amphibians could potentially provide defense against chytridiomycosis and lower mortality rates among resistant individuals. The Hong Kong newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis) is native to East Asia, a region suspected to be the origin of chytrids, and has exhibited asymptomatic infection, suggesting a long-term coexistence with the chytrids. Therefore, the skin microbiota of this resistant species warrant investigation, along with other factors that can affect the microbiota. Among the 149 newts sampled in their natural habitats in Hong Kong, China, putative antifungal bacteria were found in all individuals. There were 314 amplicon sequence variants distributed over 25 genera of putative antifungal bacteria; abundant ones included Acinetobacter, Flavobacterium, and Novosphingobium spp. The skin microbiota compositions were strongly influenced by the inter-site geographical distances. Despite inter-site differences, we identified some core skin microbes across sites that could be vital to P. hongkongensis. The dominant cores included the family Comamonadaceae, family Chitinophagaceae, and class Betaproteobacteria. Moreover, habitat elevation and host sex also exhibited significant effects on skin microbiota compositions. The antifungal bacteria found on these newts offer an important resource for conservation against chytridiomycosis, such as developing probiotic treatments for susceptible species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Wan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guoling Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Emily Shui Kei Poon
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hon Shing Fung
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Anthony Lau
- Science Unit, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Simon Yung Wa Sin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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3
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Korpita TM, Muths EL, Watry MK, McKenzie VJ. Captivity, Reintroductions, and the Rewilding of Amphibian-associated Bacterial Communities. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:2271-2281. [PMID: 37222806 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02229-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have noted differences in microbes associated with animals reared in captivity compared to their wild counterparts, but few studies have examined how microbes change when animals are reintroduced to the wild after captive rearing. As captive assurance populations and reintroduction programs increase, a better understanding of how microbial symbionts respond during animal translocations is critical. We examined changes in microbes associated with boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas), a threatened amphibian, after reintroduction to the wild following captive rearing. Previous studies demonstrate that developmental life stage is an important factor in amphibian microbiomes. We collected 16S marker-gene sequencing datasets to investigate: (i) comparisons of the skin, mouth, and fecal bacteria of boreal toads across four developmental life stages in captivity and the wild, (ii) tadpole skin bacteria before and after reintroduction to the wild, and (iii) adult skin bacteria during reintroduction to the wild. We demonstrated that differences occur across skin, fecal, and mouth bacterial communities in captive versus wild boreal toads, and that the degree of difference depends on developmental stage. Skin bacterial communities from captive tadpoles were more similar to their wild counterparts than captive post-metamorphic individuals were to their wild counterparts. When captive-reared tadpoles were introduced to a wild site, their skin bacteria changed rapidly to resemble wild tadpoles. Similarly, the skin bacterial communities of reintroduced adult boreal toads also shifted to resemble those of wild toads. Our results indicate that a clear microbial signature of captivity in amphibians does not persist after release into natural habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Korpita
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Erin L Muths
- United States Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave. Bldg C, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Mary Kay Watry
- National Park Service, Rocky Mountain National Park, 1000 US Highway 36, Estes Park, CO, 80517, USA
| | - Valerie J McKenzie
- Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
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4
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Ramírez-Barahona S, González-Serrano FM, Martínez-Ugalde E, Soto-Pozos A, Parra-Olea G, Rebollar EA. Host phylogeny and environment shape the diversity of salamander skin bacterial communities. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:52. [PMID: 37828573 PMCID: PMC10571319 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00271-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The composition and diversity of animal-associated microbial communities are shaped by multiple ecological and evolutionary processes acting at different spatial and temporal scales. Skin microbiomes are thought to be strongly influenced by the environment due to the direct interaction of the host's skin with the external media. As expected, the diversity of amphibian skin microbiomes is shaped by climate and host sampling habitats, whereas phylogenetic effects appear to be weak. However, the relative strength of phylogenetic and environmental effects on salamander skin microbiomes remains poorly understood. Here, we analysed sequence data from 1164 adult salamanders of 44 species to characterise and compare the diversity and composition of skin bacteria. We assessed the relative contribution of climate, host sampling habitat, and host phylogeny to the observed patterns of bacterial diversity. We found that bacterial alpha diversity was mainly associated with host sampling habitat and climate, but that bacterial beta diversity was more strongly associated with host taxonomy and phylogeny. This phylogenetic effect predominantly occurred at intermediate levels of host divergence (0-50 Mya). Our results support the importance of environmental factors shaping the diversity of salamander skin microbiota, but also support host phylogenetic history as a major factor shaping these bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ramírez-Barahona
- Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - F M González-Serrano
- 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
| | - A Soto-Pozos
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - G Parra-Olea
- Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - E A Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
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5
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Santos B, Martins FMS, Sabino-Pinto J, Licata F, Crottini A. Skin and gut microbiomes of tadpoles vary differently with host and water environment: a short-term experiment using 16S metabarcoding. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16321. [PMID: 37770544 PMCID: PMC10539280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43340-2] [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: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The host-microbiome community is influenced by several host and environmental factors. In order to disentangle the individual effects of host and environment, we performed a laboratory experiment to assess the effects of the exposure to different water sources on the skin and gut microbiome of two amphibian species (Pelophylax perezi and Bufo spinosus). We observed that the bacterial communities greatly varied with water environment and host identity. Tadpoles of B. spinosus collected from a waterbody with poorer bacterial diversity exhibited a more diverse skin and gut microbiome after exposed to a richer water source. Tadpoles of P. perezi, originally collected from a richer water environment, exhibited less marked alterations in diversity patterns independently of the water source but showed alterations in gut composition. These results highlight that environment alterations, such as the water source, combined with the host effect, impact the microbiome of amphibian species in different ways; the population history (e.g., previous water environment and habitat) of the host species may also influence future alterations on tadpole microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Santos
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Filipa M S Martins
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Joana Sabino-Pinto
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Fulvio Licata
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Angelica Crottini
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002, Porto, Portugal
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Pereira KE, Bletz MC, McCartney JA, Woodhams DC, Woodley SK. Effects of exogenous elevation of corticosterone on immunity and the skin microbiome of eastern newts ( Notophthalmus viridescens). Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220120. [PMID: 37305906 PMCID: PMC10258667 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0120] [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: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) threatens salamander biodiversity. The factors underlying Bsal susceptibility may include glucocorticoid hormones (GCs). The effects of GCs on immunity and disease susceptibility are well studied in mammals, but less is known in other groups, including salamanders. We used Notophthalmus viridescens (eastern newts) to test the hypothesis that GCs modulate salamander immunity. We first determined the dose required to elevate corticosterone (CORT; primary GC in amphibians) to physiologically relevant levels. We then measured immunity (neutrophil lymphocyte ratios, plasma bacterial killing ability (BKA), skin microbiome, splenocytes, melanomacrophage centres (MMCs)) and overall health in newts following treatment with CORT or an oil vehicle control. Treatments were repeated for a short (two treatments over 5 days) or long (18 treatments over 26 days) time period. Contrary to our predictions, most immune and health parameters were similar for CORT and oil-treated newts. Surprisingly, differences in BKA, skin microbiome and MMCs were observed between newts subjected to short- and long-term treatments, regardless of treatment type (CORT, oil vehicle). Taken together, CORT does not appear to be a major factor contributing to immunity in eastern newts, although more studies examining additional immune factors are necessary. This article is part of the theme issue 'Amphibian immunity: stress, disease and ecoimmunology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenzie E. Pereira
- Department of Biology, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA
| | - Molly C. Bletz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Julia A. McCartney
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Douglas C. Woodhams
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Sarah K. Woodley
- Department of Biology, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA
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7
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Tornabene BJ, Smalling KL, Givens CE, Oja EB, Hossack BR. Energy-related wastewater contamination alters microbial communities of sediment, water, and amphibian skin. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163160. [PMID: 37003337 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
To inform responsible energy development, it is important to understand the ecological effects of contamination events. Wastewaters, a common byproduct of oil and gas extraction, often contain high concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) and heavy metals (e.g., strontium and vanadium). These constituents can negatively affect aquatic organisms, but there is scarce information for how wastewaters influence potentially distinct microbiomes in wetland ecosystems. Additionally, few studies have concomitantly investigated effects of wastewaters on the habitat (water and sediment) and skin microbiomes of amphibians or relationships among these microbial communities. We sampled microbiomes of water, sediment, and skin of four larval amphibian species across a gradient of chloride contamination (0.04-17,500 mg/L Cl) in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. We detected 3129 genetic phylotypes and 68 % of those phylotypes were shared among the three sample types. The most common shared phylotypes were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Salinity of wastewaters increased dissimilarity within all three microbial communities, but not the diversity or richness of water and skin microbial communities. Strontium was associated with lower diversity and richness of sediment microbial communities, but not those of water or amphibian skin, likely because metal deposition occurs in sediment when wetlands dry. Based on Bray Curtis distance matrices, sediment microbiomes were similar to those of water, but neither had substantial overlap with amphibian microbiomes. Species identity was the strongest predictor of amphibian microbiomes; frog microbiomes were similar but differed from that of the salamander, whose microbiome had the lowest richness and diversity. Understanding how effects of wastewaters on the dissimilarity, richness, and diversity of microbial communities also influence the ecosystem function of communities will be an important next step. However, our study provides novel insight into the characteristics of, and associations among, different wetland microbial communities and effects of wastewaters from energy production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Tornabene
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
| | - Kelly L Smalling
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, 3450 Princeton Pike, Suite 110, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA
| | - Carrie E Givens
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 5840 Enterprise Drive, Lansing, MI 48911, USA
| | - Emily B Oja
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Blake R Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT 59812, USA; Wildlife Biology Program, W. A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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8
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Anastas ZM, Byrne PG, O'Brien JK, Hobbs RJ, Upton R, Silla AJ. The Increasing Role of Short-Term Sperm Storage and Cryopreservation in Conserving Threatened Amphibian Species. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2094. [PMID: 37443891 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Multidisciplinary approaches to conserve threatened species are required to curb biodiversity loss. Globally, amphibians are facing the most severe declines of any vertebrate class. In response, conservation breeding programs have been established in a growing number of amphibian species as a safeguard against further extinction. One of the main challenges to the long-term success of conservation breeding programs is the maintenance of genetic diversity, which, if lost, poses threats to the viability and adaptive potential of at-risk populations. Integrating reproductive technologies into conservation breeding programs can greatly assist genetic management and facilitate genetic exchange between captive and wild populations, as well as reinvigorate genetic diversity from expired genotypes. The generation of offspring produced via assisted fertilisation using frozen-thawed sperm has been achieved in a small but growing number of amphibian species and is poised to be a valuable tool for the genetic management of many more threatened species globally. This review discusses the role of sperm storage in amphibian conservation, presents the state of current technologies for the short-term cold storage and cryopreservation of amphibian sperm, and discusses the generation of cryo-derived offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zara M Anastas
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Phillip G Byrne
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Justine K O'Brien
- Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
| | - Rebecca J Hobbs
- Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia
| | - Rose Upton
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Aimee J Silla
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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9
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Loudon AH, Terrell KA, Davis RW, Umile TP, Lipps GJ, Greathouse J, Chapman E, Roblee K, Kleopfer JD, Bales EK, Hyman OJ, Harris RN, Minbiole KPC. Metabolite compositions on skins of eastern hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis differ with location and captivity. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2023; 153:9-16. [PMID: 36727687 DOI: 10.3354/dao03715] [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: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Eastern hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis, large aquatic salamanders, are declining over most of their range. The amphibian-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has contributed to global amphibian declines and has been detected on eastern hellbenders, but infection intensities were lower than those of species that are more susceptible to Bd. The factors limiting Bd on hellbenders may include antifungal metabolites produced by their skin microbiota. We used a metabolite fingerprinting technique to noninvasively identify the presence, but not identity, of metabolites associated with eastern hellbenders. We surveyed the skin of wild eastern hellbenders to test whether the composition and richness (i.e. number of metabolites) of their metabolites are explained by Bd status or location. Furthermore, we surveyed for metabolites on captive eastern hellbenders to test whether metabolite compositions were different between captive and wild eastern hellbenders. Bd detection was not associated with either metabolite richness or composition. Both metabolite composition and richness differed significantly on hellbenders from different locations (i.e. states). For metabolite composition, there was a statistical interaction between location and Bd status. Metabolite richness was greater on captive eastern hellbenders compared to wild hellbenders, and metabolite compositions differed between wild and captive eastern hellbenders. The methods we employed to detect metabolite profiles effectively grouped individuals by location even though metabolite composition and richness have high levels of intraspecific variation. Understanding the drivers and functional consequences of assemblages of skin metabolites on amphibian health will be an important step toward understanding the mechanisms that result in disease vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Loudon
- Biology Department, Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R 5S5, Canada
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10
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Fieschi-Méric L, Van Leeuwen P, Hopkins K, Bournonville M, Denoël M, Lesbarrères D. Strong restructuration of skin microbiota during captivity challenges ex-situ conservation of amphibians. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1111018. [PMID: 36891392 PMCID: PMC9986596 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1111018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In response to the current worldwide amphibian extinction crisis, conservation instances have encouraged the establishment of ex-situ collections for endangered species. The resulting assurance populations are managed under strict biosecure protocols, often involving artificial cycles of temperature and humidity to induce active and overwintering phases, which likely affect the bacterial symbionts living on the amphibian skin. However, the skin microbiota is an important first line of defense against pathogens that can cause amphibian declines, such as the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Determining whether current husbandry practices for assurance populations might deplete amphibians from their symbionts is therefore essential to conservation success. Here, we characterize the effect of the transitions from the wild to captivity, and between aquatic and overwintering phases, on the skin microbiota of two newt species. While our results confirm differential selectivity of skin microbiota between species, they underscore that captivity and phase-shifts similarly affect their community structure. More specifically, the translocation ex-situ is associated with rapid impoverishment, decrease in alpha diversity and strong species turnover of bacterial communities. Shifts between active and overwintering phases also cause changes in the diversity and composition of the microbiota, and on the prevalence of Bd-inhibitory phylotypes. Altogether, our results suggest that current husbandry practices strongly restructure the amphibian skin microbiota. Although it remains to be determined whether these changes are reversible or have deleterious effects on their hosts, we discuss methods to limit microbial diversity loss ex-situ and emphasize the importance of integrating bacterial communities to applied amphibian conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Fieschi-Méric
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians (LECA), Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Biology Department, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | | | - Kevin Hopkins
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Bournonville
- Aquarium-Muséum de l'Université de Liège, Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), Liège, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Denoël
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians (LECA), Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - David Lesbarrères
- Biology Department, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.,Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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11
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Feng J, Zhu W, Jiang J, Zhao C, Sun Z, Jiang W, Luo Q, Zhao T. Reintroduction modifies the intraspecific variations of symbiotic microbes in captive bred Chinese giant salamander. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1062604. [DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1062604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms play as fundamental contributors to maintain hosts’ fitness, which can be shaped by external environment. Moreover, symbiotic microbiome also varied within species (e.g., between sexes and developmental stages). However, we still need more studies to quantify whether the intraspecific variation patterns of symbiotic microbes can be modified with the change of environment. The Chinese giant salamander (CGS; Andrias davidianus) is a Critically Endangered species. Despite quantitative captive bred individuals were released to rebuild wild populations, the effectiveness is limited. More importantly, no studies have revealed the adaptation of released CGSs to the complex field conditions. In the present study, we explored whether reintroduction can reshape the intraspecific variations of symbiotic microbiota in captive bred CGSs using high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the16S rRNA gene. We found no significant difference of symbiotic microbiome in captive bred males and females, but released males and females differed significantly in skin microbiome. Juveniles had higher diversity of microbial symbiont than adults in hatchery, but lower diversity in field. Moreover, dominant bacterial taxa differed between juveniles and adults in both hatchery and field. Importantly, this symbiotic microbiome variations within species can be modified (alpha and beta diversity, and community composition) when captive bred individuals were released to the field. Overall, we observed a lower alpha diversity and higher relative abundance of Chryseobacterium, Plesiomonas, and Acinetobacter in the bacterial community of captive bred individuals. Instead, higher alpha diversity of symbiotic microbiota and higher relative abundance of S24-7 and Lactobacillus was detected in released individuals. These modifications may associate with the change of living environment, as well as the specific behavior within CGSs (e.g., movement patterns and foraging activities). Future studies can incorporate other approaches (e.g., blood physiology) to better evaluate the growth and health of reintroduced CGSs.
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12
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Estrada A, Medina D, Gratwicke B, Ibáñez R, Belden LK. Body condition, skin bacterial communities and disease status: insights from the first release trial of the limosa harlequin frog,
Atelopus limosus. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220586. [PMID: 35858072 PMCID: PMC9277274 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many endangered amphibian species survive in captive breeding facilities, but there have been few attempts to reintroduce captive-born individuals to rebuild wild populations. We conducted a soft-release trial of limosa harlequin frogs,
Atelopus limosus,
which are highly susceptible to the amphibian chytrid fungus
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
(Bd), to understand changes associated with the transition from captivity to the wild. Specifically, we assessed changes in body condition, skin-associated bacterial communities and disease status after release. Frogs were housed individually in field mesocosms and monitored for 27 days. Body condition did not significantly change in the mesocosms, and was similar to, or higher than, that of wild conspecifics at day 27. The skin bacteria of captive-born frogs, based on 16S rRNA gene amplicons, became similar to that of wild conspecifics after 27 days in mesocosms. Prevalence of Bd in wild conspecifics was 13–27%, and 15% of the
A. limosus
in mesocosms became infected with Bd, but no mortality of infected frogs was observed. We conclude that mesocosms are suitable for systematically and repeatedly monitoring amphibians during release trials, and that body condition, the skin microbiome, and Bd status can all change within one month of placement of captive-born individuals back into the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angie Estrada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0131, USA
| | - Daniel Medina
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0131, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Panama
| | - Brian Gratwicke
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Roberto Ibáñez
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Panama
| | - Lisa K. Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0131, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
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13
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Buttimer S, Hernández-Gómez O, Rosenblum EB. Skin bacterial metacommunities of San Francisco Bay Area salamanders are structured by host genus and habitat quality. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2021; 97:6464136. [PMID: 34918086 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiab162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-associated microbial communities can influence physiological processes of macroorganisms, including contributing to infectious disease resistance. For instance, some bacteria that live on amphibian skin produce antifungal compounds that inhibit two lethal fungal pathogens, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal). Therefore, differences in microbiome composition among host species or populations within a species can contribute to variation in susceptibility to Bd/Bsal. This study applies 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the skin bacterial microbiomes of three widespread terrestrial salamander genera native to the western United States. Using a metacommunity structure analysis, we identified dispersal barriers for these influential bacteria between salamander families and localities. We also analyzed the effects of habitat characteristics such as percent natural cover and temperature seasonality on the microbiome. We found that certain environmental variables may influence the skin microbial communities of some salamander genera more strongly than others. Each salamander family had a somewhat distinct community of putative anti-Bd skin bacteria, suggesting that salamanders may select for a functional assembly of cutaneous symbionts that could differ in its ability to protect these amphibians from disease. Our observations raise the need to consider host identity and environmental heterogeneity during the selection of probiotics to treat wildlife diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Buttimer
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management - The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.,Department of Biological Sciences - The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, U.S.A
| | - Obed Hernández-Gómez
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management - The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.,School of Health and Natural Sciences - Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA, U.S.A
| | - Erica Bree Rosenblum
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management - The University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A
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14
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Ibáñez A, Bletz MC, Quezada G, Geffers R, Jarek M, Vences M, Steinfartz S. No impact of a short-term climatic "El Niño" fluctuation on gut microbial diversity in populations of the Galápagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:7. [PMID: 33528676 PMCID: PMC7854437 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-020-01714-w] [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: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Gut microorganisms are crucial for many biological functions playing a pivotal role in the host's well-being. We studied gut bacterial community structure of marine iguana populations across the Galápagos archipelago. Marine iguanas depend heavily on their specialized gut microbiome for the digestion of dietary algae, a resource whose growth was strongly reduced by severe "El Niño"-related climatic fluctuations in 2015/2016. As a consequence, marine iguana populations showed signs of starvation as expressed by a poor body condition. Body condition indices (BCI) varied between island populations indicating that food resources (i.e., algae) are affected differently across the archipelago during 'El Niño' events. Though this event impacted food availability for marine iguanas, we found that reductions in body condition due to "El Niño"-related starvation did not result in differences in bacterial gut community structure. Species richness of gut microorganisms was instead correlated with levels of neutral genetic diversity in the distinct host populations. Our data suggest that marine iguana populations with a higher level of gene diversity and allelic richness may harbor a more diverse gut microbiome than those populations with lower genetic diversity. Since low values of these diversity parameters usually correlate with small census and effective population sizes, we use our results to propose a novel hypothesis according to which small and genetically less diverse host populations might be characterized by less diverse microbiomes. Whether such genetically depauperate populations may experience additional threats from reduced dietary flexibility due to a limited intestinal microbiome is currently unclear and calls for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Ibáñez
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany. .,Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Molly C Bletz
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Galo Quezada
- Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador
| | - Robert Geffers
- Department of Genome Analytics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Jarek
- Department of Genome Analytics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sebastian Steinfartz
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany. .,Institute of Biology, Molecular Evolution and Systematics of Animals, University of Leipzig, Talstrasse 33, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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15
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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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16
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Lemieux-Labonté V, Dorville NASY, Willis CKR, Lapointe FJ. Antifungal Potential of the Skin Microbiota of Hibernating Big Brown Bats ( Eptesicus fuscus) Infected With the Causal Agent of White-Nose Syndrome. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1776. [PMID: 32793178 PMCID: PMC7390961 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about skin microbiota in the context of the disease white-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), that has caused enormous declines of hibernating North American bats over the past decade. Interestingly, some hibernating species, such as the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), appear resistant to the disease and their skin microbiota could play a role. However, a comprehensive analysis of the skin microbiota of E. fuscus in the context of Pd has not been done. In January 2017, we captured hibernating E. fuscus, sampled their skin microbiota, and inoculated them with Pd or sham inoculum. We allowed the bats to hibernate in the lab under controlled conditions for 11 weeks and then sampled their skin microbiota to test the following hypotheses: (1) Pd infection would not disrupt the skin microbiota of Pd-resistant E. fuscus; and (2) microbial taxa with antifungal properties would be abundant both before and after inoculation with Pd. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we discovered that beta diversity of Pd-inoculated bats changed more over time than that of sham-inoculated bats. Still, the most abundant taxa in the community were stable throughout the experiment. Among the most abundant taxa, Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus are known for antifungal potential against Pd and other fungi. Thus, in contrast to hypothesis 1, Pd infection destabilized the skin microbiota but consistent with hypothesis 2, bacteria with known antifungal properties remained abundant and stable on the skin. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive survey of skin microbiota of E. fuscus, suggesting potential associations between the bat skin microbiota and resistance to the Pd infection and WNS. These results set the stage for future studies to characterize microbiota gene expression, better understand mechanisms of resistance to WNS, and help develop conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole A. S.-Y. Dorville
- Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Craig K. R. Willis
- Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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17
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Tong Q, Du XP, Hu ZF, Cui LY, Bie J, Zhang QZ, Xiao JH, Lin Y, Wang HB. Comparison of the gut microbiota of Rana amurensis and Rana dybowskii under natural winter fasting conditions. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 366:5645232. [PMID: 31778183 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rana amurensis and R. dybowskii occupy similar habitats. As temperatures decrease with the onset of winter, both species migrate to ponds for hibernation. Our goal was to determine whether different species possess different intestinal microbiota under natural winter fasting conditions. We used high-throughput Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene sequences to analyse the diversity of intestinal microbes in the two species. The dominant gut bacterial phyla in both species were Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size revealed significant enrichment of Proteobacteria in R. amurensis and Firmicutes in R. dybowskii. There were significant differences in the gut microbiota composition between the species. The core operational taxonomic unit numbers in R. amurensis and R. dybowskii shared by the two species were 106, 100 and 36. This study indicates that the intestinal bacterial communities of the two frog species are clearly different. Phylum-level analysis showed that R. amurensis was more abundant in Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia than R. dybowskii was This is the first study of the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota of these two species, providing important insights for future research on the gut microbiota and the role of these bacterial communities in frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Tong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.,Hejiang Forestry Research Institute of Heilongjiang Province, Jiamusi, China
| | - Xiao-Peng Du
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Zong-Fu Hu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Li-Yong Cui
- Hejiang Forestry Research Institute of Heilongjiang Province, Jiamusi, China
| | - Jia Bie
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Qian-Zhen Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Jian-Hua Xiao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Yu Lin
- Shenzhen Withsum Technology Limited, Shenzhen 518031, China
| | - Hong-Bin Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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18
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Bernardo-Cravo AP, Schmeller DS, Chatzinotas A, Vredenburg VT, Loyau A. Environmental Factors and Host Microbiomes Shape Host-Pathogen Dynamics. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:616-633. [PMID: 32402837 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms are increasingly recognized as ecosystem-relevant components because they affect the population dynamics of hosts. Functioning at the interface of the host and pathogen, skin and gut microbiomes are vital components of immunity. Recent work reveals a strong influence of biotic and abiotic environmental factors (including the environmental microbiome) on disease dynamics, yet the importance of the host-host microbiome-pathogen-environment interaction has been poorly reflected in theory. We use amphibians and the disease chytridiomycosis caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis to show how interactions between host, host microbiome, pathogen, and the environment all affect disease outcome. Our review provides new perspectives that improve our understanding of disease dynamics and ecology by incorporating environmental factors and microbiomes into disease theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana P Bernardo-Cravo
- ECOLAB, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dirk S Schmeller
- ECOLAB, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France.
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany; Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Vance T Vredenburg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Adeline Loyau
- ECOLAB, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France; Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Alte Fischerhütte 2, Stechlin, D-16775, Germany
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19
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Kostanjšek R, Prodan Y, Stres B, Trontelj P. Composition of the cutaneous bacterial community of a cave amphibian, Proteus anguinus. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2020; 95:5288338. [PMID: 30649314 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The European cave salamander Proteus anguinus is a charismatic amphibian endemic to the concealed and inaccessible subterranean waters of the Dinaric Karst. Despite its exceptional conservation importance not much is known about its ecology and interactions with the groundwater microbiome. The cutaneous microbiota of amphibians is an important driver of metabolic capabilities and immunity, and thus a key factor in their wellbeing and survival. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing based on seven variable regions to examine the bacteriome of the skin of five distinct evolutionary lineages of P. anguinus and in their groundwater environment. The skin bacteriomes turned out to be strongly filtered subsamples of the environmental microbial community. The resident microbiota of the analyzed individuals was dominated by five bacterial taxa. Despite an indicated functional redundancy, the cutaneous bacteriome of P. anguinus presumably provides protection against invading microbes by occupying the niche, and thus could serve as an indicator of health status. Besides conservation implications for P. anguinus, our results provide a baseline for future studies on other endangered neotenic salamanders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rok Kostanjšek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ylenia Prodan
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Blaž Stres
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Institute of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Laboratory of Cell Toxinology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Peter Trontelj
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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20
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Woodhams DC, Bletz MC, Becker CG, Bender HA, Buitrago-Rosas D, Diebboll H, Huynh R, Kearns PJ, Kueneman J, Kurosawa E, LaBumbard BC, Lyons C, McNally K, Schliep K, Shankar N, Tokash-Peters AG, Vences M, Whetstone R. Host-associated microbiomes are predicted by immune system complexity and climate. Genome Biol 2020; 21:23. [PMID: 32014020 PMCID: PMC6996194 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-019-1908-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Host-associated microbiomes, the microorganisms occurring inside and on host surfaces, influence evolutionary, immunological, and ecological processes. Interactions between host and microbiome affect metabolism and contribute to host adaptation to changing environments. Meta-analyses of host-associated bacterial communities have the potential to elucidate global-scale patterns of microbial community structure and function. It is possible that host surface-associated (external) microbiomes respond more strongly to variations in environmental factors, whereas internal microbiomes are more tightly linked to host factors. RESULTS Here, we use the dataset from the Earth Microbiome Project and accumulate data from 50 additional studies totaling 654 host species and over 15,000 samples to examine global-scale patterns of bacterial diversity and function. We analyze microbiomes from non-captive hosts sampled from natural habitats and find patterns with bioclimate and geophysical factors, as well as land use, host phylogeny, and trophic level/diet. Specifically, external microbiomes are best explained by variations in mean daily temperature range and precipitation seasonality. In contrast, internal microbiomes are best explained by host factors such as phylogeny/immune complexity and trophic level/diet, plus climate. CONCLUSIONS Internal microbiomes are predominantly associated with top-down effects, while climatic factors are stronger determinants of microbiomes on host external surfaces. Host immunity may act on microbiome diversity through top-down regulation analogous to predators in non-microbial ecosystems. Noting gaps in geographic and host sampling, this combined dataset represents a global baseline available for interrogation by future microbial ecology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas C. Woodhams
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building – 401, 0843-03092 Panamá, Panama
| | - Molly C. Bletz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - C. Guilherme Becker
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 USA
| | - Hayden A. Bender
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Daniel Buitrago-Rosas
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building – 401, 0843-03092 Panamá, Panama
| | - Hannah Diebboll
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Roger Huynh
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Patrick J. Kearns
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Jordan Kueneman
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Ave. Tupper Building – 401, 0843-03092 Panamá, Panama
| | - Emmi Kurosawa
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | | | - Casandra Lyons
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Kerry McNally
- School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125 USA
- Animal Health Department, New England Aquarium, Boston, MA 02110 USA
| | - Klaus Schliep
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Nachiket Shankar
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Amanda G. Tokash-Peters
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
- Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management, University of Rwanda, RN1, Butare, Rwanda
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Braunschweig University of Technology, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ross Whetstone
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
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21
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Bie J, Tong Q, Liu X, Zhang X, Wang H. Comparative analysis of cutaneous bacterial communities of farmed Rana dybowskii after gentamycin bath. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8430. [PMID: 31998565 PMCID: PMC6977512 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pathogenic bacteria limit the success of Rana dybowskii breeding. Gentamicin is used to treat R. dybowskii disease. To understand the effects of gentamicin on the composition and structure of the cutaneous bacterial community of R. dybowskii, three groups (control, gentamicin and recovery) were established in this study. Materials & Methods The V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was analyzed in samples by high-throughput sequencing. Alpha diversity and beta diversity were evaluated to compare the cutaneous bacterial community diversity. Results A total of 1,159,668 valid sequences and 3,132 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained from these three experimental groups. The number of OTUs obtained in the control group, gentamicin group and recovery group were 2,194, 2,288, and 2,047, respectively, and the number of shared OTUs was 1,313. The alpha diversity of the cutaneous bacterial community was not significantly affected by gentamicin, while beta diversity was significantly affected. Discussion & Conclusions The effect of a gentamicin bath on relative species abundance was greater than the effect on the species composition. The changes in Proteobacteria, Acinetobacter, and Chryseobacterium were significant, and reductions were observed after the recovery period. Six potentially pathogenic genera were detected, including Aeromonas, Citrobacter, Chryseobacterium, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. Among them, Aeromonas and Chryseobacterium were significantly inhibited by the gentamicin bath. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the application of gentamicin in R. dybowskii breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Bie
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Qing Tong
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaoning Liu
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | | | - Hongbin Wang
- Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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22
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Kenison EK, Hernández-Gómez O, Williams RN. A novel bioaugmentation technique effectively increases the skin-associated microbial diversity of captive eastern hellbenders. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa040. [PMID: 32431814 PMCID: PMC7221235 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Captive environments are maintained in hygienic ways that lack free-flowing microbes found in animals' natural environments. As a result, captive animals often have depauperate host-associated microbial communities compared to conspecifics in the wild and may have increased disease susceptibility and reduced immune function. Eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) have suffered precipitous population declines over the past few decades. To bolster populations, eastern hellbenders are reared in captivity before being translocated to the wild. However, the absence of natural microbial reservoirs within the captive environment diminishes the diversity of skin-associated bacteria on hellbender skin and may negatively influence their ability to defend against pathogenic species once they are released into the wild. To prepare hellbenders for natural bacteria found in riverine environments, we devised a novel bioaugmentation method to increase the diversity of skin microbial communities within a captive setting. We exposed juvenile hellbenders to increasing amounts of river water over 5 weeks before translocating them to the river. We genetically identified and phylogenetically compared bacteria collected from skin swabs and river water for alpha (community richness) and beta (community composition) diversity estimates. We found that hellbenders exposed to undiluted river water in captivity had higher alpha diversity and distinct differentiation in the community composition on their skin, compared to hellbenders only exposed to well water. We also found strong evidence that hellbender skin microbiota is host-specific rather than environmentally driven and is colonized by rare environmental operational taxonomic units in river water. This technique may increase hellbender translocation success as increasing microbial diversity is often correlated with elevated disease resistance. Future work is necessary to refine our methods, investigate the relationship between microbial diversity and hellbender health and understand how this bioaugmentation technique influences hellbenders' survival following translocation from captivity into the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin K Kenison
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83706, USA
- Corresponding author: Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Boise, ID 83706, USA. Tel: (208) 685-6965.
| | - Obed Hernández-Gómez
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901, USA
| | - Rod N Williams
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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23
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Bletz MC, Bunk B, Spröer C, Biwer P, Reiter S, Rabemananjara FCE, Schulz S, Overmann J, Vences M. Amphibian skin-associated Pigmentiphaga: Genome sequence and occurrence across geography and hosts. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223747. [PMID: 31603945 PMCID: PMC6788695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial communities colonizing amphibian skin have been intensively studied due to their interactions with pathogenic chytrid fungi that are causing drastic amphibian population declines. Bacteria of the family Alcaligenaceae, and more specifically of the genus Pigmentiphaga, have been found to be associated specifically to arboreal frogs. Here we analyze their occurrence in a previously assembled global skin microbiome dataset from 205 amphibian species. Pigmentiphaga made up about 5% of the total number of reads in this global dataset. They were mostly found in unrelated arboreal frogs from Madagascar (Mantellidae and Hyperoliidae), but also occurred at low abundances on Neotropical frogs. Based on their 16S sequences, most of the sequences belong to a clade within Pigmentiphaga not assignable to any type strains of the five described species of the genus. One isolate from Madagascar clustered with Pigmentiphaga aceris (>99% sequence similarity on 16S rRNA gene level). Here, we report the full genome sequence of this bacterium which, based on 16S sequences of >97% similarity, has previously been found on human skin, floral nectar, tree sap, stream sediment and soil. Its genome consists of a single circular chromosome with 6,165,255 bp, 5,300 predicted coding sequences, 57 tRNA genes, and three rRNA operons. In comparison with other known Pigmentiphaga genomes it encodes a higher number of genes associated with environmental information processing and cellular processes. Furthermore, it has a biosynthetic gene cluster for a nonribosomal peptide syntethase, and bacteriocin biosynthetic genes can be found, but clusters for β-lactones present in other comparative Pigmentiphaga genomes are lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Bletz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universitt Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Boyke Bunk
- DSMZ, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Cathrin Spröer
- DSMZ, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Peter Biwer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Silke Reiter
- Institute for Insect Biotechnology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Schulz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- DSMZ, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
- Microbiology Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universitt Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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24
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Bates KA, Shelton JMG, Mercier VL, Hopkins KP, Harrison XA, Petrovan SO, Fisher MC. Captivity and Infection by the Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans Perturb the Amphibian Skin Microbiome. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1834. [PMID: 31507541 PMCID: PMC6716147 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerging fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is responsible for the catastrophic decline of European salamanders and poses a threat to amphibians globally. The amphibian skin microbiome can influence disease outcome for several host-pathogen systems, yet little is known of its role in Bsal infection. In addition, many experimental in-vivo amphibian disease studies to date have relied on specimens that have been kept in captivity for long periods without considering the influence of environment on the microbiome and how this may impact the host response to pathogen exposure. We characterized the impact of captivity and exposure to Bsal on the skin bacterial and fungal communities of two co-occurring European newt species, the smooth newt, Lissotriton vulgaris and the great-crested newt, Triturus cristatus. We show that captivity led to significant losses in bacterial and fungal diversity of amphibian skin, which may be indicative of a decline in microbe-mediated protection. We further demonstrate that in both L. vulgaris and T. cristatus, Bsal infection was associated with changes in the composition of skin bacterial communities with possible negative consequences to host health. Our findings advance current understanding of the role of host-associated microbiota in Bsal infection and highlight important considerations for ex-situ amphibian conservation programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran A Bates
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.,Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer M G Shelton
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria L Mercier
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin P Hopkins
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xavier A Harrison
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom.,College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Silviu O Petrovan
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Froglife, Peterborough, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew C Fisher
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Medina D, Hughey MC, Walke JB, Becker MH, Pontarelli K, Sun S, Badgley B, Belden LK. Amphibian skin fungal communities vary across host species and do not correlate with infection by a pathogenic fungus. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:2905-2920. [PMID: 31087743 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian population declines caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) have prompted studies on the bacterial community that resides on amphibian skin. However, studies addressing the fungal portion of these symbiont communities have lagged behind. Using ITS1 amplicon sequencing, we examined the fungal portion of the skin microbiome of temperate and tropical amphibian species currently coexisting with Bd in nature. We assessed cooccurrence patterns between bacterial and fungal OTUs using a subset of samples for which bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon data were also available. We determined that fungal communities were dominated by members of the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, and also by Chytridiomycota in the most aquatic amphibian species. Alpha diversity of the fungal communities differed across host species, and fungal community structure differed across species and regions. However, we did not find a correlation between fungal diversity/community structure and Bd infection, though we did identify significant correlations between Bd and specific OTUs. Moreover, positive bacterial-fungal cooccurrences suggest that positive interactions between these organisms occur in the skin microbiome. Understanding the ecology of amphibian skin fungi, and their interactions with bacteria will complement our knowledge of the factors influencing community assembly and the overall function of these symbiont communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Medina
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Myra C Hughey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,Department of Biology, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
| | - Jenifer B Walke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, USA
| | - Matthew H Becker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Shan Sun
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,College of Computing and Informatics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Brian Badgley
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Lisa K Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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26
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Hernández-Gómez O, Briggler JT, Williams RN. Captivity-Induced Changes in the Skin Microbial Communities of Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis). MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 77:782-793. [PMID: 30209587 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1258-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Variation in environmental conditions can result in disparate associations between hosts and microbial symbionts. As such, it is imperative to evaluate how environmental variables (e.g., habitat quality) can influence host-associated microbiome composition. Within wildlife conservation programs, captive conditions can negatively influence the establishment and maintenance of "wild-type" microbiotas within a host. Alternative microbial communities can result in the proliferation of disease among captive stock or upon reintroduction. Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) are a threatened salamander for which extensive captive management is currently employed. Using metabarcoding, we characterized the skin microbiota of wild and captive hellbenders from two subspecies in the state of Missouri, the eastern (C. a. alleganiensis) and the Ozark hellbender (C. a. bishopi). Both subspecies in our study included wild adults and captive juveniles that were collected from the wild as eggs. Our objectives were to investigate differences in the skin microbial communities' richness/diversity, composition, and functional profiles of microbes between wild and captive individuals. Captive eastern hellbenders possessed richer communities than wild cohorts, whereas the opposite pattern was observed within the Ozark subspecies. We found significant microbial community structure between wild and captive populations of both subspecies. Microbiota structure translated into differences in the predicted metagenome of wild and captive individuals as well. As such, we can expect captive hellbenders to experience alternative microbial structure and function upon reintroduction into the wild. Our study provides a baseline for the effect of captivity on the skin microbial communities of hellbenders, and highlights the need to incorporate microbiota management in current captive-rearing programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obed Hernández-Gómez
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California-Berkeley, 147 Hilgard Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Jeffrey T Briggler
- Missouri Department of Conservation, 2901 W. Truman Blvd, Jefferson City, MO, 65109, USA
| | - Rod N Williams
- Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 715 W. State St, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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27
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Kueneman JG, Bletz MC, McKenzie VJ, Becker CG, Joseph MB, Abarca JG, Archer H, Arellano AL, Bataille A, Becker M, Belden LK, Crottini A, Geffers R, Haddad CFB, Harris RN, Holden WM, Hughey M, Jarek M, Kearns PJ, Kerby JL, Kielgast J, Kurabayashi A, Longo AV, Loudon A, Medina D, Nuñez JJ, Perl RGB, Pinto-Tomás A, Rabemananjara FCE, Rebollar EA, Rodríguez A, Rollins-Smith L, Stevenson R, Tebbe CC, Vargas Asensio G, Waldman B, Walke JB, Whitfield SM, Zamudio KR, Zúñiga Chaves I, Woodhams DC, Vences M. Community richness of amphibian skin bacteria correlates with bioclimate at the global scale. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:381-389. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0798-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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28
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Pelych LN, Shellabarger W, Vassallo M, Noland E, Sledge D, Aquino SE. Ophthalmic findings in a captive population of Panamanian golden frogs:
Atelopus zeteki. Vet Ophthalmol 2019; 22:430-439. [DOI: 10.1111/vop.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Erica Noland
- Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan
| | - Dodd Sledge
- Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan
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29
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Varga JFA, Bui-Marinos MP, Katzenback BA. Frog Skin Innate Immune Defences: Sensing and Surviving Pathogens. Front Immunol 2019; 9:3128. [PMID: 30692997 PMCID: PMC6339944 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.03128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibian skin is a mucosal surface in direct and continuous contact with a microbially diverse and laden aquatic and/or terrestrial environment. As such, frog skin is an important innate immune organ and first line of defence against pathogens in the environment. Critical to the innate immune functions of frog skin are the maintenance of physical, chemical, cellular, and microbiological barriers and the complex network of interactions that occur across all the barriers. Despite the global decline in amphibian populations, largely as a result of emerging infectious diseases, we understand little regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the innate immune function of amphibian skin and defence against pathogens. In this review, we discuss the structure, cell composition and cellular junctions that contribute to the skin physical barrier, the antimicrobial peptide arsenal that, in part, comprises the chemical barrier, the pattern recognition receptors involved in recognizing pathogens and initiating innate immune responses in the skin, and the contribution of commensal microbes on the skin to pathogen defence. We briefly discuss the influence of environmental abiotic factors (natural and anthropogenic) and pathogens on the immunocompetency of frog skin defences. Although some aspects of frog innate immunity, such as antimicrobial peptides are well-studied; other components and how they contribute to the skin innate immune barrier, are lacking. Elucidating the complex network of interactions occurring at the interface of the frog's external and internal environments will yield insight into the crucial role amphibian skin plays in host defence and the environmental factors leading to compromised barrier integrity, disease, and host mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F A Varga
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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30
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Bie J, Liu X, Zhang X, Wang H. Detection and comparative analysis of cutaneous bacterial communities of farmed and wild Rana dybowskii (Amphibia: Anura). THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2019.1683627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. Bie
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - X. Liu
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - X. Zhang
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - H. Wang
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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31
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Christian K, Weitzman C, Rose A, Kaestli M, Gibb K. Ecological patterns in the skin microbiota of frogs from tropical Australia. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10510-10519. [PMID: 30464823 PMCID: PMC6238143 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbiota of frog skin can play an important role in protecting against diseases and parasites. The frog skin microbial community represents a complex mix of microbes that are promoted by the chemical environment of the frog skin and influenced by the animal's immediate past environment. The microbial communities of six species of frogs sampled from the campus of Charles Darwin University (CDU) were more similar within species than between species. The microbiota of the introduced cane toad (Rhinella marina) was most dissimilar among the species. Pairwise comparisons showed that the microbial communities of each species were different, except for the terrestrial Litoria nasuta and the arboreal L. rothii. The microbial communities of the six species were not related to ecological habit (arboreal or terrestrial), and neither was the alpha diversity of the microbes. The core microbes (defined as being on ≥90% of individuals of a species or group) were significantly different among all species, although 89 microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were core microbes for all six species at CDU. Two species, Rhinella marina and Litoria rothii, were sampled at additional sites approximately 10 and 30 km from CDU. The microbial communities and the core OTU composition were different among the sites, but there were nevertheless 194 (R. marina) and 181 (L. rothii) core OTUs present at all three sites. Thus, the core microbiota varied with respect to geographic range and sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Christian
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | | | - Alea Rose
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | - Mirjam Kaestli
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
| | - Karen Gibb
- Research Institute for the Environment and LivelihoodsCharles Darwin UniversityDarwinNorthern TerritoryAustralia
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32
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Comparing the bacterial communities of wild and captive golden mantella frogs: Implications for amphibian conservation. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205652. [PMID: 30379861 PMCID: PMC6209184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial communities are frequently found in symbiotic associations with most animal species. The characteristically moist amphibian skin provides a good environment for the growth of some species of bacteria; among these a few can act as a first line defense mechanism against infections. Amphibians in the wild have relatively high exposure to bacteria through environmental transmission and through interactions with different conspecifics, whilst in captivity animals interact with fewer individuals, as well as experiencing a less complex environment through which to obtain their bacterial community. Here we compared the skin microbiota of captive and wild Mantella aurantiaca to investigate whether the captive environment was affecting individuals' skin associated bacteria. This could have survivorship implications if captive animals had a different skin microbial community in comparison to wild counterparts and they were to be used in a reintroduction program. The microbial community were characterized through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing methodology. Analyses showed that captive individuals had significantly lower diversity of bacterial species and lower relative abundant microbiota when compared to wild populations; this could result in captive frogs released back to the wild probably has greater susceptibility to infections due to inadequate skin microbiota.
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33
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Abarca JG, Vargas G, Zuniga I, Whitfield SM, Woodhams DC, Kerby J, McKenzie VJ, Murillo-Cruz C, Pinto-Tomás AA. Assessment of Bacterial Communities Associated With the Skin of Costa Rican Amphibians at La Selva Biological Station. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2001. [PMID: 30233511 PMCID: PMC6129598 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibian skin is a suitable environment for rich communities of microorganisms, both beneficial and detrimental to the host. The amphibian cutaneous microbiota has been hypothesized to play an important role as symbionts, protecting their hosts against disease. Costa Rica has one of the most diverse assemblages of amphibians in the world and we know very little about the microbiota of these tropical animals. For comparison with other studies, we explore the diversity of the skin bacterial communities employing16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of swab samples from twelve species of frogs at La Selva Biological Station in Sarapiquí, Heredia province. The predominant phylum detected in our studies was Proteobacteria, followed by Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, with these three phyla representing 89.9% of the total bacterial taxa. At the family level, Sphingobacteriaceae and Comamonadaceae were highly represented among samples. Our results suggest that host species and host family are significant predictors of the variation in microbiota composition. This study helps set the foundation for future research about microbiota composition and resilience to unfavorable conditions, leading to improvement in managing strategies for endangered amphibian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan G. Abarca
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Gabriel Vargas
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ibrahim Zuniga
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Steven M. Whitfield
- Department of Conservation and Research, Zoo Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Douglas C. Woodhams
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, United States
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Jacob Kerby
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Valerie J. McKenzie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Catalina Murillo-Cruz
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Adrián A. Pinto-Tomás
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
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34
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Engel K, Sauer J, Jünemann S, Winkler A, Wibberg D, Kalinowski J, Tauch A, Caspers BA. Individual- and Species-Specific Skin Microbiomes in Three Different Estrildid Finch Species Revealed by 16S Amplicon Sequencing. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 76:518-529. [PMID: 29282519 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
An animals' body is densely populated with bacteria. Although a large number of investigations on physiological microbial colonisation have emerged in recent years, our understanding of the composition, ecology and function of the microbiota remains incomplete. Here, we investigated whether songbirds have an individual-specific skin microbiome that is similar across different body regions. We collected skin microbe samples from three different bird species (Taeniopygia gutatta, Lonchura striata domestica and Stagonopleura gutatta) at two body locations (neck region, preen gland area). To characterise the skin microbes and compare the bacterial composition, we used high-throughput 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. This method proved suitable for identifying the skin microbiome of birds, even though the bacterial load on the skin appeared to be relatively low. We found that across all species, the two evaluated skin areas of each individual harboured very similar microbial communities, indicative of an individual-specific skin microbiome. Despite experiencing the same environmental conditions and consuming the same diet, significant differences in the skin microbe composition were identified among the three species. The bird species differed both quantitatively and qualitatively regarding the observed bacterial taxa. Although each species harboured its own unique set of skin microbes, we identified a core skin microbiome among the studied species. As microbes are known to influence the host's body odour, our findings of an individual-specific skin microbiome might suggest that the skin microbiome in birds is involved in the odour production and could encode information on the host's genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Engel
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Chemical Signalling, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Jan Sauer
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Chemical Signalling, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Jünemann
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Sequenz 1, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
- Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Anika Winkler
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Sequenz 1, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Daniel Wibberg
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Sequenz 1, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jörn Kalinowski
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Sequenz 1, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Andreas Tauch
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Sequenz 1, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Research Group Chemical Signalling, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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Smith HK, Pasmans F, Dhaenens M, Deforce D, Bonte D, Verheyen K, Lens L, Martel A. Skin mucosome activity as an indicator of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans susceptibility in salamanders. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199295. [PMID: 30020936 PMCID: PMC6051575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently emerged fungal diseases, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) are an increasing threat to amphibians worldwide. In Europe, the threat of Bsal to salamander populations is demonstrated by the rapid decline of fire salamander populations in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Although most European urodelans are susceptible to infection in infection trials, recent evidence suggests marked interspecific differences in the course of infection, with potentially far reaching implications for salamander conservation. As a salamander's skin is the first line of defense against such pathogens, interspecific differences in innate immune function of the skin may explain differential susceptibility. Here we investigate if compounds present on a salamander's skin can kill Bsal spores and if there is variation among species. We used a non-invasive assay to compare killing ability of salamander mucosomes of four different species (captive and wild Salamandra salamandra and captive Ichtyosaura alpestris, Cynops pyrrhogaster and Lissotriton helveticus) by exposing Bsal zoospores to salamander mucosomes and determining spore survival. In all samples, zoospores were killed when exposed to mucosomes. Moreover, we saw a significant variation in this Bsal killing ability of mucosomes between different salamander host species. Our results indicate that mucosomes of salamanders might provide crucial skin protection against Bsal, and could explain why some species are more susceptible than others. This study represents a step towards better understanding host species variation in innate immune function and disease susceptibility in amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Keely Smith
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology & Avian Diseases, Ghent University, Salisburylaan, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Frank Pasmans
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology & Avian Diseases, Ghent University, Salisburylaan, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Maarten Dhaenens
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Ottergemsesteenweg, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dieter Deforce
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Ottergemsesteenweg, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dries Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Ghent University, Geraardsberge Steenweg, Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Department of Biology, Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat, Ghent, Belgium
| | - An Martel
- Wildlife Health Ghent, Department of Pathology, Bacteriology & Avian Diseases, Ghent University, Salisburylaan, Merelbeke, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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36
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Woodhams DC, LaBumbard BC, Barnhart KL, Becker MH, Bletz MC, Escobar LA, Flechas SV, Forman ME, Iannetta AA, Joyce MD, Rabemananjara F, Gratwicke B, Vences M, Minbiole KPC. Prodigiosin, Violacein, and Volatile Organic Compounds Produced by Widespread Cutaneous Bacteria of Amphibians Can Inhibit Two Batrachochytrium Fungal Pathogens. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 75:1049-1062. [PMID: 29119317 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1095-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic bacteria can produce secondary metabolites and volatile compounds that contribute to amphibian skin defense. Some of these symbionts have been used as probiotics to treat or prevent the emerging disease chytridiomycosis. We examined 20 amphibian cutaneous bacteria for the production of prodigiosin or violacein, brightly colored defense compounds that pigment the bacteria and have characteristic spectroscopic properties making them readily detectable, and evaluated the antifungal activity of these compounds. We detected violacein from all six isolates of Janthinobacterium lividum on frogs from the USA, Switzerland, and on captive frogs originally from Panama. We detected prodigiosin from five isolates of Serratia plymuthica or S. marcescens, but not from four isolates of S. fonticola or S. liquefaciens. All J. lividum isolates produced violacein when visibly purple, while prodigiosin was only detected on visibly red Serratia isolates. When applied to cultures of chytrid fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal), prodigiosin caused significant growth inhibition, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 10 and 50 μM, respectively. Violacein showed a MIC of 15 μM against both fungi and was slightly more active against Bsal than Bd at lower concentrations. Although neither violacein nor prodigiosin showed aerosol activity and is not considered a volatile organic compound (VOC), J. lividum and several Serratia isolates did produce antifungal VOCs. White Serratia isolates with undetectable prodigiosin levels could still inhibit Bd growth indicating additional antifungal compounds in their chemical arsenals. Similarly, J. lividum can produce antifungal compounds such as indole-3-carboxaldehyde in addition to violacein, and isolates are not always purple, or turn purple under certain growth conditions. When Serratia isolates were grown in the presence of cell-free supernatant (CFS) from the fungi, CFS from Bd inhibited growth of the prodigiosin-producing isolates, perhaps indicative of an evolutionary arms race; Bsal CFS did not inhibit bacterial growth. In contrast, growth of one J. lividum isolate was facilitated by CFS from both fungi. Isolates that grow and continue to produce antifungal compounds in the presence of pathogens may represent promising probiotics for amphibians infected or at risk of chytridiomycosis. In a global analysis, 89% of tested Serratia isolates and 82% of J. lividum isolates were capable of inhibiting Bd and these have been reported from anurans and caudates from five continents, indicating their widespread distribution and potential for host benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas C Woodhams
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA.
| | - Brandon C LaBumbard
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Kelly L Barnhart
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Matthew H Becker
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, USA
| | - Molly C Bletz
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Laura A Escobar
- School of Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, AA 56710, Colombia
| | - Sandra V Flechas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, AA 4976, Colombia
| | - Megan E Forman
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Anthony A Iannetta
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Maureen D Joyce
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | | | - Brian Gratwicke
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kevin P C Minbiole
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA.
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Guivier E, Martin JF, Pech N, Ungaro A, Chappaz R, Gilles A. Microbiota Diversity Within and Between the Tissues of Two Wild Interbreeding Species. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 75:799-810. [PMID: 28956100 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1077-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of microbiota as reproductive barriers or sources of adaptive novelty in the fundamental biological phenomenon of speciation is an exciting new challenge necessitating exploration of microbiota variation in wild interbreeding species. We focused on two interbreeding cyprinid species, Chondrostoma nasus and Parachondrostoma toxostoma, which have geographic distributions characterized by a mosaic of hybrid zones. We described microbiota diversity and composition in the three main teleost mucosal tissues, the skin, gills and gut, in the parental parapatric populations. We found that tissue type was the principal determinant of bacterial community composition. In particular, there was strong microbiota differentiation between external and internal tissues, with secondary discrimination between the two species. These findings suggest that specific environmental and genetic filters associated with each species have shaped the bacterial communities, potentially reflecting deterministic assemblages of bacteria. We defined the core microbiota common to both Chondrostoma species for each tissue, highlighting the occurrence of microbe-host genome interactions at this critical level for studies of the functional consequences of hybridization. Further investigations will explore to what extend these specific tissue-associated microbiota signatures could be profoundly altered in hybrids, with functional consequences for post-mating reproductive isolation in relation to environmental constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Guivier
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre Saint-Charles, 3 place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France.
| | | | - Nicolas Pech
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre Saint-Charles, 3 place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France
| | - Arnaud Ungaro
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre Saint-Charles, 3 place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France
| | - Rémi Chappaz
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre Saint-Charles, 3 place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France
| | - André Gilles
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre Saint-Charles, 3 place Victor Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France
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Abarca JG, Zuniga I, Ortiz-Morales G, Lugo A, Viquez-Cervilla M, Rodriguez-Hernandez N, Vázquez-Sánchez F, Murillo-Cruz C, Torres-Rivera EA, Pinto-Tomás AA, Godoy-Vitorino F. Characterization of the Skin Microbiota of the Cane Toad Rhinella cf. marina in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2624. [PMID: 29354109 PMCID: PMC5760547 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhinella marina is a toad native to South America that has been introduced in the Antilles, likely carrying high loads of microorganisms, potentially impacting local community diversity. The amphibian skin is involved in pathogen defense and its microbiota has been relatively well studied, however, research focusing on the cane toad microbiota is lacking. We hypothesize that the skin microbial communities will differ between toads inhabiting different geographical regions in Central America and the Caribbean. To test our hypothesis, we compared the microbiota of three populations of R. cf. marina toads, two from Costa Rican (native) and one Puerto Rican (exotic) locations. In Costa Rica, we collected 11 toads, 7 in Sarapiquí and 4 from Turrialba while in Puerto Rico, 10 animals were collected in Santa Ana. Separate swab samples were collected from the dorsal and ventral sites resulting in 42 samples. We found significant differences in the structure of the microbial communities between Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. We detected as much as 35 different phyla; however, communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. Alpha diversity and richness were significantly higher in toads from Puerto Rico and betadiversity revealed significant differences between the microbiota samples from the two countries. At the genus level, we found in Santa Ana, Puerto Rico, a high dominance of Kokuria, Niabella, and Rhodobacteraceae, while in Costa Rica we found Halomonas and Pseudomonas in Sarapiquí, and Acinetobacter and Citrobacter in Turrialba. This is the first report of Niabella associated with the amphibian skin. The core microbiome represented 128 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) mainly from five genera shared among all samples, which may represent the symbiotic Rhinella's skin. These results provide insights into the habitat-induced microbial changes facing this amphibian species. The differences in the microbial diversity in Puerto Rican toads compared to those in Costa Rica provide additional evidence of the geographically induced patterns in the amphibian skin microbiome, and highlight the importance of discussing the microbial tradeoffs in the colonization of new ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan G. Abarca
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Ibrahim Zuniga
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Gilmary Ortiz-Morales
- Department of Natural Sciences, Microbial Ecology and Genomics Laboratory, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Armando Lugo
- Department of Natural Sciences, Microbial Ecology and Genomics Laboratory, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Mariel Viquez-Cervilla
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Natalia Rodriguez-Hernandez
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Frances Vázquez-Sánchez
- Department of Natural Sciences, Microbial Ecology and Genomics Laboratory, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Catalina Murillo-Cruz
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Ernesto A. Torres-Rivera
- Department of Natural Sciences, Center for Environmental Education, Conservation and Interpretation, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Adrián A. Pinto-Tomás
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
- Department of Natural Sciences, Microbial Ecology and Genomics Laboratory, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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Abstract
Skin swabbing, a minimally invasive DNA sampling method recently proposed for adult amphibians, was tested on the dendrobatid frog Allobates femoralis. I compared DNA yield from skin swabs and toe clips by evaluating obtained DNA concentrations and purity of extracts, as well as amplification success using eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci. I also tested whether storing skin swabs for two months at −20°C affected the properties of the extract or microsatellite analysis. Results show that skin swabs of adult A. femoralis suffered from high contamination and yielded significantly lower DNA quality and quantity, resulting in insufficient genotyping success, than DNA obtained from toe clips. The relatively dry skin in dendrobatid frogs may have impeded the collection of sufficient viable cells, and the presence of skin alkaloids and microbiota in the frog mucus may lead to high contamination load of skin swabs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Ringler
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA.,Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.,Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
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40
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Prado-Irwin SR, Bird AK, Zink AG, Vredenburg VT. Intraspecific Variation in the Skin-Associated Microbiome of a Terrestrial Salamander. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2017; 74:745-756. [PMID: 28466089 PMCID: PMC5909955 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-0986-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Resident microbial communities living on amphibian skin can have significant effects on host health, yet the basic ecology of the host-microbiome relationship of many amphibian taxa is poorly understood. We characterized intraspecific variation in the skin microbiome of the salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii xanthoptica, a subspecies composed of four genetically distinct populations distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, USA. We found that salamanders from four geographically and genetically isolated populations harbor similar skin microbial communities, which are dominated by a common core set of bacterial taxa. Additionally, within a population, the skin microbiome does not appear to differ significantly between salamanders of different ages or sexes. In all cases, the salamander skin microbiomes were significantly different from those of the surrounding terrestrial environment. These results suggest that the relationship between E. e. xanthoptica salamanders and their resident skin microbiomes is conserved, possibly indicating a stable mutualism between the host and microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia R Prado-Irwin
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Alicia K Bird
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Andrew G Zink
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
| | - Vance T Vredenburg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94132, USA
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41
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Bletz MC, Archer H, Harris RN, McKenzie VJ, Rabemananjara FCE, Rakotoarison A, Vences M. Host Ecology Rather Than Host Phylogeny Drives Amphibian Skin Microbial Community Structure in the Biodiversity Hotspot of Madagascar. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1530. [PMID: 28861051 PMCID: PMC5563069 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Host-associated microbiotas of vertebrates are diverse and complex communities that contribute to host health. In particular, for amphibians, cutaneous microbial communities likely play a significant role in pathogen defense; however, our ecological understanding of these communities is still in its infancy. Here, we take advantage of the fully endemic and locally species-rich amphibian fauna of Madagascar to investigate the factors structuring amphibian skin microbiota on a large scale. Using amplicon-based sequencing, we evaluate how multiple host species traits and site factors affect host bacterial diversity and community structure. Madagascar is home to over 400 native frog species, all of which are endemic to the island; more than 100 different species are known to occur in sympatry within multiple rainforest sites. We intensively sampled frog skin bacterial communities, from over 800 amphibians from 89 species across 30 sites in Madagascar during three field visits, and found that skin bacterial communities differed strongly from those of the surrounding environment. Richness of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and phylogenetic diversity differed among host ecomorphs, with arboreal frogs exhibiting lower richness and diversity than terrestrial and aquatic frogs. Host ecomorphology was the strongest factor influencing microbial community structure, with host phylogeny and site parameters (latitude and elevation) explaining less but significant portions of the observed variation. Correlation analysis and topological congruency analyses revealed little to no phylosymbiosis for amphibian skin microbiota. Despite the observed geographic variation and low phylosymbiosis, we found particular OTUs that were differentially abundant between particular ecomorphs. For example, the genus Pigmentiphaga (Alcaligenaceae) was significantly enriched on arboreal frogs, Methylotenera (Methylophilaceae) was enriched on aquatic frogs, and Agrobacterium (Rhizobiaceae) was enriched on terrestrial frogs. The presence of shared bacterial OTUs across geographic regions for selected host genera suggests the presence of core microbial communities which in Madagascar, might be driven more strongly by a species’ preference for specific microhabitats than by the physical, physiological or biochemical properties of their skin. These results corroborate that both host and environmental factors are driving community assembly of amphibian cutaneous microbial communities, and provide an improved foundation for elucidating their role in disease resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C Bletz
- Zoological Institute, Technical University of BraunschweigBraunschweig, Germany.,Department of Biology, James Madison University, HarrisonburgVA, United States
| | - Holly Archer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO, United States
| | - Reid N Harris
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, HarrisonburgVA, United States
| | - Valerie J McKenzie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO, United States
| | | | - Andolalao Rakotoarison
- Zoological Institute, Technical University of BraunschweigBraunschweig, Germany.,Mention Biologie et Biodiversité Animale, University of AntananarivoAntananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technical University of BraunschweigBraunschweig, Germany
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Flechas SV, Blasco-Zúñiga A, Merino-Viteri A, Ramírez-Castañeda V, Rivera M, Amézquita A. The effect of captivity on the skin microbial symbionts in three Atelopus species from the lowlands of Colombia and Ecuador. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3594. [PMID: 28785515 PMCID: PMC5541920 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many amphibian species are at risk of extinction in their natural habitats due to the presence of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). For the most highly endangered species, captive assurance colonies have been established as an emergency measure to avoid extinction. Experimental research has suggested that symbiotic microorganisms in the skin of amphibians play a key role against Bd. While previous studies have addressed the effects of captivity on the cutaneous bacterial community, it remains poorly studied whether and how captive conditions affect the proportion of beneficial bacteria or their anti-Bd performance on amphibian hosts. In this study we sampled three amphibian species of the highly threatened genus, Atelopus, that remain in the wild but are also part of ex situ breeding programs in Colombia and Ecuador. Our goals were to (1) estimate the diversity of culturable bacterial assemblages in these three species of Atelopus, (2) describe the effect of captivity on the composition of skin microbiota, and (3) examine how captivity affects the bacterial ability to inhibit Bd growth. Using challenge assays we tested each bacterial isolate against Bd, and through sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we identified species from thirteen genera of bacteria that inhibited Bd growth. Surprisingly, we did not detect a reduction in skin bacteria diversity in captive frogs. Moreover, we found that frogs in captivity still harbor bacteria with anti-Bd activity. Although the scope of our study is limited to a few species and to the culturable portion of the bacterial community, our results indicate that captive programs do not necessarily change bacterial communities of the toad skins in a way that impedes the control of Bd in case of an eventual reintroduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra V Flechas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Ailin Blasco-Zúñiga
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Citogenética y Biomoléculas de Anfibios (LICBA), Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Andrés Merino-Viteri
- Museo de Zoología (QCAZ), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Miryan Rivera
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Citogenética y Biomoléculas de Anfibios (LICBA), Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Adolfo Amézquita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
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43
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Bletz MC, Perl RGB, Vences M. Skin microbiota differs drastically between co-occurring frogs and newts. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170107. [PMID: 28484639 PMCID: PMC5414276 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Diverse microbial assemblages inhabit amphibian skin and are known to differ among species; however, few studies have analysed these differences in systems that minimize confounding factors, such as season, location or host ecology. We used high-throughput amplicon sequencing to compare cutaneous microbiotas among two ranid frogs (Rana dalmatina, R. temporaria) and four salamandrid newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris, Lissotriton helveticus, L. vulgaris, Triturus cristatus) breeding simultaneously in two ponds near Braunschweig, Germany. We found that bacterial communities differed strongly and consistently between these two distinct amphibian clades. While frogs and newts had similar cutaneous bacterial richness, their bacterial composition strongly differed. Average Jaccard distances between frogs and newts were over 0.5, while between species within these groups distances were only 0.387 and 0.407 for frogs and newts, respectively. At the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level, 31 taxa exhibited significantly different relative abundances between frogs and newts. This finding suggests that chemical or physical characteristics of these amphibians' mucosal environments provide highly selective conditions for bacterial colonizers. Multi-omics analyses of hosts and their microbiota as well as directed efforts to understand chemical differences in the mucosal environments (e.g. pH), and the specificities of host-produced compounds against potential colonizers will help to better understand this intriguing pattern.
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44
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Sanchez E, Bletz MC, Duntsch L, Bhuju S, Geffers R, Jarek M, Dohrmann AB, Tebbe CC, Steinfartz S, Vences M. Cutaneous Bacterial Communities of a Poisonous Salamander: a Perspective from Life Stages, Body Parts and Environmental Conditions. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2017; 73:455-465. [PMID: 27677894 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-016-0863-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Amphibian skin provides a habitat for bacterial communities in its mucus. Understanding the structure and function of this "mucosome" in the European fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) is critical in the context of novel emerging pathogenic diseases. We compare the cutaneous bacterial communities of this species using amplicon-based sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region. Across 290 samples, over 4000 OTUs were identified, four of them consistently present in all samples. Larvae and post-metamorphs exhibited distinct cutaneous microbial communities. In adults, the parotoid gland surface had a community structure different from the head, dorsum, flanks and ventral side. Larvae from streams had higher phylogenetic diversity than those found in ponds. Their bacterial community structure also differed; species of Burkholderiaceae, Comamonadaceae, Methylophilaceae and Sphingomonadaceae were more abundant in pond larvae, possibly related to differences in factors like desiccation and decomposition rate in this environment. The observed differences in the cutaneous bacterial community among stages, body parts and habitats of fire salamanders suggest that both host and external factors shape these microbiota. We hypothesize that the variation in cutaneous bacterial communities might contribute to variation in pathogen susceptibility among individual salamanders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Sanchez
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Molly C Bletz
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Laura Duntsch
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sabin Bhuju
- Department of Genome Analytics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Robert Geffers
- Department of Genome Analytics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Jarek
- Department of Genome Analytics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anja B Dohrmann
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christoph C Tebbe
- Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sebastian Steinfartz
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 4, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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