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Thomas GH. Microbial Musings – March 2021. Microbiology (Reading) 2021; 167. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gavin H. Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of York, York YO10 5YW, UK
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Abarca JG, Whitfield SM, Zuniga-Chaves I, Alvarado G, Kerby J, Murillo-Cruz C, Pinto-Tomás AA. Genotyping and differential bacterial inhibition of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in threatened amphibians in Costa Rica. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 33529150 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Amphibians have declined around the world in recent years, in parallel with the emergence of an epidermal disease called chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). This disease has been associated with mass mortality in amphibians worldwide, including in Costa Rica, and Bd is considered an important contributor to the disappearance of this group of vertebrates. While many species are susceptible to the disease, others show tolerance and manage to survive infection with the pathogen. We evaluated the pathogen Bd circulating in Costa Rica and the capacity of amphibian skin bacteria to inhibit the growth of the pathogen in vitro. We isolated and characterized - genetically and morphologically - several Bd isolates from areas with declining populations of amphibians. We determined that the circulating chytrid fungus in Costa Rica belongs to the virulent strain Bd-GPL-2, which has been related to massive amphibian deaths worldwide; however, the isolates obtained showed genetic and morphological variation. Furthermore, we isolated epidermal bacteria from 12 amphibian species of surviving populations, some in danger of extinction, and evaluated their inhibitory activity against the collection of chytrid isolates. Through bioassays we confirmed the presence of chytrid-inhibitory bacterial genera in Costa Rican amphibians. However, we observed that the inhibition varied between different isolates of the same bacterial genus, and each bacterial isolation inhibited fungal isolation differently. In total, 14 bacterial isolates belonging to the genera Stenotrophomonas, Streptomyces, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas and Klebsiella showed inhibitory activity against all Bd isolates. Given the observed variation both in the pathogen and in the bacterial inhibition capacity, it is highly relevant to include local isolates and to consider the origin of the microorganisms when performing in vivo infection tests aimed at developing and implementing mitigation strategies for chytridiomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan G Abarca
- Laboratorio de Recursos Naturales y Vida Silvestre (LARNAVISI), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Steven M Whitfield
- Conservation and Research Department, Zoo Miami, St, Miami, FL 33177, USA
| | - Ibrahim Zuniga-Chaves
- Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Gilbert Alvarado
- Laboratorio de Patología Experimental y Comparada (LAPECOM), Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Jacob Kerby
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069, USA
| | - Catalina Murillo-Cruz
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMic), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Adrián A Pinto-Tomás
- Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMic), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
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Kress WJ, Mazet JAK, Hebert PDN. Opinion: Intercepting pandemics through genomics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13852-13855. [PMID: 32493752 PMCID: PMC7322079 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009508117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- W John Kress
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;
| | - Jonna A K Mazet
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Paul D N Hebert
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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