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Loyau A, Bouchali R, Sentenac H, Schmeller DS. The commensal skin microbiome of amphibian mountain populations and its association with the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16699. [PMID: 39374928 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
Microbial assemblages naturally living on the skin are an integral part of immunity. In amphibians, this skin microbiota may hold a mitigation solution against the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the panzootic disease chytridiomycosis. We used 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding to test the adaptive microbiome hypothesis. We compared the community composition, richness, and putative Bd-inhibitory function of the skin microbiome of three amphibian host species in the Pyrenees, as well as three species in Taiwan, in both Bd-positive and negative mountain populations. In both geographical regions, the amphibian host species played a decisive role in shaping the microbial assemblage and putative anti-Bd properties. In the Pyrenees, the species most susceptible to chytridiomycosis, Alytes obstetricans, had the lowest relative abundances of putative protective bacteria. In Bd-positive and negative sites, individuals had different skin microbiomes, with all anuran species showing increased relative abundances of potential anti-Bd bacteria, while the Taiwanese caudata Hynobius sonani showed the opposite pattern. Our results suggest that, in response to exposure to the pathogen, the skin microbiota shifted to a defensive state with increased anti-Bd function, which may contribute to promoting disease resistance, as proposed by the adaptive microbiome hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Loyau
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Rayan Bouchali
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Hugo Sentenac
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Dirk S Schmeller
- Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
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2
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Réthi-Nagy Z, Juhász S. Microbiome's Universe: Impact on health, disease and cancer treatment. J Biotechnol 2024; 392:161-179. [PMID: 39009231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
The human microbiome is a diverse ecosystem of microorganisms that reside in the body and influence various aspects of health and well-being. Recent advances in sequencing technology have brought to light microbial communities in organs and tissues that were previously considered sterile. The gut microbiota plays an important role in host physiology, including metabolic functions and immune modulation. Disruptions in the balance of the microbiome, known as dysbiosis, have been linked to diseases such as cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic disorders. In addition, the administration of antibiotics can lead to dysbiosis by disrupting the structure and function of the gut microbial community. Targeting strategies are the key to rebalancing the microbiome and fighting disease, including cancer, through interventions such as probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and bacteria-based therapies. Future research must focus on understanding the complex interactions between diet, the microbiome and cancer in order to optimize personalized interventions. Multidisciplinary collaborations are essential if we are going to translate microbiome research into clinical practice. This will revolutionize approaches to cancer prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsánna Réthi-Nagy
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine, Cancer Microbiome Core Group, Budapesti út 9, Szeged H-6728, Hungary
| | - Szilvia Juhász
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine, Cancer Microbiome Core Group, Budapesti út 9, Szeged H-6728, Hungary.
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3
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Hauser KA, Garvey CN, Crow RS, Hossainey MRH, Howard DT, Ranganathan N, Gentry LK, Yaparla A, Kalia N, Zelle M, Jones EJ, Duttargi AN, Rollins-Smith LA, Muletz-Wolz CR, Grayfer L. Amphibian mast cells serve as barriers to chytrid fungus infections. eLife 2024; 12:RP92168. [PMID: 39082933 PMCID: PMC11290838 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92168] [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] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Global amphibian declines are compounded by deadly disease outbreaks caused by the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Much has been learned about the roles of amphibian skin-produced antimicrobial components and microbiomes in controlling Bd, yet almost nothing is known about the roles of skin-resident immune cells in anti-Bd defenses. Mammalian mast cells reside within and serve as key immune sentinels in barrier tissues like skin. Accordingly, we investigated the roles of Xenopus laevis frog mast cells during Bd infections. Our findings indicate that enrichment of X. laevis skin mast cells confers anti-Bd protection and ameliorates the inflammation-associated skin damage caused by Bd infection. This includes a significant reduction in infiltration of Bd-infected skin by neutrophils, promoting mucin content within cutaneous mucus glands, and preventing Bd-mediated changes to skin microbiomes. Mammalian mast cells are known for their production of the pleiotropic interleukin-4 (IL4) cytokine and our findings suggest that the X. laevis IL4 plays a key role in manifesting the effects seen following cutaneous mast cell enrichment. Together, this work underscores the importance of amphibian skin-resident immune cells in anti-Bd defenses and illuminates a novel avenue for investigating amphibian host-chytrid pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey A Hauser
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Christina N Garvey
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Ryley S Crow
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Muhammad RH Hossainey
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Dustin T Howard
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Netra Ranganathan
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Lindsey K Gentry
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonUnited States
| | - Amulya Yaparla
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Namarta Kalia
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Mira Zelle
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Elizabeth J Jones
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Anju N Duttargi
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown UniversityWashingtonUnited States
| | - Louise A Rollins-Smith
- Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of MedicineNashvilleUnited States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleUnited States
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonUnited States
| | - Leon Grayfer
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington UniversityWashingtonUnited States
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4
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Vargas-Gastélum L, Romer AS, Ghotbi M, Dallas JW, Alexander NR, Moe KC, McPhail KL, Neuhaus GF, Shadmani L, Spatafora JW, Stajich JE, Tabima JF, Walker DM. Herptile gut microbiomes: a natural system to study multi-kingdom interactions between filamentous fungi and bacteria. mSphere 2024; 9:e0047523. [PMID: 38349154 PMCID: PMC10964425 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00475-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Reptiles and amphibians (herptiles) are some of the most endangered and threatened species on the planet and numerous conservation strategies are being implemented with the goal of ensuring species recovery. Little is known, however, about the gut microbiome of wild herptiles and how it relates to the health of these populations. Here, we report results from the gut microbiome characterization of both a broad survey of herptiles, and the correlation between the fungus Basidiobolus, and the bacterial community supported by a deeper, more intensive sampling of Plethodon glutinosus, known as slimy salamanders. We demonstrate that bacterial communities sampled from frogs, lizards, and salamanders are structured by the host taxonomy and that Basidiobolus is a common and natural component of these wild gut microbiomes. Intensive sampling of multiple hosts across the ecoregions of Tennessee revealed that geography and host:geography interactions are strong predictors of distinct Basidiobolus operational taxonomic units present within a given host. Co-occurrence analyses of Basidiobolus and bacterial community diversity support a correlation and interaction between Basidiobolus and bacteria, suggesting that Basidiobolus may play a role in structuring the bacterial community. We further the hypothesis that this interaction is advanced by unique specialized metabolism originating from horizontal gene transfer from bacteria to Basidiobolus and demonstrate that Basidiobolus is capable of producing a diversity of specialized metabolites including small cyclic peptides.IMPORTANCEThis work significantly advances our understanding of biodiversity and microbial interactions in herptile microbiomes, the role that fungi play as a structural and functional members of herptile gut microbiomes, and the chemical functions that structure microbiome phenotypes. We also provide an important observational system of how the gut microbiome represents a unique environment that selects for novel metabolic functions through horizontal gene transfer between fungi and bacteria. Such studies are needed to better understand the complexity of gut microbiomes in nature and will inform conservation strategies for threatened species of herpetofauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lluvia Vargas-Gastélum
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Alexander S. Romer
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
| | - Marjan Ghotbi
- Research Division 3, Marine Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jason W. Dallas
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
| | - N. Reed Alexander
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kylie C. Moe
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kerry L. McPhail
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - George F. Neuhaus
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Leila Shadmani
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Joseph W. Spatafora
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Jason E. Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Javier F. Tabima
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Donald M. Walker
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
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Sparagon WJ, Arts MGI, Quinlan ZA, Wegley Kelly L, Koester I, Comstock J, Bullington JA, Carlson CA, Dorrestein PC, Aluwihare LI, Haas AF, Nelson CE. Coral thermal stress and bleaching enrich and restructure reef microbial communities via altered organic matter exudation. Commun Biol 2024; 7:160. [PMID: 38351328 PMCID: PMC10864316 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05730-0] [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: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Coral bleaching is a well-documented and increasingly widespread phenomenon in reefs across the globe, yet there has been relatively little research on the implications for reef water column microbiology and biogeochemistry. A mesocosm heating experiment and bottle incubation compared how unbleached and bleached corals alter dissolved organic matter (DOM) exudation in response to thermal stress and subsequent effects on microbial growth and community structure in the water column. Thermal stress of healthy corals tripled DOM flux relative to ambient corals. DOM exudates from stressed corals (heated and/or previously bleached) were compositionally distinct from healthy corals and significantly increased growth of bacterioplankton, enriching copiotrophs and putative pathogens. Together these results demonstrate how the impacts of both short-term thermal stress and long-term bleaching may extend into the water column, with altered coral DOM exudation driving microbial feedbacks that influence how coral reefs respond to and recover from mass bleaching events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley J Sparagon
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Milou G I Arts
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Zachary A Quinlan
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Linda Wegley Kelly
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Irina Koester
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Jacqueline Comstock
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, The Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
| | - Jessica A Bullington
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Craig A Carlson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, The Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, USA
| | | | - Lihini I Aluwihare
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Andreas F Haas
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, The Netherlands
- San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
| | - Craig E Nelson
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
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6
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Belasen AM, Peek RA, Adams AJ, Russell ID, De León ME, Adams MJ, Bettaso J, Breedveld KGH, Catenazzi A, Dillingham CP, Grear DA, Halstead BJ, Johnson PG, Kleeman PM, Koo MS, Koppl CW, Lauder JD, Padgett-Flohr G, Piovia-Scott J, Pope KL, Vredenburg V, Westphal M, Wiseman K, Kupferberg SJ. Chytrid infections exhibit historical spread and contemporary seasonality in a declining stream-breeding frog. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231270. [PMID: 38298390 PMCID: PMC10827429 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Species with extensive geographical ranges pose special challenges to assessing drivers of wildlife disease, necessitating collaborative and large-scale analyses. The imperilled foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) inhabits a wide geographical range and variable conditions in rivers of California and Oregon (USA), and is considered threatened by the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). To assess drivers of Bd infections over time and space, we compiled over 2000 datapoints from R. boylii museum specimens (collected 1897-2005) and field samples (2005-2021) spanning 9° of latitude. We observed a south-to-north spread of Bd detections beginning in the 1940s and increase in prevalence from the 1940s to 1970s, coinciding with extirpation from southern latitudes. We detected eight high-prevalence geographical clusters through time that span the species' geographical range. Field-sampled male R. boylii exhibited the highest prevalence, and juveniles sampled in autumn exhibited the highest loads. Bd infection risk was highest in lower elevation rain-dominated watersheds, and with cool temperatures and low stream-flow conditions at the end of the dry season. Through a holistic assessment of relationships between infection risk, geographical context and time, we identify the locations and time periods where Bd mitigation and monitoring will be critical for conservation of this imperilled species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. Belasen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - R. A. Peek
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, West Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - A. J. Adams
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - I. D. Russell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - M. E. De León
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - M. J. Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - J. Bettaso
- Six Rivers National Forest, Lower Trinity Ranger District, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 68, Willow Creek, CA, USA
| | | | - A. Catenazzi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - D. A. Grear
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - B. J. Halstead
- Point Reyes Field Station, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Point Reyes Station, CA, USA
| | - P. G. Johnson
- Pinnacles National Park, National Park Service, Paicines, CA, USA
| | - P. M. Kleeman
- Point Reyes Field Station, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Point Reyes Station, CA, USA
| | - M. S. Koo
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA
| | - C. W. Koppl
- Plumas National Forest, USDA Forest Service, Quincy, CA, USA
| | | | | | - J. Piovia-Scott
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - K. L. Pope
- Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - V. Vredenburg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M. Westphal
- Central Coast Field Office, United States Bureau of Land Management, Marina, CA, USA
| | - K. Wiseman
- Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - S. J. Kupferberg
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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Martínez-Ugalde E, Ávila-Akerberg V, González Martínez TM, Rebollar EA. Gene functions of the Ambystoma altamirani skin microbiome vary across space and time but potential antifungal genes are widespread and prevalent. Microb Genom 2024; 10:001181. [PMID: 38240649 PMCID: PMC10868611 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Amphibian skin microbiomes can play a critical role in host survival against emerging diseases by protecting their host against pathogens. While a plethora of biotic and abiotic factors have been shown to influence the taxonomic diversity of amphibian skin microbiomes it remains unclear whether functional genomic diversity varies in response to temporal and environmental factors. Here we applied a metagenomic approach to evaluate whether seasonality, distinct elevations/sites, and pathogen presence influenced the functional genomic diversity of the A. altamirani skin microbiome. We obtained a gene catalogue of 92 107 nonredundant annotated genes and a set of 50 unique metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs). Our analysis showed that genes linked to general and potential antifungal traits significantly differed across seasons and sampling locations at different elevations. Moreover, we found that the functional genomic diversity of A. altamirani skin microbiome differed between B. dendrobatidis infected and not infected axolotls only during winter, suggesting an interaction between seasonality and pathogen infection. In addition, we identified the presence of genes and biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) linked to potential antifungal functions such as biofilm formation, quorum sensing, secretion systems, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and chitin degradation. Interestingly genes linked to these potential antifungal traits were mainly identified in Burkholderiales and Chitinophagales MAGs. Overall, our results identified functional traits linked to potential antifungal functions in the A. altamirani skin microbiome regardless of variation in the functional diversity across seasons, elevations/sites, and pathogen presence. Our findings suggest that potential antifungal traits found in Burkholderiales and Chitinophagales taxa could be related to the capacity of A. altamirani to survive in the presence of Bd, although further experimental analyses are required to test this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Víctor Ávila-Akerberg
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, Mexico
| | | | - Eria A. Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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Jones I, Marsh K, Handby TM, Hopkins K, Slezacek J, Bearhop S, Harrison XA. The influence of diet on gut microbiome and body mass dynamics in a capital-breeding migratory bird. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16682. [PMID: 38130921 PMCID: PMC10734429 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16682] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Gut-associated microbial communities are known to play a vital role in the health and fitness of their hosts. Though studies investigating the factors associated with among-individual variation in microbiome structure in wild animal species are increasing, knowledge of this variation at the individual level is scarce, despite the clear link between microbiome and nutritional status uncovered in humans and model organisms. Here, we combine detailed observational data on life history and foraging preference with 16S rRNA profiling of the faecal microbiome to investigate the relationship between diet, microbiome stability and rates of body mass gain in a migratory capital-breeding bird, the light-bellied Brent goose (Branta bernicla hrota). Our findings suggest that generalist feeders have microbiomes that are intermediate in diversity and composition between two foraging specialisms, and also show higher within-individual plasticity. We also suggest a link between foraging phenotype and the rates of mass gain during the spring staging of a capital breeder. This study offers rare insight into individual-level temporal dynamics of the gut microbiome of a wild host. Further work is needed to uncover the functional link between individual dietary choices, gut microbiome structure and stability, and the implications this has for the reproductive success of this capital breeder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Jones
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsty Marsh
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Tess M. Handby
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin Hopkins
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Socety of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Slezacek
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stuart Bearhop
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Xavier A. Harrison
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
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9
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Sun D, Herath J, Zhou S, Ellepola G, Meegaskumbura M. Associations of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis with skin bacteria and fungi on Asian amphibian hosts. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:123. [PMID: 37993728 PMCID: PMC10665332 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Amphibian skin harbors microorganisms that are associated with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes chytridiomycosis, one of the most significant wildlife diseases known. This pathogen originated in Asia, where diverse Bd lineages exist; hence, native amphibian hosts have co-existed with Bd over long time periods. Determining the nuances of this co-existence is crucial for understanding the prevalence and spread of Bd from a microbial context. However, associations of Bd with the natural skin microbiome remain poorly understood for Asian hosts, especially in relation to skin-associated fungi. We used 16 S rRNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequencing to characterize the skin microbiome of four native Asian amphibian species and examined the relationships between Bd infection and their skin bacterial and fungal communities; we also analyzed the correlates of the putative anti-Bd bacteria. We show that both skin bacterial and fungal community structure and composition had significant associations with infection status (Bd presence/absence) and infection intensity (frequency of Bd sequence reads). We also found that the putative anti-Bd bacterial richness was correlated with Bd infection status and infection intensity, and observed that the relative abundance of anti-Bd bacteria roughly correspond with changes in both Bd prevalence and mean infection intensity in populations. Additionally, the microbial co-occurrence network of infected frogs was significantly different from that of uninfected frogs that were characterized by more keystone nodes (connectors) and larger proportions in correlations between bacteria, suggesting stronger inter-module bacterial interactions. These results indicate that the mutual effects between Bd and skin-associated microbiome, including the interplay between bacteria and fungi, might vary with Bd infection in susceptible amphibian species. This knowledge will help in understanding the dynamics of Bd from a microbial perspective, potentially contributing to mitigate chytridiomycosis in other regions of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Sun
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jayampathi Herath
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, International Institute of Health Sciences (IIHS), No 704 Negombo Rd, Welisara, 71722, Sri Lanka
| | - Shipeng Zhou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
| | - Gajaba Ellepola
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, KY20400, Sri Lanka
| | - Madhava Meegaskumbura
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530000, People's Republic of China.
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10
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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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11
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Mannochio-Russo H, Swift SOI, Nakayama KK, Wall CB, Gentry EC, Panitchpakdi M, Caraballo-Rodriguez AM, Aron AT, Petras D, Dorrestein K, Dorrestein TK, Williams TM, Nalley EM, Altman-Kurosaki NT, Martinelli M, Kuwabara JY, Darcy JL, Bolzani VS, Wegley Kelly L, Mora C, Yew JY, Amend AS, McFall-Ngai M, Hynson NA, Dorrestein PC, Nelson CE. Microbiomes and metabolomes of dominant coral reef primary producers illustrate a potential role for immunolipids in marine symbioses. Commun Biol 2023; 6:896. [PMID: 37653089 PMCID: PMC10471604 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05230-1] [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: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The dominant benthic primary producers in coral reef ecosystems are complex holobionts with diverse microbiomes and metabolomes. In this study, we characterize the tissue metabolomes and microbiomes of corals, macroalgae, and crustose coralline algae via an intensive, replicated synoptic survey of a single coral reef system (Waimea Bay, O'ahu, Hawaii) and use these results to define associations between microbial taxa and metabolites specific to different hosts. Our results quantify and constrain the degree of host specificity of tissue metabolomes and microbiomes at both phylum and genus level. Both microbiome and metabolomes were distinct between calcifiers (corals and CCA) and erect macroalgae. Moreover, our multi-omics investigations highlight common lipid-based immune response pathways across host organisms. In addition, we observed strong covariation among several specific microbial taxa and metabolite classes, suggesting new metabolic roles of symbiosis to further explore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Mannochio-Russo
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil.
| | - Sean O I Swift
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Kirsten K Nakayama
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Christopher B Wall
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
- Ecology Behavior and Evolution Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Emily C Gentry
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Morgan Panitchpakdi
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Andrés M Caraballo-Rodriguez
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Allegra T Aron
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, CO, 80210, USA
| | - Daniel Petras
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Kathleen Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | | | - Taylor M Williams
- Marine Option Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Eileen M Nalley
- Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Noam T Altman-Kurosaki
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | | | - Jeff Y Kuwabara
- Marine Option Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - John L Darcy
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Vanderlan S Bolzani
- Department of Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University, Araraquara, SP, 14800-060, Brazil
| | - Linda Wegley Kelly
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, CA, USA
| | - Camilo Mora
- Geography, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Joanne Y Yew
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Anthony S Amend
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Margaret McFall-Ngai
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Nicole A Hynson
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Craig E Nelson
- Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education, Department of Oceanography and Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
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12
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Woodhams DC, McCartney J, Walke JB, Whetstone R. The adaptive microbiome hypothesis and immune interactions in amphibian mucus. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 145:104690. [PMID: 37001710 PMCID: PMC10249470 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2023.104690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The microbiome is known to provide benefits to hosts, including extension of immune function. Amphibians are a powerful immunological model for examining mucosal defenses because of an accessible epithelial mucosome throughout their developmental trajectory, their responsiveness to experimental treatments, and direct interactions with emerging infectious pathogens. We review amphibian skin mucus components and describe the adaptive microbiome as a novel process of disease resilience where competitive microbial interactions couple with host immune responses to select for functions beneficial to the host. We demonstrate microbiome diversity, specificity of function, and mechanisms for memory characteristic of an adaptive immune response. At a time when industrialization has been linked to losses in microbiota important for host health, applications of microbial therapies such as probiotics may contribute to immunotherapeutics and to conservation efforts for species currently threatened by emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas C Woodhams
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA.
| | - Julia McCartney
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Jenifer B Walke
- Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, 99004-2440, USA
| | - Ross Whetstone
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, 02125, USA
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13
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Gajewski Z, Johnson LR, Medina D, Crainer WW, Nagy CM, Belden LK. Skin bacterial community differences among three species of co-occurring Ranid frogs. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15556. [PMID: 37465150 PMCID: PMC10351513 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Skin microbial communities are an essential part of host health and can play a role in mitigating disease. Host and environmental factors can shape and alter these microbial communities and, therefore, we need to understand to what extent these factors influence microbial communities and how this can impact disease dynamics. Microbial communities have been studied in amphibian systems due to skin microbial communities providing some resistance to the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. However, we are only starting to understand how host and environmental factors shape these communities for amphibians. In this study, we examined whether amphibian skin bacterial communities differ among host species, host infection status, host developmental stage, and host habitat. We collected skin swabs from tadpoles and adults of three Ranid frog species (Lithobates spp.) at the Mianus River Gorge Preserve in Bedford, New York, USA, and used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial community composition. Our analysis suggests amphibian skin bacterial communities change across host developmental stages, as has been documented previously. Additionally, we found that skin bacterial communities differed among Ranid species, with skin communities on the host species captured in streams or bogs differing from the communities of the species captured on land. Thus, habitat use of different species may drive differences in host-associated microbial communities for closely-related host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Gajewski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
| | - Leah R. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
- Department of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
| | - Daniel Medina
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
| | - William W. Crainer
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States
| | | | - Lisa K. Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
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14
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West AG, Digby A, Taylor MW. The mycobiota of faeces from the critically endangered kākāpō and associated nest litter. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2023.2170428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Annie G. West
- Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew Digby
- Te Papa Atawhai Department of Conservation, Kākāpō Recovery Programme, Invercargill, New Zealand
| | - Michael W. Taylor
- Te Kura Mātauranga Koiora School of Biological Sciences, Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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15
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Hong S, Sun Y, Chen H, Wang C. Suppression of the insect cuticular microbiomes by a fungal defensin to facilitate parasite infection. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1-11. [PMID: 36127432 PMCID: PMC9751272 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Insects can assemble defensive microbiomes on their body surfaces to defend against fungal parasitic infections. The strategies employed by fungal pathogens to combat host cuticular microbiotas remains unclear. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of the defensin-like antimicrobial gene BbAMP1 encoded by the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The mature peptide of BbAMP1 can coat fungal spores and can be secreted by the fungus to target and damage Gram-positive bacterial cells. Significant differences in insect survival were observed between the wild-type and BbAMP1 mutant strains during topical infection but not during injection assays that bypassed insect cuticles. Thus, BbAMP1 deletion considerably reduced fungal virulence while gene overexpression accelerated the fungal colonization of insects compared with the wild-type strain in natural infections. Topical infection of axenic Drosophila adults evidenced no difference in fly survivals between strains. However, the gnotobiotic infections with the addition of Gram-positive but not Gram-negative bacterial cells in fungal spore suspensions substantially increased the survival of the flies treated with ∆BbAMP1 compared to those infected by the wild-type and gene-overexpression strains. Bacterial colony counts and microbiome analysis confirmed that BbAMP1 could assist the fungus to manipulate insect surface bacterial loads. This study reveals that fungal defensin can suppress the host surface defensive microbiomes, which underscores the importance to extend the research scope of fungus-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Hong
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanlei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Haimin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Chengshu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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16
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Greenspan SE, Peloso P, Fuentes-González JA, Bletz M, Lyra ML, Machado IF, Martins RA, Medina D, Moura-Campos D, Neely WJ, Preuss J, Sturaro MJ, Vaz RI, Navas CA, Toledo LF, Tozetti AM, Vences M, Woodhams DC, Haddad CFB, Pienaar J, Becker CG. Low microbiome diversity in threatened amphibians from two biodiversity hotspots. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:69. [PMID: 36582011 PMCID: PMC9801548 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00220-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial diversity positively influences community resilience of the host microbiome. However, extinction risk factors such as habitat specialization, narrow environmental tolerances, and exposure to anthropogenic disturbance may homogenize host-associated microbial communities critical for stress responses including disease defense. In a dataset containing 43 threatened and 90 non-threatened amphibian species across two biodiversity hotspots (Brazil's Atlantic Forest and Madagascar), we found that threatened host species carried lower skin bacterial diversity, after accounting for key environmental and host factors. The consistency of our findings across continents suggests the broad scale at which low bacteriome diversity may compromise pathogen defenses in species already burdened with the threat of extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha E. Greenspan
- grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 USA
| | - Pedro Peloso
- grid.452671.30000 0001 2175 1274Programa de Pós Gradução em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará/Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Pará 66077-530 Brazil ,Instituto Boitatá de Etnobiologia e Conservação da Fauna, Goiânia, Goiás 74085-480 Brazil
| | - Jesualdo A. Fuentes-González
- grid.65456.340000 0001 2110 1845The Department of Biology and the Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 USA
| | - Molly Bletz
- grid.266685.90000 0004 0386 3207Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Mariana L. Lyra
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XDepartment of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP), Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900 Brazil
| | - Ibere F. Machado
- Instituto Boitatá de Etnobiologia e Conservação da Fauna, Goiânia, Goiás 74085-480 Brazil
| | - Renato A. Martins
- grid.411247.50000 0001 2163 588XPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Conservação da Fauna, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, São Paulo 13565-905 Brazil
| | - Daniel Medina
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT; City of Knowledge, Clayton, Panama, Republic of Panama ,grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16803 USA
| | - Diego Moura-Campos
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862 Brazil ,grid.1001.00000 0001 2180 7477Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, 2601 Australia
| | - Wesley J. Neely
- grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 USA
| | - Jackson Preuss
- grid.412292.e0000 0004 0417 7532Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, São Miguel Do Oeste, Santa Catarina 89900-000 Brazil
| | - Marcelo J. Sturaro
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo 09972-270 Brazil
| | - Renata I. Vaz
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Fisiologia Geral, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090 Brazil
| | - Carlos A. Navas
- grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Departamento de Fisiologia Geral, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090 Brazil
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862 Brazil
| | - Alexandro M. Tozetti
- grid.412302.60000 0001 1882 7290Programa de Pos-Graduacão em Biologia, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Rio Grande Do Sul 93022-750 Brazil
| | - Miguel Vences
- grid.6738.a0000 0001 1090 0254Zoological Institute, Braunschweig University of Technology, Mendelssohnstr. 4, Brunswick, Germany
| | - Douglas C. Woodhams
- grid.266685.90000 0004 0386 3207Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Célio F. B. Haddad
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XDepartment of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP), Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900 Brazil
| | - Jason Pienaar
- grid.65456.340000 0001 2110 1845The Department of Biology and the Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199 USA
| | - C. Guilherme Becker
- grid.29857.310000 0001 2097 4281Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16803 USA
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17
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Martínez-Ugalde E, Ávila-Akerberg V, González Martínez TM, Vázquez Trejo M, Zavala Hernández D, Anaya-Morales SL, Rebollar EA. The skin microbiota of the axolotl Ambystoma altamirani is highly influenced by metamorphosis and seasonality but not by pathogen infection. Anim Microbiome 2022; 4:63. [PMID: 36503640 PMCID: PMC9743558 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-022-00215-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbiomes have been increasingly recognized as major contributors to host health and survival. In amphibians, bacterial members of the skin microbiota protect their hosts by inhibiting the growth of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Even though several studies describe the influence of biotic and abiotic factors over the skin microbiota, it remains unclear how these symbiotic bacterial communities vary across time and development. This is particularly relevant for species that undergo metamorphosis as it has been shown that host physiology and ecology drastically influence diversity of the skin microbiome. RESULTS We found that the skin bacterial communities of the axolotl A. altamirani are largely influenced by the metamorphic status of the host and by seasonal variation of abiotic factors such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and conductivity. Despite high Bd prevalence in these samples, the bacterial diversity of the skin microbiota did not differ between infected and non-infected axolotls, although relative abundance of particular bacteria were correlated with Bd infection intensity. CONCLUSIONS Our work shows that metamorphosis is a crucial process that shapes skin bacterial communities and that axolotls under different developmental stages respond differently to environmental seasonal variations. Moreover, this study greatly contributes to a better understanding of the factors that shape amphibian skin microbiota, especially in a largely underexplored group like axolotls (Mexican Ambystoma species).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Víctor Ávila-Akerberg
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Sara Lucia Anaya-Morales
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
| | - Eria A Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico.
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18
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Adams AJ, Bushell J, Grasso RL. To treat or not to treat? Experimental pathogen exposure, treatment, and release of a threatened amphibian. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J. Adams
- Resources Management and Science Division Yosemite National Park El Portal California USA
- Earth Research Institute University of California Santa Barbara California USA
| | | | - Robert L. Grasso
- Resources Management and Science Division Yosemite National Park El Portal California USA
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19
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Bates KA, Friesen J, Loyau A, Butler H, Vredenburg VT, Laufer J, Chatzinotas A, Schmeller DS. Environmental and Anthropogenic Factors Shape the Skin Bacterial Communities of a Semi-Arid Amphibian Species. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02130-5. [PMID: 36445401 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02130-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The amphibian skin microbiome is important in maintaining host health, but is vulnerable to perturbation from changes in biotic and abiotic conditions. Anthropogenic habitat disturbance and emerging infectious diseases are both potential disrupters of the skin microbiome, in addition to being major drivers of amphibian decline globally. We investigated how host environment (hydrology, habitat disturbance), pathogen presence, and host biology (life stage) impact the skin microbiome of wild Dhofar toads (Duttaphrynus dhufarensis) in Oman. We detected ranavirus (but not Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) across all sampling sites, constituting the first report of this pathogen in Oman, with reduced prevalence in disturbed sites. We show that skin microbiome beta diversity is driven by host life stage, water source, and habitat disturbance, but not ranavirus infection. Finally, although trends in bacterial diversity and differential abundance were evident in disturbed versus undisturbed sites, bacterial co-occurrence patterns determined through network analyses revealed high site specificity. Our results therefore provide support for amphibian skin microbiome diversity and taxa abundance being associated with habitat disturbance, with bacterial co-occurrence (and likely broader aspects of microbial community ecology) being largely site specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Bates
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - J Friesen
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - A Loyau
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - H Butler
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - V T Vredenburg
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Laufer
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - A Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - D S Schmeller
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, INPT, UPS, Toulouse, France
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20
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Snelders NC, Rovenich H, Thomma BPHJ. Microbiota manipulation through the secretion of effector proteins is fundamental to the wealth of lifestyles in the fungal kingdom. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:fuac022. [PMID: 35604874 PMCID: PMC9438471 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi are well-known decomposers of organic matter that thrive in virtually any environment on Earth where they encounter wealths of other microbes. Some fungi evolved symbiotic lifestyles, including pathogens and mutualists, that have mostly been studied in binary interactions with their hosts. However, we now appreciate that such interactions are greatly influenced by the ecological context in which they take place. While establishing their symbioses, fungi not only interact with their hosts but also with the host-associated microbiota. Thus, they target the host and its associated microbiota as a single holobiont. Recent studies have shown that fungal pathogens manipulate the host microbiota by means of secreted effector proteins with selective antimicrobial activity to stimulate disease development. In this review, we discuss the ecological contexts in which such effector-mediated microbiota manipulation is relevant for the fungal lifestyle and argue that this is not only relevant for pathogens of plants and animals but also beneficial in virtually any niche where fungi occur. Moreover, we reason that effector-mediated microbiota manipulation likely evolved already in fungal ancestors that encountered microbial competition long before symbiosis with land plants and mammalian animals evolved. Thus, we claim that effector-mediated microbiota manipulation is fundamental to fungal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick C Snelders
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Hanna Rovenich
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Bart P H J Thomma
- Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
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21
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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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22
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Hase K. Microflora Influence: The Aquatic Environment Changes Grouping Risk and Development Speed of Toad Tadpoles. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.917067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, behavioral traits and the deterioration of water environments also contribute to the local extinction of amphibians. Abundant microflora in urban ponds may cause fatal diseases, whereas symbiotic bacteria may protect the host from pathogens; these effects may vary with group size. In this study, I monitored the growth of Japanese common toad (Bufo japonicus) larvae in Tokyo using three different group sizes: 1 (solitary), 2 (pair), and 15. Although there was no genetic bias in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes or microsatellite loci to the survival of the larvae, the mortality risk of the larvae reared in pond water was higher than that of those reared in tap water. According to the survival analysis, the risk was more significant when the group size was 15. This result would be unwelcomed for the B. japonicus tadpoles, which have habits of social aggregation. Furthermore, larval metamorphosis took longer to complete in pond than tap water without any difference in body length or mass. These findings provide fundamental insight into the impact of the aquatic environment and the effect of the group size on animal health and conservation.
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23
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Longo AV. Metabarcoding approaches in amphibian disease ecology: Disentangling the functional contributions of skin bacteria on disease outcome. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:252-261. [PMID: 35640913 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular technologies have revolutionized the field of wildlife disease ecology, allowing the detection of outbreaks, novel pathogens, and invasive strains. In particular, metabarcoding approaches, defined here as tools used to amplify and sequence universal barcodes from a single sample (e.g., 16S rRNA for bacteria, ITS for fungi, 18S rRNA for eukaryotes), are expanding our traditional view of host-pathogen dynamics by integrating microbial interactions that modulate disease outcome. Here, I provide an analysis from the perspective of the field of amphibian disease ecology, where the emergence of multi-host pathogens has caused global declines and species extinctions. I re-analyzed an experimental mesocosm dataset to infer the functional profiles of the skin microbiomes of coqui frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui), an amphibian species that is consistently found infected with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and has high turnover of skin bacteria driven by seasonal shifts. I found that the metabolic activities of microbiomes operate at different capacities depending on the season. Global enrichment of predicted functions was more prominent during the warm-wet season, indicating that microbiomes during the cool-dry season were either depauperate, resistant to new bacterial colonization, or that their functional space was more saturated. These findings suggest important avenues to investigate how microbes regulate population growth and contribute to host physiological processes. Overall, this study highlights the current challenges and future opportunities in the application of metabarcoding to investigate the causes and consequences of disease in wild systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana V Longo
- University of Florida, Department of Biology, PO Box 118525, Gainesville, FL
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24
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Bates KA, Sommer U, Hopkins KP, Shelton JMG, Wierzbicki C, Sergeant C, Tapley B, Michaels CJ, Schmeller DS, Loyau A, Bosch J, Viant MR, Harrison XA, Garner TWJ, Fisher MC. Microbiome function predicts amphibian chytridiomycosis disease dynamics. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:44. [PMID: 35272699 PMCID: PMC8908643 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01215-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) threatens amphibian biodiversity and ecosystem stability worldwide. Amphibian skin microbial community structure has been linked to the clinical outcome of Bd infections, yet its overall functional importance is poorly understood. METHODS Microbiome taxonomic and functional profiles were assessed using high-throughput bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS2 gene sequencing, bacterial shotgun metagenomics and skin mucosal metabolomics. We sampled 56 wild midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans) from montane populations exhibiting Bd epizootic or enzootic disease dynamics. In addition, to assess whether disease-specific microbiome profiles were linked to microbe-mediated protection or Bd-induced perturbation, we performed a laboratory Bd challenge experiment whereby 40 young adult A. obstetricans were exposed to Bd or a control sham infection. We measured temporal changes in the microbiome as well as functional profiles of Bd-exposed and control animals at peak infection. RESULTS Microbiome community structure and function differed in wild populations based on infection history and in experimental control versus Bd-exposed animals. Bd exposure in the laboratory resulted in dynamic changes in microbiome community structure and functional differences, with infection clearance in all but one infected animal. Sphingobacterium, Stenotrophomonas and an unclassified Commamonadaceae were associated with wild epizootic dynamics and also had reduced abundance in laboratory Bd-exposed animals that cleared infection, indicating a negative association with Bd resistance. This was further supported by microbe-metabolite integration which identified functionally relevant taxa driving disease outcome, of which Sphingobacterium and Bd were most influential in wild epizootic dynamics. The strong correlation between microbial taxonomic community composition and skin metabolome in the laboratory and field is inconsistent with microbial functional redundancy, indicating that differences in microbial taxonomy drive functional variation. Shotgun metagenomic analyses support these findings, with similar disease-associated patterns in beta diversity. Analysis of differentially abundant bacterial genes and pathways indicated that bacterial environmental sensing and Bd resource competition are likely to be important in driving infection outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Bd infection drives altered microbiome taxonomic and functional profiles across laboratory and field environments. Our application of multi-omics analyses in experimental and field settings robustly predicts Bd disease dynamics and identifies novel candidate biomarkers of infection. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran A Bates
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
- MRC Centre for GlobaI Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK.
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
| | - Ulf Sommer
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility - Metabolomics Node (NBAF-B), School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Kevin P Hopkins
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Jennifer M G Shelton
- MRC Centre for GlobaI Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Claudia Wierzbicki
- MRC Centre for GlobaI Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Christopher Sergeant
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Benjamin Tapley
- ZSL London Zoo, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | | | - Dirk S Schmeller
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3 - Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Adeline Loyau
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Alte Fischerhütte 2, 16775, Stechlin, Germany
| | - Jaime Bosch
- IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-University of Oviedo), 33600, Mieres, Spain
| | - Mark R Viant
- NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility - Metabolomics Node (NBAF-B), School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Xavier A Harrison
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4DQ, UK
| | - Trenton W J Garner
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Matthew C Fisher
- MRC Centre for GlobaI Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK
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25
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Yang B, Cui Z, Ning M, Chen Y, Wu Z, Huang H. Variation in the intestinal microbiota at different developmental stages of Hynobius maoershanensis. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8712. [PMID: 35342562 PMCID: PMC8931708 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal microbiota play an important role in the life of amphibians and its composition may vary by developmental stage. In this study, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to profile the intestinal microbiota of Hynobius maoershanensis, which exclusively inhabit the Maoer Mountain swamp at an altitude of approximately 2,000 m. We characterized the bacterial composition, structure, and function of the microbiota of H. maoershanensis at different developmental stages. The alpha diversity was not markedly different for the Simpson, Shannon, Ace, and Sobs indices of microbes. The beta diversity revealed that there were age-related differences in the structure of the intestinal microbes of H. maoershanensis, specifically, at the phylum level. Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacteria present in the adult stage, and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly higher compared with that of tadpoles. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phylum during the tadpole stage and their relative abundance was significantly higher compared with the adult period. Functional analysis revealed that the pathways associated with organismal systems and metabolism were significantly enriched in the adults, whereas human diseases, genetic information processing, and cellular processes were more enriched in the hindlimb bud stage. Human diseases and environmental information processing were more enriched in the forelimb bud stage at KEGG pathway level 1. Possibilities for the observed discrepancies include the adaptation to eating habits and the remodeling of the intestines during development. We speculated that H. maoershanensis adults may be more suitable to a high-fiber diet, whereas the tadpoles are associated with a carnivorous diet. Our study provides evidence of variations in the intestinal microbiota during development in amphibians, highlighting the influence of historical developments on the intestinal microbiota and an increased understanding of the importance of physiological characteristics in shaping the intestinal microbiota of amphibians. These data will help us formulate more effective protection measures for H. maoershanensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Zhenzhen Cui
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Meihong Ning
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Yu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Zhengjun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
| | - Huayuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of EducationGuilinChina
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal EcologyGuangxi Normal UniversityGuilinChina
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26
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Hughey MC, Rebollar EA, Harris RN, Ibáñez R, Loftus SC, House LL, Minbiole KPC, Bletz MC, Medina D, Shoemaker WR, Swartwout MC, Belden LK. An experimental test of disease resistance function in the skin-associated bacterial communities of three tropical amphibian species. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6536914. [PMID: 35212765 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac023] [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: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in the structure of host-associated microbial communities has been correlated with the occurrence and severity of disease in diverse host taxa, suggesting a key role of the microbiome in pathogen defense. However, whether these correlations are typically a cause or consequence of pathogen exposure remains an open question, and requires experimental approaches to disentangle. In amphibians, infection by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) alters the skin microbial community in some host species, whereas in other species, the skin microbial community appears to mediate infection dynamics. In this study, we completed experimental Bd exposures in three species of tropical frogs (Agalychnis callidryas, Dendropsophus ebraccatus, Craugastor fitzingeri) that were sympatric with Bd at the time of the study. For all three species, we identified key taxa within the skin bacterial communities that were linked to Bd infection dynamics. We also measured higher Bd infection intensities in D. ebraccatus and C. fitzingeri that were associated with higher mortality in C. fitzingeri. Our findings indicate that microbially-mediated pathogen resistance is a complex trait that can vary within and across host species, and suggest that symbiont communities that have experienced prior selection for defensive microbes may be less likely to be disturbed by pathogen exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myra C Hughey
- Biology Department; Vassar College; 124 Raymond Avenue; Poughkeepsie, NY 12604; USA
| | - Eria A Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
| | - Reid N Harris
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA
| | - Roberto Ibáñez
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Republic of Panama. Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Panamá, Republic of Panama
| | | | | | | | - Molly C Bletz
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | | | - William R Shoemaker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Lisa K Belden
- Department of Biological Sciences, VA Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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27
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Host microbiome responses to the Snake Fungal Disease pathogen (Ophidiomyces ophidiicola) are driven by changes in microbial richness. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3078. [PMID: 35197501 PMCID: PMC8866498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07042-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dermatophytic pathogens are a source of disturbance to the host microbiome, but the temporal progression of these disturbances is unclear. Here, we determined how Snake Fungal Disease, caused by Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, resulted in disturbance to the host microbiome. To assess disease effects on the microbiome, 22 Common Watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon) were collected and half were inoculated with O. ophidiicola. Epidermal swabs were collected weekly for use in microbiome and pathogen load characterization. For the inoculated treatment only, we found a significant effect of disease progression on microbial richness and Shannon diversity consistent with the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. When explicitly accounting for differences in assemblage richness, we found that β-diversity among snakes was significantly affected by the interaction of time and treatment group, with assemblages becoming more dissimilar across time in the inoculated, but not the control group. Also, differences between treatments in average microbiome composition became greater with time, but this interactive effect was not evident when accounting for assemblage richness. These results suggest that changes in composition of the host microbiome associated with disease largely occur due to changes in microbial richness related to disease progression.
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28
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Chen MY, Kueneman JG, González A, Humphrey G, Knight R, McKenzie VJ. Predicting fungal infection rate and severity with skin-associated microbial communities on amphibians. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2140-2156. [PMID: 35076975 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16372] [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: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pathogen success (risk and severity) is influenced by host-associated microbiota, but the degree to which variation in microbial community traits predict future infection presence/absence (risk) and load (severity) for the host is unknown. We conducted a time-series experiment by sampling the skin-associated bacterial communities of five amphibian species before and after exposure to the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobaditis (Bd). We ask whether microbial community traits are predictors of, or are affected by, Bd infection risk and intensity. Our results show that richness of putative Bd-inhibitory bacteria strongly predicts infection risk, while the proportion of putative Bd-inhibitory bacteria predicts future infection intensity. Variation in microbial community composition is high across time and individual, and bacterial prevalence is low. Our findings demonstrate how ecological community traits of host-associated microbiota may be used to predict infection risk by pathogenic microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Y Chen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Ramaley N-122, UCB 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Jordan G Kueneman
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Luis Clement Avenue, Bldg. 401 Tupper, Balboa Ancon, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Antonio González
- Department of Pediatrics, Bioengineering and Computer Science and Engineering, and Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Greg Humphrey
- Department of Pediatrics, Bioengineering and Computer Science and Engineering, and Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, Bioengineering and Computer Science and Engineering, and Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Valerie J McKenzie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Ramaley N-122, UCB 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
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29
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Couch CE, Epps CW. Host, microbiome, and complex space: applying population and landscape genetic approaches to gut microbiome research in wild populations. J Hered 2022; 113:221-234. [PMID: 34983061 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, emerging sequencing technologies and computational tools have driven a tidal wave of research on host-associated microbiomes, particularly the gut microbiome. These studies demonstrate numerous connections between the gut microbiome and vital host functions, primarily in humans, model organisms, and domestic animals. As the adaptive importance of the gut microbiome becomes clearer, interest in studying the gut microbiomes of wild populations has increased, in part due to the potential for discovering conservation applications. The study of wildlife gut microbiomes holds many new challenges and opportunities due to the complex genetic, spatial, and environmental structure of wild host populations, and the potential for these factors to interact with the microbiome. The emerging picture of adaptive coevolution in host-microbiome relationships highlights the importance of understanding microbiome variation in the context of host population genetics and landscape heterogeneity across a wide range of host populations. We propose a conceptual framework for understanding wildlife gut microbiomes in relation to landscape variables and host population genetics, including the potential of approaches derived from landscape genetics. We use this framework to review current research, synthesize important trends, highlight implications for conservation, and recommend future directions for research. Specifically, we focus on how spatial structure and environmental variation interact with host population genetics and microbiome variation in natural populations, and what we can learn from how these patterns of covariation differ depending on host ecological and evolutionary traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Couch
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Clinton W Epps
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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30
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Rollins-Smith LA, Le Sage EH. Batrachochytrium fungi: stealth invaders in amphibian skin. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 61:124-132. [PMID: 33964650 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Amphibian populations around the world have been affected by two pathogenic fungi within the phylum Chytridiomycota. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has infected hundreds of species and led to widespread declines and some species extinctions. Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) has devastated some native European salamanders, especially the iconic fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra). Comparative genomic studies show that Bd is more diverse and widespread than previously thought, and global lineages occur together allowing for the development of hybrid lineages. New studies raise the concern of greater pathogenesis if both Bd and Bsal infect the same host. Although amphibians possess robust immune defenses, co-infected and many single-infected hosts seem unable to mount effective immune responses. A strong defense may actually be harmful. Analysis of Bd and Bsal secretions documents small metabolites that signal high density to limit their growth and to suppress adaptive immune defenses, thus enabling a stealth presence in the skin compartment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise A Rollins-Smith
- Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Emily H Le Sage
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
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