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Revault J, Desdevises Y, Magnanou É. Link between bacterial communities and contrasted loads in ectoparasitic monogeneans from the external mucus of two wild sparid species (Teleostei). Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:42. [PMID: 39080784 PMCID: PMC11290237 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00329-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While teleost fishes represent two thirds of marine vertebrates, the role of their external microbiota in relationship with their environment remains poorly studied, especially in wild populations. Hence, the interaction of their microbiota with ectoparasites is largely unknown. Microbiota can act as a protective barrier against pathogens, and/or be involved in host recognition by parasites. Thus, host-parasite associations should now be considered as a tripartite interplay where the microbiota shapes the host phenotype and its relation to parasites. Monogeneans (Platyhelminthes) are direct life cycle ectoparasites commonly found on teleost skin and gills. The role of bacterial communities within skin and gill mucus which either pre-exist monogeneans infestation or follow it remain unclear. This is investigated in this study using the association between Sparidae (Teleostei) and their specific monogenean ectoparasites of the Lamellodiscus genus. We are exploring specificity mechanisms through the characterization of the external mucus microbiota of two wild sparid species using 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing. We investigated how these bacterial communities are related to constrated Lamellodiscus monogeneans parasitic load. RESULTS Our results revealed that the increase in Lamellodiscus load is linked to an increase in bacterial diversity in the skin mucus of D. annularis specimens. The date of capture of D. annularis individuals appears to influence the Lamellodiscus load. Correlations between the abundance of bacterial taxa and Lamellodiscus load were found in gill mucus of both species. Abundance of Flavobacteriaceae family was strongly correlated with the Lamellodiscus load in gill mucus of both species, as well as the potentially pathogenic bacterial genus Tenacibaculum in D. annularis gill mucus. Negative correlations were observed between Lamellodiscus load and the abundance in Vibrionaceae in gill mucus of D. annularis, and the abundance in Fusobacteria in gill mucus of P. acarne specimens, suggesting potential applications of these bacteria in mitigating parasitic infections in fish. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the dynamic nature of fish microbiota, in particular in relation with monogeneans infestations in two wild sparid species. More generally, this study emphasizes the links between hosts, bacterial communities and parasites, spanning from the dynamics of co-infection to the potential protective role of the host's microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Revault
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des organismes marins, BIOM, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls/Mer, F-66650, France.
| | - Yves Desdevises
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des organismes marins, BIOM, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls/Mer, F-66650, France
| | - Élodie Magnanou
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Biologie Intégrative des organismes marins, BIOM, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls/Mer, F-66650, France
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Neely WJ, Souza KMC, Martins RA, Marshall VM, Buttimer SM, Brito de Assis A, Medina D, Whetstone RD, Lyra ML, Ribeiro JW, Greenspan SE, Haddad CFB, Alves dos Anjos L, Becker CG. Host-associated helminth diversity and microbiome composition contribute to anti-pathogen defences in tropical frogs impacted by forest fragmentation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240530. [PMID: 39100162 PMCID: PMC11296196 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240530] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation can negatively impact wildlife populations by simplification of ecological interactions, but little is known about how these impacts extend to host-associated symbiotic communities. The symbiotic communities of amphibians play important roles in anti-pathogen defences, particularly against the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). In this study, we analyse the role of macroparasitic helminth communities in concert with microbial communities in defending the host against Bd infection within the context of forest fragmentation. We found that skin microbial and helminth communities are disrupted at fragmented habitats, while gut microbiomes appear more resilient to environmental change. We also detected potential protective roles of helminth diversity and anti-pathogen microbial function in limiting Bd infection. Microbial network analysis revealed strong patterns of structure in both skin and gut communities, with helminths playing central roles in these networks. We reveal consistent roles of microbial and helminth diversity in driving host-pathogen interactions and the potential implications of fragmentation on host fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley J. Neely
- Department of Biology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL35487, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX78666, USA
| | - Kassia M. C. Souza
- Departamento de Biologia e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Ilha Solteira, São Paulo 15385-000, Brazil
| | - Renato A. Martins
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16803, USA
| | | | - Shannon M. Buttimer
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16803, USA
| | - Ananda Brito de Assis
- Department of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Daniel Medina
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16803, USA
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, City of Knowledge, Clayton, Panama, Republic of Panama
| | - Ross D. Whetstone
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Mariana L. Lyra
- Department of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900, Brazil
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - José Wagner Ribeiro
- Department of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Sasha E. Greenspan
- Department of Biology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL35487, USA
| | - Célio F. B. Haddad
- Department of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Luciano Alves dos Anjos
- Departamento de Biologia e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Ilha Solteira, São Paulo 15385-000, Brazil
| | - C. Guilherme Becker
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16803, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Ecology Institute, Huch Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16803, USA
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Shaw KE, Cloud RE, Syed R, Civitello DJ. Parasite transmission in size-structured populations. Ecology 2024; 105:e4221. [PMID: 38032549 PMCID: PMC10842837 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Host heterogeneity can affect parasite transmission, but determining underlying traits and incorporating them into transmission models remains challenging. Body size is easily measured and affects numerous ecological interactions, including transmission. In the snail-schistosome system, larger snails have a higher exposure to parasites but lower susceptibility to infection per parasite. We quantified the effect of size-based heterogeneity on population-level transmission by conducting transmission trials in differently size-structured snail populations and competing size-dependent transmission models. Populations with greater proportions of large snails had lower prevalence, and small snails were shielded from infection by co-occurring large conspecifics. Furthermore, a fully dependent transmission model that incorporated body size in both exposure and susceptibility outperformed other candidate models considered. Incorporating traits such as body size, which are affected by and directly affect host ecology, into transmission models could yield insights into natural dynamics and disease mitigation in many systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E Shaw
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rebecca E Cloud
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Raeyan Syed
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Gass J, Voyles J. When Defenses Fail: Atelopus zeteki Skin Secretions Increase Growth of the Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1595-1605. [PMID: 35640912 PMCID: PMC9801971 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To combat the threat of emerging infectious diseases in wildlife, ecoimmunologists seek to understand the complex interactions among pathogens, their hosts, and their shared environments. The cutaneous fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has led to the decline of innumerable amphibian species, including the Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki). Given that Bd can evade or dampen the acquired immune responses of some amphibians, nonspecific immune defenses are thought to be especially important for amphibian defenses against Bd. In particular, skin secretions constitute a vital component of amphibian innate immunity against skin infections, but their role in protecting A. zeteki from Bd is unknown. We investigated the importance of this innate immune component by reducing the skin secretions from A. zeteki and evaluating their effectiveness against Bd in vitro and in vivo. Following exposure to Bd in a controlled inoculation experiment, we compared key disease characteristics (e.g., changes in body condition, prevalence, pathogen loads, and survival) among groups of frogs that had their skin secretions reduced and control frogs that maintained their skin secretions. Surprisingly, we found that the skin secretions collected from A. zeteki increased Bd growth in vitro. This finding was further supported by infection and survival patterns in the in vivo experiment where frogs with reduced skin secretions tended to have lower pathogen loads and survive longer compared to frogs that maintained their secretions. These results suggest that the skin secretions of A. zeteki are not only ineffective at inhibiting Bd but may enhance Bd growth, possibly leading to greater severity of disease and higher mortality in this highly vulnerable species. These results differ from those of previous studies in other amphibian host species that suggest that skin secretions are a key defense in protecting amphibians from developing severe chytridiomycosis. Therefore, we suggest that the importance of immune components cannot be generalized across all amphibian species or over time. Moreover, the finding that skin secretions may be enhancing Bd growth emphasizes the importance of investigating these immune components in detail, especially for species that are a conservation priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Gass
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada at Reno, 1664 North Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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