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Simonis MC, Hartzler LK, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Johnson JS, Rúa MA. Capture rates of Eptesicus fuscus increase following white-nose syndrome across the eastern US. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11523. [PMID: 38932974 PMCID: PMC11199122 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11523] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases threaten wildlife globally. While the effects of infectious diseases on hosts with severe infections and high mortality rates often receive considerable attention, effects on hosts that persist despite infection are less frequently studied. To understand how persisting host populations change in the face of disease, we quantified changes to the capture rates of Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bats), a persisting species susceptible to infection by the invasive fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd; causative agent for white-nose syndrome), across the eastern US using a 30-year dataset. Capture rates of male and female E. fuscus increased from preinvasion to pathogen establishment years, with greater increases to the capture rates of females than males. Among females, capture rates of pregnant and post-lactating females increased by pathogen establishment. We outline potential mechanisms for these broad demographic changes in E. fuscus capture rates (i.e., increases to foraging from energy deficits created by Pd infection, increases to relative abundance, or changes to reproductive cycles), and suggest future research for identifying mechanisms for increasing capture rates across the eastern US. These data highlight the importance of understanding how populations of persisting host species change following pathogen invasion across a broad spatial scale. Understanding changes to population composition following pathogen invasion can identify broad ecological patterns across space and time, and open new avenues for research to identify drivers of those patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Simonis
- Environmental Sciences PhD ProgramWright State UniversityDaytonOhioUSA
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
| | - Lynn K. Hartzler
- Environmental Sciences PhD ProgramWright State UniversityDaytonOhioUSA
- Department of Biological SciencesWright State UniversityDaytonOhioUSA
| | - Gregory G. Turner
- Pennsylvania Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife ManagementHarrisburgPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Michael R. Scafini
- Pennsylvania Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife ManagementHarrisburgPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- School of Information TechnologyUniversity of CincinnatiCincinnatiOhioUSA
| | - Megan A. Rúa
- Environmental Sciences PhD ProgramWright State UniversityDaytonOhioUSA
- Department of Biological SciencesWright State UniversityDaytonOhioUSA
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2
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Krueger SK, Williams SC, O’Keefe JM, Zirkle GA, Haase CG. White-nose syndrome, winter duration, and pre-hibernation climate impact abundance of reproductive female bats. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298515. [PMID: 38669238 PMCID: PMC11051637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298515] [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: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an infectious disease that disrupts hibernation in bats, leading to premature exhaustion of fat stores. Though we know WNS does impact reproduction in hibernating female bats, we are unsure how these impacts are exacerbated by local climate factors. We compiled data from four southeastern U.S. states and used generalized linear mixed effects models to compare effects of WNS, pre-hibernation climate variables, and winter duration on the number of reproductive females in species across the range of WNS susceptibility. We predicted we would see a decline in the number of reproductive females in WNS-susceptible species, with the effect exaggerated by longer winter durations and pre-hibernation climate variables that lead to reductions in foraging. We found that the number of reproductive females in WNS-susceptible species was positively correlated with pre-hibernation local climate conditions conducive to foraging; however, WNS-susceptible species experienced an overall decline with the presence of WNS and as winter duration increased. Our long-term dataset provides evidence that pre-hibernation climate, specifically favorable summer weather conditions for foraging, greatly influences the reproduction, regardless of WNS status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Krueger
- Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Sarah C. Williams
- Environmental Division, US Army Fort Campbell, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Joy M. O’Keefe
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gene A. Zirkle
- Environmental Division, US Army Fort Campbell, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Catherine G. Haase
- Department of Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee, United States of America
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3
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Whiting-Fawcett F, Blomberg AS, Troitsky T, Meierhofer MB, Field KA, Puechmaille SJ, Lilley TM. A Palearctic view of a bat fungal disease. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14265. [PMID: 38616727 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The fungal infection causing white-nose disease in hibernating bats in North America has resulted in dramatic population declines of affected species, since the introduction of the causative agent Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fungus is native to the Palearctic, where it also infects several bat species, yet rarely causes severe pathology or the death of the host. Pseudogymnoascus destructans infects bats during hibernation by invading and digesting the skin tissue, resulting in the disruption of torpor patterns and consequent emaciation. Relations among pathogen, host, and environment are complex, and individuals, populations, and species respond to the fungal pathogen in different ways. For example, the Nearctic Myotis lucifugus responds to infection by mounting a robust immune response, leading to immunopathology often contributing to mortality. In contrast, the Palearctic M. myotis shows no significant immunological response to infection. This lack of a strong response, resulting from the long coevolution between the hosts and the pathogen in the pathogen's native range, likely contributes to survival in tolerant species. After more than 15 years since the initial introduction of the fungus to North America, some of the affected populations are showing signs of recovery, suggesting that the fungus, hosts, or both are undergoing processes that may eventually lead to coexistence. The suggested or implemented management methods of the disease in North America have encompassed, for example, the use of probiotics and fungicides, vaccinations, and modifying the environmental conditions of the hibernation sites to limit the growth of the pathogen, intensity of infection, or the hosts' responses to it. Based on current knowledge from Eurasia, policy makers and conservation managers should refrain from disrupting the ongoing evolutionary processes and adopt a holistic approach to managing the epizootic.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Whiting-Fawcett
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - A S Blomberg
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Troitsky
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - M B Meierhofer
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - K A Field
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - S J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution Montpellier (ISEM), University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - T M Lilley
- BatLab Finland, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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4
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Muise KA, Dzal YA, Fletcher QE, Willis CKR. Hibernating female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) adjust huddling and drinking behaviour, but not arousal frequency, in response to low humidity. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246699. [PMID: 38353043 PMCID: PMC10949064 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Many mammals hibernate during winter, reducing energy expenditure via bouts of torpor. The majority of a hibernator's energy reserves are used to fuel brief, but costly, arousals from torpor. Although arousals likely serve multiple functions, an important one is to restore water stores depleted during torpor. Many hibernating bat species require high humidity, presumably to reduce torpid water loss, but big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) appear tolerant of a wide humidity range. We tested the hypothesis that hibernating female E. fuscus use behavioural flexibility during torpor and arousals to maintain water balance and reduce energy expenditure. We predicted: (1) E. fuscus hibernating in dry conditions would exhibit more compact huddles during torpor and drink more frequently than bats in high humidity conditions; and (2) the frequency and duration of torpor bouts and arousals, and thus total loss of body mass would not differ between bats in the two environments. We housed hibernating E. fuscus in temperature- and humidity-controlled incubators at 50% or 98% relative humidity (8°C, 110 days). Bats in the dry environment maintained a more compact huddle during torpor and drank more frequently during arousals. Bats in the two environments had a similar number of arousals, but arousal duration was shorter in the dry environment. However, total loss of body mass over hibernation did not differ between treatments, indicating that the two groups used similar amounts of energy. Our results suggest that behavioural flexibility allows hibernating E. fuscus to maintain water balance and reduce energy costs across a wide range of hibernation humidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina A. Muise
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MN, CanadaR3B 2E9
| | - Yvonne A. Dzal
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MN, CanadaR3B 2E9
| | - Quinn E. Fletcher
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MN, CanadaR3B 2E9
| | - Craig K. R. Willis
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, MN, CanadaR3B 2E9
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5
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Pérez AA, Tobin A, Stechly JV, Ferrante JA, Hunter ME. A minimally invasive, field-applicable CRISPR/Cas biosensor to aid in the detection of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative fungal agent of white-nose syndrome in bats. Mol Ecol Resour 2024; 24:e13902. [PMID: 38069533 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
The accessibility to CRISPR/Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) genetic tools has given rise to applications beyond site-directed genome editing for the detection of DNA and RNA. These tools include precise diagnostic detection of human disease pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 and Zika virus. Despite the technology being rapid and cost-effective, the use of CRISPR/Cas tools in the surveillance of the causative agents of wildlife diseases has not been prominent. This study presents the development of a minimally invasive, field-applicable and user-friendly CRISPR/Cas-based biosensor for the detection of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative fungal agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), an infectious disease that has killed more than five million bats in North America since its discovery in 2006. The biosensor assay combines a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) step followed by CRISPR/Cas12a nuclease cleavage to detect Pd DNA from bat dermal swab and guano samples. The biosensor had similar detection results when compared to quantitative PCR in distinguishing Pd-positive versus negative field samples. Although bat dermal swabs could be analysed with the biosensor without nucleic acid extraction, DNA extraction was needed when screening guano samples to overcome inhibitors. This assay can be applied to help with more rapid delineation of Pd-positive sites in the field to inform management decisions. With further optimization, this technology has broad translation potential to wildlife disease-associated pathogen detection and monitoring applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Pérez
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Abigail Tobin
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington, USA
| | - John V Stechly
- Cherokee Nation System Solutions, Contractor to the U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Jason A Ferrante
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Margaret E Hunter
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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6
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Li T, Fan X, Cai M, Jiang Y, Wang Y, He P, Ni J, Mo A, Peng C, Liu J. Advances in investigating microcystin-induced liver toxicity and underlying mechanisms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167167. [PMID: 37730048 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Microcystins (MCs) are a class of biologically active cyclic heptapeptide pollutants produced by the freshwater alga Microcystis aeruginosa. With increased environmental pollution, MCs have become a popular research topic. In recent years, the hepatotoxicity of MCs and associated effects and mechanisms have been studied extensively. Current epidemiological data indicate that long-term human exposure to MCs can lead to severe liver toxicity, acute toxicity, and death. In addition, current toxicological studies on the liver, a vital target organ of MCs, indicate that MC contamination is associated with the development of liver cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver, and liver fibrosis. MCs produce hepatotoxicity that affects the metabolic homeostasis of the liver, induces apoptosis, and acts as a pro-cancer factor, leading to liver lesions. MCs mainly mediate the activation of signaling pathways, such as the ERK/JNK/p38 MAPK and IL-6-STAT3 pathways, which leads to oxidative damage and even carcinogenesis. Moreover, MCs can act synergistically with other pollutants to produce combined toxicity. However, few systematic reviews have been performed on these new findings. This review systematically summarizes the toxic effects and mechanisms of MCs on the liver and discusses the combined liver toxicity effects of MCs and other pollutants to provide reference for subsequent research. The toxicity of different MC isomers deserves further study. The detection methods and limit standards of MCs in agricultural and aquatic products will represent important research directions in the future. Standard protocols for fish sampling during harmful algal blooms or to evaluate the degree of MC toxicity in nature are lacking. In future, bioinformatics can be applied to offer insights into MC toxicology research and potential drug development for MC poisoning. Further research is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms of liver function damage in combined-exposure toxicology studies to establish treatment for MC-induced liver damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Li
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Xinting Fan
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Meihan Cai
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Yaqi Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Peishuang He
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Juan Ni
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Aili Mo
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Cuiying Peng
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hengyang Medical School, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Biological Toxicology and Ecological Restoration, Key Laboratory of Hengyang City on Ecological Impedance Technology of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of Nonferrous Metal Mining Area, Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Critical Human Diseases Prevention of Hunan Province Department of Education, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China; School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
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7
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Blejwas K, Beard L, Buchanan J, Lausen CL, Neubaum D, Tobin A, Weller TJ. COULD WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME MANIFEST DIFFERENTLY IN MYOTIS LUCIFUGUS IN WESTERN VERSUS EASTERN REGIONS OF NORTH AMERICA? A REVIEW OF FACTORS. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:381-397. [PMID: 37270186 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00050] [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: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) has notably affected the abundance of Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) in North America. Thus far, substantial mortality has been restricted to the eastern part of the continent where the cause of WNS, the invasive fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has infected bats since 2006. To date, the state of Washington is the only area in the Western US or Canada (the Rocky Mountains and further west in North America) with confirmed cases of WNS in bats, and there the disease has spread more slowly than it did in Eastern North America. Here, we review differences between M. lucifugus in western and eastern parts of the continent that may affect transmission, spread, and severity of WNS in the West and highlight important gaps in knowledge. We explore the hypothesis that western M. lucifugus may respond differently to WNS on the basis of different hibernation strategies, habitat use, and greater genetic structure. To document the effect of WNS on M. lucifugus in the West most effectively, we recommend focusing on maternity roosts for strategic disease surveillance and monitoring abundance. We further recommend continuing the challenging work of identifying hibernation and swarming sites to better understand the microclimates, microbial communities, and role in disease transmission of these sites, as well as the ecology and hibernation physiology of bats in noncavernous hibernacula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Blejwas
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, PO Box 110024, Juneau, Alaska 99811, USA
- Except for the first author, all others are listed in alphabetical order
| | - Laura Beard
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 260 Buena Vista, Lander, Wyoming 82520, USA
| | - Joseph Buchanan
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PO Box 43200, Olympia, Washington 98501, USA
| | - Cori L Lausen
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, 202 B Avenue, Kaslo, British Columbia V0G 1M0, Canada
| | - Daniel Neubaum
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 711 Independent Ave., Grand Junction, Colorado 81507, USA
| | - Abigail Tobin
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, PO Box 43200, Olympia, Washington 98501, USA
| | - Theodore J Weller
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, 1700 Bayview Drive, Arcata, California 95521, USA
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8
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Mallinger EC, Goodwin KR, Kirschbaum A, Shen Y, Gillam EH, Olson ER. Species-specific responses to white-nose syndrome in the Great Lakes region. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10267. [PMID: 37435023 PMCID: PMC10329912 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10267] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that is threatening bat populations across North America. The disease primarily affects cave-hibernating bats by depleting fat reserves during hibernation and causing a range of other physiological consequences when immune responses are suppressed. Since it was first detected in 2006, the disease has killed millions of bats and is responsible for extensive local extinctions. To better understand the effects of white-nose syndrome on various bat species, we analyzed summer acoustic survey data collected from 2016 to 2020 at nine US National Parks within the Great Lakes region. We examined the effect that white-nose syndrome, time of the year relative to pup volancy, habitat type, and regional variation (i.e., park) have on the acoustic abundance (i.e., mean call abundance) of six bat species. As expected, little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), both hibernating species, experienced a significant decline in acoustic abundance following white-nose syndrome detection. We observed a significant increase in acoustic abundance as white-nose syndrome progressed for hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), both migratory species that are not impacted by the disease. Contrary to our predictions, we observed an increase in big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus; hibernating) acoustic abundance and a decrease in eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis; migratory) acoustic abundance following the detection of white-nose syndrome. We did not observe any significant changes after the onset of white-nose syndrome in the seasonal patterns of acoustic activity related to pup volancy, suggesting that production or recruitment of young may not be affected by the disease. Our results suggest that white-nose syndrome is affecting the acoustic abundance of certain species; however, these changes may not be a result of reduced reproductive success caused by the disease. In addition, species population dynamics may be indirectly affected by white-nose syndrome as a result of reduced competition or a foraging niche release. We also found that for parks located at higher latitudes, little brown bat and northern long-eared bat were more likely to experience greater declines in acoustic abundance as a result of white-nose syndrome. Our work provides insight into species-specific responses to white-nose syndrome at a regional scale and examines factors that may facilitate resistance or resiliency to the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katy R. Goodwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dept. 2715North Dakota State UniversityFargoNorth DakotaUSA
- Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring NetworkNational Park ServiceAshlandWisconsinUSA
| | - Alan Kirschbaum
- Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring NetworkNational Park ServiceAshlandWisconsinUSA
| | - Yunyi Shen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Laboratory for Information and Decision SystemsMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Erin H. Gillam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dept. 2715North Dakota State UniversityFargoNorth DakotaUSA
| | - Erik R. Olson
- Department of Natural ResourcesNorthland CollegeAshlandWisconsinUSA
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9
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Sewall BJ, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Gagnon MF, Johnson JS, Keel MK, Anis E, Lilley TM, White JP, Hauer CL, Overton BE. Environmental control reduces white‐nose syndrome infection in hibernating bats. Anim Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- B. J. Sewall
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | | | | | - M. F. Gagnon
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - J. S. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences Ohio University Athens OH USA
- School of Information Technology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH USA
| | - M. K. Keel
- School of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis CA USA
| | - E. Anis
- Department of Pathobiology University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center Kennett Square PA USA
| | - T. M. Lilley
- Finnish Museum of Natural History University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - J. P. White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison WI USA
| | - C. L. Hauer
- Department of Biology Temple University Philadelphia PA USA
| | - B. E. Overton
- Department of Biology Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven PA USA
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10
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Simonis MC, Hartzler LK, Turner GG, Scafini MR, Johnson JS, Rúa MA. Long‐term exposure to an invasive fungal pathogen decreases
Eptesicus fuscus
body mass with increasing latitude. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Simonis
- Department of Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Lynn K. Hartzler
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
| | - Gregory G. Turner
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Michael R. Scafini
- Bureau of Wildlife Management Pennsylvania Game Commission Harrisburg Pennsylvania USA
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- School of Information Technology University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio USA
| | - Megan A. Rúa
- Environmental Sciences PhD Program Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Wright State University Dayton Ohio USA
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11
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Wray AK, Gratton C, Jusino MA, Wang JJ, Kochanski JM, Palmer JM, Banik MT, Lindner DL, Peery MZ. Disease‐related population declines in bats demonstrate non‐exchangeability in generalist predators. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8978. [PMID: 35784069 PMCID: PMC9170538 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8978] [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: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which persisting species may fill the functional role of extirpated or declining species has profound implications for the structure of biological communities and ecosystem functioning. In North America, arthropodivorous bats are threatened on a continent‐wide scale by the spread of white‐nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. We tested whether bat species that display lower mortality from this disease can partially fill the functional role of other bat species experiencing population declines. Specifically, we performed high‐throughput amplicon sequencing of guano from two generalist predators: the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). We then compared changes in prey consumption before versus after population declines related to WNS. Dietary niches contracted for both species after large and abrupt declines in little brown bats and smaller declines in big brown bats, but interspecific dietary overlap did not change. Furthermore, the incidence and taxonomic richness of agricultural pest taxa detected in diet samples decreased following bat population declines. Our results suggest that persisting generalist predators do not necessarily expand their dietary niches following population declines in other predators, providing further evidence that the functional roles of different generalist predators are ecologically distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy K. Wray
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Claudio Gratton
- Department of Entomology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Michelle A. Jusino
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jing Jamie Wang
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jade M. Kochanski
- Department of Entomology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jonathan M. Palmer
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Mark T. Banik
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Daniel L. Lindner
- Center for Forest Mycology Research Northern Research Station USDA Forest Service Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - M. Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
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12
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Summer Populations of Northern Long-eared Bat in an Eastern Kentucky Forest Following Arrival of White-nose Syndrome. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2022. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-187.1.71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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13
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Vanderwolf KJ, Kyle CJ, Faure PA, McAlpine DF, Davy CM. Skin pH varies among bat species and seasons and between wild and captive bats. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab088. [PMID: 34925845 PMCID: PMC8672241 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Skin is a key aspect of the immune system in the defence against pathogens. Skin pH regulates the activity of enzymes produced both by hosts and by microbes on host skin, thus implicating pH in disease susceptibility. Skin pH varies inter- and intra-specifically and is influenced by a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic variables. Increased skin alkalinity is associated with a predisposition to cutaneous infections in humans and dogs, and inter-specific and inter-individual variation in skin pH is implicated in differential susceptibility to some skin diseases. The cutaneous pH of bats has not been characterized but is postulated to play a role in susceptibility to white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal infection that has decimated several Nearctic bat species. We used non-invasive probes to measure the pH of bat flight membranes in five species with differing susceptibility to WNS. Skin pH ranged from 4.67 to 8.59 and varied among bat species, geographic locations, body parts, age classes, sexes and seasons. Wild Eptesicus fuscus were consistently more acidic than wild Myotis lucifugus, Myotis leibii and Perimyotis subflavus. Juvenile bats had more acidic skin than adults during maternity season but did not differ during swarming. Male M. lucifugus were more acidic than females during maternity season, yet this trend reversed during swarming. Bat skin was more acidic in summer compared to winter, a pattern also reported in humans. Skin pH was more acidic in captive than wild E. fuscus, suggesting environmental impacts on skin pH. The pH of roosting substrates affects skin pH in captive bats and may partially explain seasonal patterns in wild bats that use different roost types across seasons. Future research on the influence of pH on microbial pathogenic factors and skin barrier function may provide valuable insights on new therapeutic targets for treating bat skin conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Vanderwolf
- Corresponding author: Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, K9L 0G2, Canada.
| | - Christopher J Kyle
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, K9L 0G2, Ontario, Canada
- Forensic Science Department, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, Ontario, Canada
- Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensics Center, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul A Faure
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald F McAlpine
- Department of Natural History, New Brunswick Museum, 277 Douglas Ave, Saint John, E2K 1E5, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Christina M Davy
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, K9L 0G2, Ontario, Canada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, 1600 West Bank Dr, Peterborough, K9L 0G2, Ontario, Canada
- Current affiliation: Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Bombaci SP, Russell RE, St. Germain MJ, Dobony CA, Ford WM, Loeb SC, Jachowski DS. Context dependency of disease‐mediated competitive release in bat assemblages following white‐nose syndrome. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sara P. Bombaci
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Robin E. Russell
- U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center 6006 Schroeder Road Madison Wisconsin 53711 USA
| | | | - Christopher A. Dobony
- Fort Drum Military Installation Natural Resources Branch IMNE‐DRM‐PWE Building T‐4848 Delahanty Avenue Fort Drum New York 13602 USA
| | - W. Mark Ford
- U.S. Geological Survey Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Blacksburg Virginia 24061 USA
| | - Susan C. Loeb
- U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station Clemson South Carolina 29634 USA
| | - David S. Jachowski
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation Clemson University Clemson South Carolina 29631 USA
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15
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Barr EL, Silvis A, Armstrong MP, Ford WM. White‐nose Syndrome and Environmental Correlates to Landscape‐Scale Bat Presence. WILDLIFE SOC B 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elaine L. Barr
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge Williamstown WV 26187
| | | | - Mike P. Armstrong
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office Frankfort KY 40601
| | - W. Mark Ford
- U.S. Geological Survey Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Blacksburg VA 24061
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16
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Gentry SL, Lorch JM, Lankton JS, Pringle A. Koch's postulates: Confirming Nannizziopsis guarroi as the cause of yellow fungal disease in Pogona vitticeps. Mycologia 2021; 113:1253-1263. [PMID: 34477498 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2021.1954445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Nannizziopsis guarroi is an ascomycete fungus associated with a necrotizing dermatitis in captive green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) across both Europe and North America. Clinical signs of the disease include swelling and lesion formation. Lesions develop from white raised bumps on the skin and progress into crusty, yellow, discolored scales, eventually becoming necrotic. The clinical signs are the basis of a colloquial name yellow fungal disease (YFD). However, until now, N. guarroi has not been confirmed as the primary agent of the disease in bearded dragons. In this experiment, we fulfill Koch's postulates criteria of disease, demonstrating N. guarroi as the primary agent of YFD in bearded dragons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah L Gentry
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
| | - Jeffrey M Lorch
- National Wildlife Health Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin, 53711
| | - Julia S Lankton
- National Wildlife Health Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin, 53711
| | - Anne Pringle
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
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17
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Integrating Multiple Survey Techniques to Document a Shifting Bat Community in the Wake of White-Nose Syndrome. JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.3996/jfwm-20-043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The long-term study of bat communities often depends on a diverse set of sampling methodologies that are chosen based on the species or habitat management priorities of the research project. Integrating the data from a diverse set of methodologies (such as acoustic monitoring and mist net sampling) would improve our ability to characterize changes in community structure or composition over time, such as one would expect following an emergent infectious disease such as white-nose syndrome. We developed a Bayesian state-space model to integrate these disparate data into a common currency (relative abundance). We collected both acoustic monitoring and mist net capture data over an 8-y period (2006–2014) to document shifts in the bat community in central New England, USA, in response to the onset of white-nose syndrome in 2009. The integrated data model shows a significant decline in the abundance of little brown bat Myotis lucifugus, northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis, and hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus, and an increase in abundance of the eastern small-footed bat Myotis leibii and the eastern red bat Lasiurus borealis. There was no evidence for a change in abundance in the big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus since the onset of white-nose syndrome. The consistency of this model with regional estimates of decline over the same time period support the validity of our relative abundance estimate. This model provides the opportunity to quantify shifts in other communities where multiple sampling methodologies were employed, and therefore provides natural resource managers with a robust tool to integrate existing sampling data to quantify changes in community composition that can inform conservation and management recommendations.
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18
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Pannkuk EL, Dorville NASY, Dzal YA, Fletcher QE, Norquay KJO, Willis CKR, Fornace AJ, Laiakis EC. Hepatic lipid signatures of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at early stages of white-nose syndrome. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11581. [PMID: 34078939 PMCID: PMC8172879 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90828-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent wildlife fungal disease of cave-dwelling, hibernating bats that has led to unprecedented mortalities throughout North America. A primary factor in WNS-associated bat mortality includes increased arousals from torpor and premature fat depletion during winter months. Details of species and sex-specific changes in lipid metabolism during WNS are poorly understood and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Given the likely role of fat metabolism in WNS and the fact that the liver plays a crucial role in fatty acid distribution and lipid storage, we assessed hepatic lipid signatures of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at an early stage of infection with the etiological agent, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Differences in lipid profiles were detected at the species and sex level in the sham-inoculated treatment, most strikingly in higher hepatic triacylglyceride (TG) levels in E. fuscus females compared to males. Interestingly, several dominant TGs (storage lipids) decreased dramatically after Pd infection in both female M. lucifugus and E. fuscus. Increases in hepatic glycerophospholipid (structural lipid) levels were only observed in M. lucifugus, including two phosphatidylcholines (PC [32:1], PC [42:6]) and one phosphatidylglycerol (PG [34:1]). These results suggest that even at early stages of WNS, changes in hepatic lipid mobilization may occur and be species and sex specific. As pre-hibernation lipid reserves may aid in bat persistence and survival during WNS, these early perturbations to lipid metabolism could have important implications for management responses that aid in pre-hibernation fat storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan L Pannkuk
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.
| | - Nicole A S-Y Dorville
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Yvonne A Dzal
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Quinn E Fletcher
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Kaleigh J O Norquay
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Craig K R Willis
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Albert J Fornace
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Evagelia C Laiakis
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
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19
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Fritze M, Puechmaille SJ, Costantini D, Fickel J, Voigt CC, Czirják GÁ. Determinants of defence strategies of a hibernating European bat species towards the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 119:104017. [PMID: 33476670 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2021.104017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent of white-nose syndrome in North America, has decimated bat populations within a decade. The fungus impacts bats during hibernation when physiological functions, including immune responses, are down-regulated. Studies have shown that Pd is native to Europe, where it is not associated with mass mortalities. Moreover, genomic and proteomic studies indicated that European bats may have evolved an effective immune defence, which is lacking in North American bats. However, it is still unclear which defence strategy enables European bats to cope with the pathogen. Here, we analyzed selected physiological and immunological parameters in torpid, Pd infected European greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) showing three different levels of infection (asymptomatic, mild and severe symptoms). From a subset of the studied bats we tracked skin temperatures during one month of hibernation. Contrasting North American bats, arousal patterns remained unaffected by Pd infections in M. myotis. In general, heavier M. myotis aroused more often from hibernation and showed less severe disease symptoms than lean individuals; most likely because heavy bats were capable of reducing the Pd load more effectively than lean individuals. In the blood of severely infected bats, we found higher gene expression levels of an inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β), but lower levels of an acute phase protein (haptoglobin), reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) and plasma non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (OXY) compared to conspecifics with lower levels of infection. We conclude that M. myotis, and possibly also other European bat species, tolerate Pd infections during torpor by using selected acute phase response parameters at baseline levels, yet without arousing from torpor and without synthesizing additional immune molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Fritze
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Sebastien J Puechmaille
- Institut des Sciences de L'Evolution, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - David Costantini
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation (PhyMA), Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP32, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Jörns Fickel
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany; Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Christian C Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
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20
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Kirejczyk SGM, Goodwin C, Gyimesi ZS, Zachariah TT, Sturgeon GL, Armwood AR, Frontera-Acevedo K, Kokosinksa A, Seguel M, Fogelson SB, Burnum AL, Miller D, Sakamoto K, Howerth EW, McManamon R, Gottdenker N. A Retrospective Study of Pathology in Bats Submitted to an Exotic and Zoo Animal Diagnostic Service in Georgia, USA (2008-2019). J Comp Pathol 2021; 185:96-107. [PMID: 34119238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2021.04.010] [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: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Pathology records of bats submitted to the University of Georgia from managed care settings were reviewed to identify naturally occurring diseases. Fifty-nine cases were evaluated during an 11-year period (2008-2019), including representatives from four families: Pteropodidae (Yinpterochiroptera), Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae and Molossidae (Yangochiroptera). Pathology reports were reviewed to determine the primary pathological process resulting in death or the decision to euthanize. Cases were categorized as non-infectious (34/59; 58%), infectious/inflammatory (17/59; 29%) or undetermined due to advanced autolysis (8/59; 14%). Musculoskeletal diseases and reproductive losses were the most frequent pathological processes. Among the infectious processes identified, bacterial infections of the reproductive and haemolymphatic systems were most frequently observed. The first two reports of neoplasia in small flying foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus) are described. Bats under managed care present with a wide range of histopathological lesions. In this cohort, non-infectious disease processes were common.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Doris Miller
- Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Rita McManamon
- Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service, Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, Athens, Georgia, USA
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21
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White-nose syndrome-related changes to Mid-Atlantic bat communities across an urban-to-rural gradient. BMC ZOOL 2021; 6:12. [PMID: 37170299 PMCID: PMC10127033 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-021-00079-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has reduced the abundance of many bat species within the United States’ Mid-Atlantic region. To determine changes within the National Park Service National Capital Region (NCR) bat communities, we surveyed the area with mist netting and active acoustic sampling (2016–2018) and compared findings to pre-WNS (2003–2004) data.
Results
The results indicated the continued presence of the threatened Myotis septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared bat) and species of conservation concern, including Perimyotis subflavus (Tri-colored bat), Myotis leibii (Eastern Small-footed bat) and Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown bat). However, we documented a significant reduction in the abundance and distribution of M. lucifugus and P. subflavus, a decrease in the distribution of M. septentrionalis, and an increase in the abundance of Eptesicus fuscus (Big Brown bat).
Conclusions
Documented post-WNS M. septentrionalis recruitment suggests that portions of the NCR may be important bat conservation areas. Decreases in distribution and abundance of P. subflavus and M. lucifugus indicate probable extirpation from many previously occupied portions of the region.
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22
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Seewagen CL, Adams AM. Turning to the dark side: LED light at night alters the activity and species composition of a foraging bat assemblage in the northeastern United States. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5635-5645. [PMID: 34026035 PMCID: PMC8131776 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a rapidly intensifying form of environmental degradation that can impact wildlife by altering light-mediated physiological processes that control a broad range of behaviors. Although nocturnal animals are most vulnerable, ALAN's effects on North American bats have been surprisingly understudied. Most of what is known is based on decades-old observations of bats around street lights with traditional lighting technologies that have been increasingly replaced by energy-efficient broad-spectrum lighting, rendering our understanding of the contemporary effects of ALAN on North American bats even less complete. We experimentally tested the effects of broad-spectrum ALAN on presence/absence, foraging activity, and species composition in a Connecticut, USA bat community by illuminating foraging habitat with light-emitting diode (LED) floodlights and comparing acoustic recordings between light and dark conditions. Lighting dramatically decreased presence and activity of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), which we detected on only 14% of light nights compared with 65% of dark (lights off) and 69% of control (lights removed) nights. Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) activity on light nights averaged only half that of dark and control nights. Lighting did not affect presence/absence of silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans), but decreased their activity. There were no effects on eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) or hoary bats (L. cinereus), which have been described previously as light-tolerant. Aversion to lighting by some species but not others caused a significant shift in community composition, thereby potentially altering competitive balances from natural conditions. Our results demonstrate that only a small degree of ALAN can represent a significant form of habitat degradation for some North American bats, including the endangered little brown bat. Research on the extent to which different lighting technologies, colors, and intensities affect these species is urgently needed and should be a priority in conservation planning for North America's bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad L. Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve & Ecological Research CenterNew FairfieldCTUSA
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation CenterUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
| | - Amanda M. Adams
- Bat Conservation InternationalAustinTXUSA
- Department of BiologyTexas A&M UniversityCollege StationTXUSA
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23
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Vanderwolf KJ, Campbell LJ, Goldberg TL, Blehert DS, Lorch JM. Skin fungal assemblages of bats vary based on susceptibility to white-nose syndrome. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:909-920. [PMID: 33149209 PMCID: PMC8027032 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00821-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Microbial skin assemblages, including fungal communities, can influence host resistance to infectious diseases. The diversity-invasibility hypothesis predicts that high-diversity communities are less easily invaded than species-poor communities, and thus diverse microbial communities may prevent pathogens from colonizing a host. To explore the hypothesis that host fungal communities mediate resistance to infection by fungal pathogens, we investigated characteristics of bat skin fungal communities as they relate to susceptibility to the emerging disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). Using a culture-based approach, we compared skin fungal assemblage characteristics of 10 bat species that differ in susceptibility to WNS across 10 eastern U.S. states. The fungal assemblages on WNS-susceptible bat species had significantly lower alpha diversity and abundance compared to WNS-resistant species. Overall fungal assemblage structure did not vary based on WNS-susceptibility, but several yeast species were differentially abundant on WNS-resistant bat species. One yeast species inhibited Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent on WNS, in vitro under certain conditions, suggesting a possible role in host protection. Further exploration of interactions between Pd and constituents of skin fungal assemblages may prove useful for predicting susceptibility of bat populations to WNS and for developing effective mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Vanderwolf
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Lewis J Campbell
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - David S Blehert
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Lorch
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WIS, USA.
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24
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Vanderwolf KJ, McAlpine DF. Hibernacula microclimate and declines in overwintering bats during an outbreak of white-nose syndrome near the northern range limit of infection in North America. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2273-2288. [PMID: 33717454 PMCID: PMC7920769 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
We document white-nose syndrome (WNS), a lethal disease of bats caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), and hibernacula microclimate in New Brunswick, Canada. Our study area represents a more northern region than is common for hibernacula microclimate investigations, providing insight as to how WNS may impact bats at higher latitudes. To determine the impact of the March 2011 arrival of Pd in New Brunswick and the role of hibernacula microclimate on overwintering bat mortality, we surveyed bat numbers at hibernacula twice a year from 2009 to 2015. We also collected data from iButton temperature loggers deployed at all sites and data from HOBO temperature and humidity loggers at three sites. Bat species found in New Brunswick hibernacula include Myotis lucifugus (Little Brown Bat) and M. septentrionalis (Northern Long-eared Bat), with small numbers of Perimyotis subflavus (Tricolored Bat). All known hibernacula in the province were Pd-positive with WNS-positive bats by winter 2013. A 99% decrease in the overwintering bat population in New Brunswick was observed between 2011 and 2015. We did not observe P. subflavus during surveys 2013-2015 and the species appears to be extirpated from these sites. Bats did not appear to choose hibernacula based on winter temperatures, but dark zone (zone where no light penetrates) winter temperatures did not differ among our study sites. Winter dark zone temperatures were warmer and less variable than entrance or above ground temperatures. We observed visible Pd growth on hibernating bats in New Brunswick during early winter surveys (November), even though hibernacula temperatures were colder than optimum for in vitro Pd growth. This suggests that cold hibernacula temperatures encountered near the apparent northern range limit for Pd do not sufficiently slow fungal growth to prevent the onset of WNS and associated bat mortality over the winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J. Vanderwolf
- Canadian Wildlife FederationKanataONCanada
- New Brunswick MuseumSaint JohnNBCanada
- Present address:
Trent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
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Simonis MC, Brown BKG, Bahn V. Mobile Bat Acoustic Routes Indicate Cavity-Roosting Species Undergo Compensatory Changes in Community Composition Following White-Nose Syndrome. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2020.22.2.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Molly C. Simonis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Bridget K. G. Brown
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Volker Bahn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
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Davy CM, Donaldson ME, Bandouchova H, Breit AM, Dorville NA, Dzal YA, Kovacova V, Kunkel EL, Martínková N, Norquay KJ, Paterson JE, Zukal J, Pikula J, Willis CK, Kyle CJ. Transcriptional host-pathogen responses of Pseudogymnoascus destructans and three species of bats with white-nose syndrome. Virulence 2020; 11:781-794. [PMID: 32552222 PMCID: PMC7549942 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1768018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how context (e.g., host species, environmental conditions) drives disease susceptibility is an essential goal of disease ecology. We hypothesized that in bat white-nose syndrome (WNS), species-specific host-pathogen interactions may partly explain varying disease outcomes among host species. We characterized bat and pathogen transcriptomes in paired samples of lesion-positive and lesion-negative wing tissue from bats infected with Pseudogymnoascus destructans in three parallel experiments. The first two experiments analyzed samples collected from the susceptible Nearctic Myotis lucifugus and the less-susceptible Nearctic Eptesicus fuscus, following experimental infection and hibernation in captivity under controlled conditions. The third experiment applied the same analyses to paired samples from infected, free-ranging Myotis myotis, a less susceptible, Palearctic species, following natural infection and hibernation (n = 8 sample pairs/species). Gene expression by P. destructans was similar among the three host species despite varying environmental conditions among the three experiments and was similar within each host species between saprophytic contexts (superficial growth on wings) and pathogenic contexts (growth in lesions on the same wings). In contrast, we observed qualitative variation in host response: M. lucifugus and M. myotis exhibited systemic responses to infection, while E. fuscus up-regulated a remarkably localized response. Our results suggest potential phylogenetic determinants of response to WNS and can inform further studies of context-dependent host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Davy
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Canada
| | | | - Hana Bandouchova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ana M. Breit
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Nicole A.S. Dorville
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Yvonne A. Dzal
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Veronika Kovacova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Emma L. Kunkel
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Natália Martínková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kaleigh J.O. Norquay
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - James E. Paterson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Craig K.R. Willis
- Department of Biology and Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research (C-FIR), University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Kyle
- Environmental and Life Sciences Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
- Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensics Centre, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
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Hicks LL, Schwab NA, Homyack JA, Jones JE, Maxell BA, Burkholder BO. A statistical approach to white-nose syndrome surveillance monitoring using acoustic data. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241052. [PMID: 33091068 PMCID: PMC7580964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional pathogen surveillance methods for white-nose syndrome (WNS), the most serious threat to hibernating North American bats, focus on fungal presence where large congregations of hibernating bats occur. However, in the western USA, WNS-susceptible bat species rarely assemble in large numbers and known winter roosts are uncommon features. WNS increases arousal frequency and activity of infected bats during hibernation. Our objective was to explore the effectiveness of acoustic monitoring as a surveillance tool for WNS. We propose a non-invasive approach to model pre-WNS baseline activity rates for comparison with future acoustic data after WNS is suspected to occur. We investigated relationships among bat activity, ambient temperatures, and season prior to presence of WNS across forested sites of Montana, USA where WNS was not known to occur. We used acoustic monitors to collect bat activity and ambient temperature data year-round on 41 sites, 2011-2019. We detected a diverse bat community across managed (n = 4) and unmanaged (n = 37) forest sites and recorded over 5.37 million passes from bats, including 13 identified species. Bats were active year-round, but positive associations between average of the nightly temperatures by month and bat activity were strongest in spring and fall. From these data, we developed site-specific prediction models for bat activity to account for seasonal and annual temperature variation prior to known occurrence of WNS. These prediction models can be used to monitor changes in bat activity that may signal potential presence of WNS, such as greater than expected activity in winter, or less than expected activity during summer. We propose this model-based method for future monitoring efforts that could be used to trigger targeted sampling of individual bats or hibernacula for WNS, in areas where traditional disease surveillance approaches are logistically difficult to implement or because of human-wildlife transmission concerns from COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jay E. Jones
- Weyerhaeuser, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Bryce A. Maxell
- Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana, United States of America
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Lemieux-Labonté V, Dorville NASY, Willis CKR, Lapointe FJ. Antifungal Potential of the Skin Microbiota of Hibernating Big Brown Bats ( Eptesicus fuscus) Infected With the Causal Agent of White-Nose Syndrome. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1776. [PMID: 32793178 PMCID: PMC7390961 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about skin microbiota in the context of the disease white-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), that has caused enormous declines of hibernating North American bats over the past decade. Interestingly, some hibernating species, such as the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), appear resistant to the disease and their skin microbiota could play a role. However, a comprehensive analysis of the skin microbiota of E. fuscus in the context of Pd has not been done. In January 2017, we captured hibernating E. fuscus, sampled their skin microbiota, and inoculated them with Pd or sham inoculum. We allowed the bats to hibernate in the lab under controlled conditions for 11 weeks and then sampled their skin microbiota to test the following hypotheses: (1) Pd infection would not disrupt the skin microbiota of Pd-resistant E. fuscus; and (2) microbial taxa with antifungal properties would be abundant both before and after inoculation with Pd. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we discovered that beta diversity of Pd-inoculated bats changed more over time than that of sham-inoculated bats. Still, the most abundant taxa in the community were stable throughout the experiment. Among the most abundant taxa, Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus are known for antifungal potential against Pd and other fungi. Thus, in contrast to hypothesis 1, Pd infection destabilized the skin microbiota but consistent with hypothesis 2, bacteria with known antifungal properties remained abundant and stable on the skin. This study is the first to provide a comprehensive survey of skin microbiota of E. fuscus, suggesting potential associations between the bat skin microbiota and resistance to the Pd infection and WNS. These results set the stage for future studies to characterize microbiota gene expression, better understand mechanisms of resistance to WNS, and help develop conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole A. S.-Y. Dorville
- Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Craig K. R. Willis
- Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Interdisciplinary Research, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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Faure‐Lacroix J, Desrochers A, Imbeau L, Simard A. Long-term changes in bat activity in Quebec suggest climatic responses and summer niche partitioning associated with white-nose syndrome. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:5226-5239. [PMID: 32607146 PMCID: PMC7319131 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In North America, the greatest and most sudden threat to hibernating bats is white-nose syndrome (WNS), which has caused massive declines in populations since 2006. Other determinants of bat dynamics, such as the climate, and the effect of reduction in the number of individuals sharing foraging space and summer roosting habitat may have an effect on population dynamics. We analyzed transect acoustic bat surveys conducted with ultrasonic detectors in 16 regions in Quebec, Canada, between 2000 and 2015. We used piecewise regression to describe changes in activity over time for each species and a meta-analytic approach to measure its association with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). As expected, mouse-eared bat (Myotis spp.) activity sharply declined after the onset of WNS, down by 79% after 3 years. In contrast, big brown/silver-haired bat activity increased over the same period, possibly due to a release of competition. Hoary bats and red bats remained present, although their activity did not increase. Myotis activity was positively correlated with a one-year lag to the NAO index, associated with cold conditions in winter, but warm autumns. Big brown/silver-haired and hoary bats were also more active during NAO-positive years but without a lag. We conclude that combinations of threats may create rapid shifts in community compositions and that a more balanced research agenda that integrates a wider range of threats would help better understand and manage those changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Faure‐Lacroix
- Centre d'étude de la forêtFaculté de foresteriede géographie et de géomatiqueUniversité LavalQuébec CityQCCanada
| | - André Desrochers
- Centre d'étude de la forêtFaculté de foresteriede géographie et de géomatiqueUniversité LavalQuébec CityQCCanada
| | - Louis Imbeau
- Centre d'étude de la forêtUQATRouyn‐NorandaQCCanada
| | - Anouk Simard
- Ministère des Forêts de la Faune et des Parc du QuébecQuebec Centre for Biodiversity ScienceQuébec CityQCCanada
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Genome-Wide Changes in Genetic Diversity in a Population of Myotis lucifugus Affected by White-Nose Syndrome. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:2007-2020. [PMID: 32276959 PMCID: PMC7263666 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Novel pathogens can cause massive declines in populations, and even extirpation of hosts. But disease can also act as a selective pressure on survivors, driving the evolution of resistance or tolerance. Bat white-nose syndrome (WNS) is a rapidly spreading wildlife disease in North America. The fungus causing the disease invades skin tissues of hibernating bats, resulting in disruption of hibernation behavior, premature energy depletion, and subsequent death. We used whole-genome sequencing to investigate changes in allele frequencies within a population of Myotis lucifugus in eastern North America to search for genetic resistance to WNS. Our results show low FST values within the population across time, i.e., prior to WNS (Pre-WNS) compared to the population that has survived WNS (Post-WNS). However, when dividing the population with a geographical cut-off between the states of Pennsylvania and New York, a sharp increase in values on scaffold GL429776 is evident in the Post-WNS samples. Genes present in the diverged area are associated with thermoregulation and promotion of brown fat production. Thus, although WNS may not have subjected the entire M. lucifugus population to selective pressure, it may have selected for specific alleles in Pennsylvania through decreased gene flow within the population. However, the persistence of remnant sub-populations in the aftermath of WNS is likely due to multiple factors in bat life history.
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31
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Hecht-Höger AM, Braun BC, Krause E, Meschede A, Krahe R, Voigt CC, Greenwood AD, Czirják GÁ. Plasma proteomic profiles differ between European and North American myotid bats colonized by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1745-1755. [PMID: 32279365 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Emerging fungal diseases have become challenges for wildlife health and conservation. North American hibernating bat species are threatened by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) causing the disease called white-nose syndrome (WNS) with unprecedented mortality rates. The fungus is widespread in North America and Europe, however, disease is not manifested in European bats. Differences in epidemiology and pathology indicate an evolution of resistance or tolerance mechanisms towards Pd in European bats. We compared the proteomic profile of blood plasma in healthy and Pd-colonized European Myotis myotis and North American Myotis lucifugus in order to identify pathophysiological changes associated with Pd colonization, which might also explain the differences in bat survival. Expression analyses of plasma proteins revealed differences in healthy and Pd-colonized M. lucifugus, but not in M. myotis. We identified differentially expressed proteins for acute phase response, constitutive and adaptive immunity, oxidative stress defence, metabolism and structural proteins of exosomes and desmosomes, suggesting a systemic response against Pd in North American M. lucifugus but not European M. myotis. The differences in plasma proteomic profiles between European and North American bat species colonized by Pd suggest European bats have evolved tolerance mechanisms towards Pd infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beate C Braun
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eberhard Krause
- Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Angelika Meschede
- Institute of Zoology II, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Christian C Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alex D Greenwood
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
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Frank CL, Davis AD, Herzog C. The evolution of a bat population with white-nose syndrome (WNS) reveals a shift from an epizootic to an enzootic phase. Front Zool 2019; 16:40. [PMID: 31827569 PMCID: PMC6889174 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0340-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is a mycosis caused by a cutaneous infection with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). It produces hibernation mortality rates of 75-98% in 4 bats: Myotis lucifugus, M. septentrionalis, M. sodalis, and Perimyotis subflavus. These high mortality rates were observed during the first several years after the arrival of P. destructans at a hibernation site. Mortality is caused by a 60% decrease in torpor bout duration, which results in a premature depletion of depot fat prior to spring. Results Little is known about the long-term effects of Pd on torpor and mortality, thus we conducted a 9-year study on M. lucifugus at 5 of the hibernation sites where Pd first appeared in North America during the winter of 2007-08. The M. lucifugus hibernating at one of these sites one year after the arrival of Pd (2008-09) had: a) a mean torpor bout duration of 7.6 d, b) no depot fat reserves by March, and c) an apparent over-winter mortality rate of 88%. The M. lucifugus hibernating at this same site 6-9 years after the arrival of Pd, in contrast, had: a) a mean torpor bout duration of 14.7 d, b) depot fat remaining in March, and c) an apparent mortality rate of 50%. The number of M. lucifugus hibernating at 2 of these sites has consistently increased since 2010 and is now more than 3.0-fold higher than the number remaining after the winter of 2008-09. Conclusions These findings indicate that this population of M. lucifugus has evolved mechanisms to hibernate well in the presence of Pd, thus reducing over-winter mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig L Frank
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, The Louis Calder Center, P.O. Box 887, Armonk, NY 10504 USA
| | - April D Davis
- 2Griffin Laboratory, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159 USA
| | - Carl Herzog
- 3New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233 USA
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Morningstar DE, Robinson CV, Shokralla S, Hajibabaei M. Interspecific competition in bats and diet shifts in response to white‐nose syndrome. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Derek E. Morningstar
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
| | - Chloe V. Robinson
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics & Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
| | - Shadi Shokralla
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics & Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
| | - Mehrdad Hajibabaei
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
- Centre for Biodiversity Genomics & Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph Ontario N1G2W1 Canada
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Smith KG, Almeida RJ. When are extinctions simply bad luck? Rarefaction as a framework for disentangling selective and stochastic extinctions. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G. Smith
- Department of Biology Davidson College Davidson NC USA
- Department of Environmental Studies Davidson College Davidson NC USA
| | - Ryan J. Almeida
- Department of Biology Davidson College Davidson NC USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources Rutgers University New Brunswick NJ USA
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Activity Patterns of Cave-Dwelling Bat Species During Pre-Hibernation Swarming and Post-Hibernation Emergence in the Central Appalachians. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11090159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In North America, bat research efforts largely have focused on summer maternity colonies and winter hibernacula, leaving the immediate pre- and post-hibernation ecology for many species unstudied. Understanding these patterns and processes is critical for addressing potential additive impacts to White-nose Syndrome (WNS)-affected bats, as autumn is a time of vital weight gain and fat resources are largely depleted in early spring in surviving individuals. Our study sought to examine autumn and spring bat activity patterns in the central Appalachian Mountains around three hibernacula to better understand spatio-temporal patterns during staging for hibernation and post-hibernation migration in the post-WNS environment. From early September through November 2015 and 2016, and from early March through April 2016 and 2017, we assessed the effects of distance to hibernacula and ambient conditions on nightly bat activity for Myotis spp. and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) using zero-crossing frequency division bat detectors near cave entrances and 1 km, 2 km, and 3 km distant from caves. Following identification of echolocation calls, we used generalized linear mixed effects models to examine patterns of activity across the landscape over time and relative to weather. Overall bat activity was low at all sample sites during autumn and spring periods except at sites closest to hibernacula. Best-supported models describing bat activity varied, but date and ambient temperatures generally appeared to be major drivers of activity in both seasons. Total activity for all species had largely ceased by mid-November. Spring bat activity was variable across the sampling season, however, some activity was observed as early as mid-March, almost a month earlier than the historically accepted emergence time regionally. Current timing of restrictions on forest management activities that potentially remove day-roosts near hibernacula when bats are active on the landscape may be mismatched with actual spring post-hibernation emergence. Adjustments to the timing of these restrictions during the spring may help to avoid potentially additive negative impacts on WNS-impacted bat species.
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36
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O’Keefe JM, Pettit JL, Loeb SC, Stiver WH. White-nose syndrome dramatically altered the summer bat assemblage in a temperate Southern Appalachian forest. Mamm Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2019.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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37
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Uzenbaeva LB, Kizhina AG, Ilyukha VA, Belkin VV, Khizhkin EA. Morphology and Composition of Peripheral Blood Cells during Hibernation in Bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) of Northwestern Russia. BIOL BULL+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359019030130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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38
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Fuchs BB, Chaturvedi S, Rossoni RD, de Barros PP, Torres-Velez F, Mylonakis E, Chaturvedi V. Galleria mellonella experimental model for bat fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans and human fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus pannorum. Virulence 2019; 9:1539-1547. [PMID: 30289352 PMCID: PMC6177250 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2018.1518087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Laboratory investigations of the pathogenesis of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungal causal agent of bat White Nose Syndrome (WNS), presents unique challenges due to its growth requirements (4°-15°C) and a lack of infectivity in the current disease models. Pseudogymnoascus pannorum is the nearest fungal relative of P. destructans with wider psychrophilic - physiological growth range, and ability to cause rare skin infections in humans. Our broad objectives are to create the molecular toolkit for comparative study of P. destructans and P. pannorum pathogenesis. Towards these goals, we report the successful development of an invertebrate model in the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. Both P. destructans and P. pannorum caused fatal disease in G. mellonella and elicited immune responses and histopathological changes consistent with the experimental disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Burgwyn Fuchs
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital , Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Sudha Chaturvedi
- b Mycology Laboratory, Division of Infectious Diseases , Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health , Albany , NY , USA.,c Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health , University of Albany , Albany , NY , USA
| | - Rodnei Dennis Rossoni
- d Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology , UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista , Sao Jose dos Campos , Brazil
| | - Patricia P de Barros
- d Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology , UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista , Sao Jose dos Campos , Brazil
| | - Fernando Torres-Velez
- e Division of Infectious Diseases , Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health , Albany , NY , USA
| | - Eleftherios Mylonakis
- a Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital , Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Vishnu Chaturvedi
- b Mycology Laboratory, Division of Infectious Diseases , Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health , Albany , NY , USA.,c Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health , University of Albany , Albany , NY , USA
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39
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Patterns of acoustical activity of bats prior to and 10 years after WNS on Fort Drum Army Installation, New York. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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40
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McKee CD, Krawczyk AI, Sándor AD, Görföl T, Földvári M, Földvári G, Dekeukeleire D, Haarsma AJ, Kosoy MY, Webb CT, Sprong H. Host Phylogeny, Geographic Overlap, and Roost Sharing Shape Parasite Communities in European Bats. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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41
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Harazim M, Horáček I, Jakešová L, Luermann K, Moravec JC, Morgan S, Pikula J, Sosík P, Vavrušová Z, Zahradníková A, Zukal J, Martínková N. Natural selection in bats with historical exposure to white-nose syndrome. BMC ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1186/s40850-018-0035-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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42
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The Antifungal Properties of Epidermal Fatty Acid Esters: Insights from White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Bats. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23081986. [PMID: 30096918 PMCID: PMC6222711 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23081986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous free fatty acids (FFAs) are known to have potent antifungal effects. The mammalian epidermis contains both FFAs and multiple classes of fatty acid esters, including 1-monoacylglycerols and wax esters. We thus hypothesized that wax esters and 1-monoacylglycerols composed of antifungal fatty acids would also have antifungal properties. We tested this hypothesis by examining the effects of 1-monoacylglycerols, 1,3-diacylglycerols, and wax esters on the growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS) in North American bats by invading their epidermis. Laboratory experiments with Pd cultures demonstrated that: (a) three 1-monoacylglycerols (1-monopalmitolein, 1-monoolein, and 1-monolinolein), as well as, (b) two wax esters, behenyl oleate and behenyl palmitoleate, profoundly inhibit Pd growth. The normal growth cycle of Pd was interrupted by addition of two cholesterol esters to the media as well. A bat species resistant to cutaneous Pd infections has these 1-monoacylglycerols in the epidermis, and another Pd resistant bat species has these wax esters in the sebum, thus cutaneous lipid composition is one factor which enables some bats to avoid WNS. Our experiments also revealed that the fatty acid esters which inhibit Pd growth are not hydrolyzed by the lipases secreted by this fungus, whereas the esters that do not inhibit Pd growth are hydrolyzed.
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Field KA, Sewall BJ, Prokkola JM, Turner GG, Gagnon MF, Lilley TM, Paul White J, Johnson JS, Hauer CL, Reeder DM. Effect of torpor on host transcriptomic responses to a fungal pathogen in hibernating bats. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:3727-3743. [PMID: 30080945 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Hibernation, the use of prolonged torpor to depress metabolism, is employed by mammals to conserve resources during extended periods of extreme temperatures and/or resource limitation. Mammalian hibernators arouse to euthermy periodically during torpor for reasons that are not well understood, and these arousals may facilitate immune processes. To determine whether arousals enable host responses to pathogens, we used dual RNA-Seq and a paired sampling approach to examine gene expression in a hibernating bat, the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus). During torpor, transcript levels differed in only a few genes between uninfected wing tissue and adjacent tissue infected with Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome. Within 70-80 min after emergence from torpor, large changes in gene expression were observed due to local infection, particularly in genes involved in pro-inflammatory host responses to fungal pathogens, but also in many genes involved in immune responses and metabolism. These results support the hypothesis that torpor is a period of relative immune dormancy and arousals allow for local immune responses in infected tissues during hibernation. Host-pathogen interactions were also found to regulate gene expression in the pathogen differently depending on the torpor state of the host. Hibernating species must balance the benefits of energy and water conservation achieved during torpor with the costs of decreased immune competence. Interbout arousals allow hibernators to optimize these, and other, trade-offs during prolonged hibernation by enabling host responses to pathogens within brief, periodic episodes of euthermy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Field
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - Brent J Sewall
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jenni M Prokkola
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - Gregory G Turner
- Wildlife Diversity Division, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - Marianne F Gagnon
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas M Lilley
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - J Paul White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Joseph S Johnson
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
| | | | - DeeAnn M Reeder
- Department of Biology, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
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Davy CM, Donaldson ME, Willis CKR, Saville BJ, McGuire LP, Mayberry H, Wilcox A, Wibbelt G, Misra V, Kyle CJ. Environmentally persistent pathogens present unique challenges for studies of host-pathogen interactions: Reply to Field (2018). Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5238-5241. [PMID: 29938048 PMCID: PMC6010918 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Linked article: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4034.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M. Davy
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Michael E. Donaldson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate ProgramTrent UniversityPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Craig K. R. Willis
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | | | - Liam P. McGuire
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
- Department of Biological SciencesTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTXUSA
| | - Heather Mayberry
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Alana Wilcox
- Wildlife Research and Monitoring SectionOntario Ministry of Natural Resources and ForestryPeterboroughONCanada
| | - Gudrun Wibbelt
- Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
| | - Vikram Misra
- Department of MicrobiologyWestern College of Vet. MedicineUniversity of SaskatchewanSaskatoonSKCanada
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Kizhina A, Uzenbaeva L, Antonova E, Belkin V, Ilyukha V, Khizhkin E. Hematological Parameters in Hibernating Eptesicus nilssonii (Mammalia: Chiroptera) Collected in Northern European Russia. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2018.20.1.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kizhina
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya Street, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia
| | - Lyudmila Uzenbaeva
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya Street, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Antonova
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya Street, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia
| | - Vladimir Belkin
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya Street, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia
| | - Viktor Ilyukha
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya Street, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia
| | - Evgeniy Khizhkin
- Institute of Biology, Karelian Research Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya Street, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia
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46
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Thalken MM, Lacki MJ, Johnson JS. Shifts in Assemblage of Foraging Bats at Mammoth Cave National Park following Arrival of White-nose Syndrome. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2018. [DOI: 10.1656/045.025.0203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J. Lacki
- Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546
| | - Joseph S. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701
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Field KA. Quantification of pathogen levels is necessary to compare responses to pathogen exposure: Comment on Davy et al. "The other white-nose syndrome transcriptome". Ecol Evol 2018; 8:5235-5237. [PMID: 29938047 PMCID: PMC6010789 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
When studying host responses to the presence of pathogens, the pathogen levels should be verified within the samples. The RNA‐Seq samples from Davy et al. (2017) do not contain detectable Pseudogymnoascus destructans pathogen levels compared to other studies. Future studies will be necessary to determine how hosts resistant to white‐nose syndrome respond differently than susceptible hosts at the whole‐transcriptome level.
![]() Linked Article: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4035
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Field
- Department of Biology Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania
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48
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Banerjee A, Misra V, Schountz T, Baker ML. Tools to study pathogen-host interactions in bats. Virus Res 2018; 248:5-12. [PMID: 29454637 PMCID: PMC7114677 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2018.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Bats are important reservoir hosts for emerging zoonotic viruses. Viruses detected in bats are difficult to isolate using traditional cell lines. Bat cell lines provide critical tools to dissect host pathogen interactions. Little is known about immune cell populations and their responses in bats. Sharing reagents and cell lines will accelerate research and virus discovery.
Bats are natural reservoirs for a variety of emerging viruses that cause significant disease in humans and domestic animals yet rarely cause clinical disease in bats. The co-evolutionary history of bats with viruses has been hypothesized to have shaped the bat-virus relationship, allowing both to exist in equilibrium. Progress in understanding bat-virus interactions and the isolation of bat-borne viruses has been accelerated in recent years by the development of susceptible bat cell lines. Viral sequences similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV) have been detected in bats, and filoviruses such as Marburg virus have been isolated from bats, providing definitive evidence for the role of bats as the natural host reservoir. Although viruses can be readily detected in bats using molecular approaches, virus isolation is far more challenging. One of the limitations in using traditional culture systems from non-reservoir species is that cell types and culture conditions may not be compatible for isolation of bat-borne viruses. There is, therefore, a need to develop additional bat cell lines that correspond to different cell types, including less represented cell types such as immune cells, and culture them under more physiologically relevant conditions to study virus host interactions and for virus isolation. In this review, we highlight the current progress in understanding bat-virus interactions in bat cell line systems and some of the challenges and limitations associated with cell lines. Future directions to address some of these challenges to better understand host-pathogen interactions in these intriguing mammals are also discussed, not only in relation to viruses but also other pathogens carried by bats including bacteria and fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arinjay Banerjee
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Vikram Misra
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Tony Schountz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
| | - Michelle L Baker
- CSIRO, Health and Biosecurity Business Unit, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia.
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Abstract
With over 1200 species identified, bats represent almost one quarter of the world’s mammals. Bats provide crucial environmental services, such as insect control and pollination, and inhabit a wide variety of ecological niches on all continents except Antarctica. Despite their ubiquity and ecological importance, relatively little has been published on diseases of bats, while much has been written on bats’ role as reservoirs in disease transmission. This chapter will focus on diseases and pathologic processes most commonly reported in captive and free-ranging bats. Unique anatomical and histological features and common infectious and non-infectious diseases will be discussed. As recognition of both the importance and vulnerability of bats grows, particularly following population declines in North America due to the introduction of the fungal disease white-nose syndrome, efforts should be made to better understand threats to the health of this unique group of mammals.
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50
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Ingala MR, Ravenelle RE, Monro JJ, Frank CL. The effects of epidermal fatty acid profiles, 1-oleoglycerol, and triacylglycerols on the susceptibility of hibernating bats to Pseudogymnoascus destructans. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187195. [PMID: 29077745 PMCID: PMC5659645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
White Nose Syndrome (WNS) greatly increases the over-winter mortality of little brown (Myotis lucifugus), Indiana (M. sodalis), northern (M. septentrionalis), and tricolored (Perimyotis subflavus) bats, and is caused by cutaneous infections with Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) are highly resistant to Pd infections. Seven different fatty acids (myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic, palmitoleic, oleic, and, linoleic acids) occur in the wing epidermis of both M. lucifugus and E. fuscus, 4 of which (myristic, palmitoleic, oleic, and, linoleic acids) inhibit Pd growth. The amounts of myristic and linoleic acids in the epidermis of M. lucifugus decrease during hibernation, thus we predicted that the epidermal fatty acid profile of M. lucifugus during hibernation has a reduced ability to inhibit Pd growth. Laboratory Pd growth experiments were conducted to test this hypothesis. The results demonstrated that the fatty acid profile of M. lucifugus wing epidermis during hibernation has a reduced ability to inhibit the growth of Pd. Additional Pd growth experiments revealed that: a) triacylglycerols composed of known anti-Pd fatty acids do not significantly affect growth, b) pentadecanoic acid inhibits Pd growth, and c) 1-oleoglycerol, which is found in the wing epidermis of E. fuscus, also inhibits the growth of this fungus. Analyses of white adipose from M. lucifugus also revealed the selective retention of oleic and linoleic acids in this tissue during hibernation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R. Ingala
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Louis Calder Center, Armonk, NY, United States of America
| | - Rebecca E. Ravenelle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Louis Calder Center, Armonk, NY, United States of America
| | - Johanna J. Monro
- Environmental Science Program, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Craig L. Frank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Louis Calder Center, Armonk, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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