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Vega-Yánez MA, Quezada-Riera AB, Rios-Touma B, Vizcaíno-Barba MDC, Millingalli W, Ganzino O, Coloma LA, Tapia EE, Dupérré N, Páez-Vacas M, Parra-Puente D, Franco-Mena D, Gavilanes G, Salazar-Valenzuela D, Valle CA, Guayasamin JM. Path for recovery: an ecological overview of the Jambato Harlequin Toad (Bufonidae: Atelopus ignescens) in its last known locality, Angamarca Valley, Ecuador. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17344. [PMID: 38915382 PMCID: PMC11195548 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The Jambato Harlequin toad (Atelopus ignescens), a formerly abundant species in the Andes of Ecuador, faced a dramatic population decline in the 1980s, with its last recorded sighting in 1988. The species was considered Extinct by the IUCN until 2016, when a fortuitous discovery of one Jambato by a local boy reignited hope. In this study, we present findings from an investigation conducted in the Angamarca parish, focusing on distribution, abundance, habitat preferences, ecology, disease susceptibility, and dietary habits of the species. In one year we identified 71 individuals at different stages of development in various habitats, with a significant presence in agricultural mosaic areas and locations near water sources used for crop irrigation, demonstrating the persistence of the species in a complex landscape, with considerable human intervention. The dietary analysis based on fecal samples indicated a diverse prey selection, primarily comprising arthropods such as Acari, Coleoptera, and ants. Amphibian declines have been associated with diseases and climate change; notably, our study confirmed the presence of the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but, surprisingly, none of the infected Jambatos displayed visible signs of illness. When analyzing climatic patterns, we found that there are climatic differences between historical localities and Angamarca; the temporal analysis also exposes a generalized warming trend. Finally, in collaboration with the local community, we developed a series of management recommendations for terrestrial and aquatic environments occupied by the Jambato.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateo A. Vega-Yánez
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Maestría en Ecología Tropical y Conservación, Quito, Ecuador
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Calle Diego de Robles s/n y Pampite, Campus Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Blanca Rios-Touma
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud (BIOMAS). Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Vía Nayón S/N, Campus UDLAPARK, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | | | | | - Luis A. Coloma
- Alianza Jambato, Las Casas, Quito, Ecuador
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Jambatu, San Rafael, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Elicio E. Tapia
- Leibniz-Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nadine Dupérré
- Leibniz-Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB), Museum of Nature, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mónica Páez-Vacas
- Alianza Jambato, Las Casas, Quito, Ecuador
- Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Fundación Jambatu, San Rafael, Quito, Ecuador
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Universidad Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Ecuador
| | - David Parra-Puente
- Alianza Jambato, Las Casas, Quito, Ecuador
- Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Daniela Franco-Mena
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Calle Diego de Robles s/n y Pampite, Campus Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Gabriela Gavilanes
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Calle Diego de Robles s/n y Pampite, Campus Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador
| | - David Salazar-Valenzuela
- Alianza Jambato, Las Casas, Quito, Ecuador
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Universidad Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Ecuador
- Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Carlos A. Valle
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Juan M. Guayasamin
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Maestría en Ecología Tropical y Conservación, Quito, Ecuador
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Calle Diego de Robles s/n y Pampite, Campus Cumbayá, Quito, Ecuador
- Alianza Jambato, Las Casas, Quito, Ecuador
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Dos Santos Dias PH, Anganoy-Criollo M. Harlequin frog tadpoles-comparative buccopharyngeal morphology in the gastromyzophorous tadpoles of the genus Atelopus (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae), with discussion on the phylogenetic and evolutionary implication of characters. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:3. [PMID: 38252296 PMCID: PMC10803719 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01889-6] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The Neotropical genus Atelopus is the most diverse genus of bufonids comprising 99 species. Tadpoles of these frogs are readily distinguished based on the presence of a belly sucker, used by them to stay attached to rocks in fast-flowing streams. Despite their intriguing biology, information about their anatomy is scarce and many morphological systems are unknown. We describe the buccopharyngeal cavity of five Atelopus species. The Atelopus buccopharyngeal cavity is characterized by (1) presence of a pendulum-like papillae in the prenarial arena, (2) presence of a glandular zone in the prenarial arena, (3) narial vacuities, (4) conical median ridge, (5) absence of buccal roof arena papillae, (6) absence of buccal roof pustulations, (7) single pair of infralabial papillae, (8) absence of lingual papillae, and (9) absence of pustulations in the buccal floor. We propose that characters 1, 2, and 3 are new synapomorphies for the genus. We also propose that the presence of a single pair of infralabial papillae is a synapomorphy for bufonid. Finally, we discuss the convergent evolution of gastromyzophorous and suctorial tadpoles withing anurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Henrique Dos Santos Dias
- Leibniz Institut Zur Analyse Des Biodiversitätswandels, Zoologisches Museum Hamburg, Zentrum Für Taxonomie Und Morphologie, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Do Matão No. 101, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-090, Brazil.
| | - Marvin Anganoy-Criollo
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua Do Matão No. 101, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-090, Brazil
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3
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Ibarra-Vega R, Galván-Hernández AR, Salazar-Monge H, Zataraín-Palacios R, García-Villalvazo PE, Zavalza-Galvez DI, Valdez-Velazquez LL, Jiménez-Vargas JM. Antimicrobial Compounds from Skin Secretions of Species That Belong to the Bufonidae Family. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:145. [PMID: 36828459 PMCID: PMC9968139 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15020145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Skin secretions of toads are a complex mixture of molecules. The substances secreted comprise more than 80 different compounds that show diverse pharmacological activities. The compounds secreted through skin pores and parotid glands are of particular interest because they help toads to endure in habitats full of pathogenic microbes, i.e., bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa, due to their content of components such as bufadienolides, alkaloids, and antimicrobial peptides. We carried out an extensive literature review of relevant articles published until November 2022 in ACS Publications, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. It was centered on research addressing the biological characterization of the compounds identified in the species of genera Atelopus, Bufo, Duttaphrynus, Melanophryniscus, Peltopryne, Phrynoidis, Rhaebo, and Rhinella, with antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic activities; as well as studies performed with analogous compounds and skin secretions of toads that also showed these activities. This review shows that the compounds in the secretions of toads could be candidates for new drugs to treat infectious diseases or be used to develop new molecules with better properties from existing ones. Some compounds in this review showed activity against microorganisms of medical interest such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Coronavirus varieties, HIV, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania chagasi, Plasmodium falciparum, and against different kinds of fungi that affect plants of economic interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Ibarra-Vega
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Coquimatlán 28040, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Juana María Jiménez-Vargas
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Colima, Coquimatlán 28040, Mexico
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Mexico City 03940, Mexico
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Zou D, Wang Q, Chen T, Sang D, Yang T, Wang Y, Gao M, He F, Li Y, He L, Longzhu D. Bufadienolides originated from toad source and their anti-inflammatory activity. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1044027. [PMID: 36339575 PMCID: PMC9627299 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1044027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Bufadienolide, an essential member of the C-24 steroid family, is characterized by an α-pyrone positioned at C-17. As the predominantly active constituent in traditional Chinese medicine of Chansu, bufadienolide has been prescribed in the treatment of numerous ailments. It is a specifically potent inhibitor of Na+/K+ ATPase with excellent anti-inflammatory activity. However, the severe side effects triggered by unbiased inhibition of the whole-body cells distributed α1-subtype of Na+/K+ ATPase, restrict its future applicability. Thus, researchers have paved the road for the structural alteration of desirable bufadienolide derivatives with minimal adverse effects via biotransformation. In this review, we give priority to the present evidence for structural diversity, MS fragmentation principles, anti-inflammatory efficacy, and structure modification of bufadienolides derived from toads to offer a scientific foundation for future in-depth investigations and views.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denglang Zou
- School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Qiqi Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Duocheng Sang
- School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Tingqin Yang
- School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Yuhan Wang
- School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Mengze Gao
- School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Fangfang He
- School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
| | - Yulin Li
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Liangliang He
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Duojie Longzhu
- School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, China
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