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Dong WJ, Xu MD, Yang XW, Yang XM, Long XZ, Han XY, Cui LY, Tong Q. Rice straw ash and amphibian health: A deep dive into microbiota changes and potential ecological consequences. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171651. [PMID: 38490417 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Rice straw is burned as a result of agricultural practices and technical limitations, generating significant volumes of ash that might have environmental and ecological consequences; however, the effects on organisms have not been researched. Amphibians depend on their gut and skin microbiomes. Ash exposure may cause inflammation and changes in microbial diversity and function in frogs' skin and gut microbiota due to its chemical composition and physical presence, but the implications remain unclear. Rana dybowskii were exposed to five aqueous extracts of ashes (AEA) concentrations for 30 days to study survival, metal concentrations, and microbial diversity, analyzing the microbiota of the cutaneous and gut microbiota using Illumina sequencing. Dominant elements in ash: K > Ca > Mg > Na > Al > Fe. In AEA, K > Na > Ca > Mg > As > Cu. Increased AEA concentrations significantly reduced frog survival. Skin microbiota alpha diversity varied significantly among all treatment groups, but not gut microbiota. Skin microbiota differed significantly across treatments via Bray-Curtis and weighted UniFrac; gut microbiota was only affected by Bray-Curtis. Skin microbiota varied significantly with AEA levels in Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes, while the gut microbiota's dominant phyla, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria, remained consistent across all groups. Lastly, the functional prediction showed that the skin microbiota had big differences in how it worked and looked, which were linked to different health and environmental adaptation pathways. The gut microbiota, on the other hand, had smaller differences. In conclusion, AEA exposure affects R. dybowskii survival and skin microbiota diversity, indicating potential health and ecological impacts, with less effect on gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jing Dong
- School of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China
| | - Ming-da Xu
- School of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China
| | - Xue-Wen Yang
- School of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China
| | - Xiu-Mei Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Xin-Zhou Long
- School of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China
| | - Xiao-Yun Han
- School of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China
| | - Li-Yong Cui
- School of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China
| | - Qing Tong
- School of Biology and Agriculture, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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Romero-Contreras YJ, Gonzalez-Serrano F, Formey D, Aragón W, Chacón FI, Torres M, Cevallos MÁ, Dib JR, Rebollar EA, Serrano M. Amphibian skin bacteria display antifungal activity and induce plant defense mechanisms against Botrytis cinerea. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1392637. [PMID: 38654899 PMCID: PMC11035788 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1392637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea is the causal agent of gray mold, which affects a wide variety of plant species. Chemical agents have been used to prevent the disease caused by this pathogenic fungus. However, their toxicity and reduced efficacy have encouraged the development of new biological control alternatives. Recent studies have shown that bacteria isolated from amphibian skin display antifungal activity against plant pathogens. However, the mechanisms by which these bacteria act to reduce the effects of B. cinerea are still unclear. From a diverse collection of amphibian skin bacteria, three proved effective in inhibiting the development of B. cinerea under in vitro conditions. Additionally, the individual application of each bacterium on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, Solanum lycopersicum and post-harvest blueberries significantly reduced the disease caused by B. cinerea. To understand the effect of bacteria on the host plant, we analyzed the transcriptomic profile of A. thaliana in the presence of the bacterium C32I and the fungus B. cinerea, revealing transcriptional regulation of defense-related hormonal pathways. Our study shows that bacteria from the amphibian skin can counteract the activity of B. cinerea by regulating the plant transcriptional responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yordan J. Romero-Contreras
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Francisco Gonzalez-Serrano
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Damien Formey
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Wendy Aragón
- Instituto de Biociencias, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Florencia Isabel Chacón
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Martha Torres
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Miguel Ángel Cevallos
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Julian Rafael Dib
- Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Tucumán, Argentina
- Instituto de Microbiología, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Eria A. Rebollar
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Mario Serrano
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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Buttimer S, Moura-Campos D, Greenspan SE, Neely WJ, Ferrante L, Toledo LF, Becker CG. Skin microbiome disturbance linked to drought-associated amphibian disease. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14372. [PMID: 38288868 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14372] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
The onset of global climate change has led to abnormal rainfall patterns, disrupting associations between wildlife and their symbiotic microorganisms. We monitored a population of pumpkin toadlets and their skin bacteria in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest during a drought. Given the recognized ability of some amphibian skin bacteria to inhibit the widespread fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), we investigated links between skin microbiome health, susceptibility to Bd and host mortality during a die-off event. We found that rainfall deficit was an indirect predictor of Bd loads through microbiome disruption, while its direct effect on Bd was weak. The microbiome was characterized by fewer putative Bd-inhibitory bacteria following the drought, which points to a one-month lagged effect of drought on the microbiome that may have increased toadlet susceptibility to Bd. Our study underscores the capacity of rainfall variability to disturb complex host-microbiome interactions and alter wildlife disease dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Buttimer
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Ecology Institute, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Diego Moura-Campos
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sasha E Greenspan
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Wesley J Neely
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Lucas Ferrante
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Guilherme Becker
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- One Health Microbiome Center, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Ecology Institute, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Mulla L, Hernández-Gómez O. Wildfires disturb the natural skin microbiota of terrestrial salamanders. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2203-2215. [PMID: 37340556 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change can disturb natural associations between wildlife and microbial symbionts, in many cases to the detriment of host health. We used a North American terrestrial salamander system to assess how the skin microbiota of amphibians responds to wildfires. In northern California's redwood/oak forests, we assessed how recent wildfires affected the skin microbiota of three different salamander species (Taricha sp., Batrachoseps attenuatus, and Ensatina eschscholtzii) over two different sampling seasons in 2018 and 2021. We found species-specific responses to wildfire disturbance on the alpha diversity of the skin microbiota of terrestrial salamanders, although burning in general altered the composition of the skin microbiota. The effect of burning on alpha diversities and body condition indices varied by sampling season, suggesting an additional effect of annual climatic conditions on body condition and skin microbiota response. We tested all salamanders for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and found four infected individuals in 2018 and none in 2021. Our study documents correlations in the skin microbiota response to an increasing source of disturbance in western North American ecosystems. In addition, our results highlight the need to consider the effects of increased wildfire regimes/intensities and longitudinal effects on wildlife-associated microbiota and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna Mulla
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, School of Health and Natural Sciences, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California, USA
| | - Obed Hernández-Gómez
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, School of Health and Natural Sciences, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California, USA
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Macdonald KJ, Driscoll DA, Macdonald KJ, Hradsky B, Doherty TS. Meta-analysis reveals impacts of disturbance on reptile and amphibian body condition. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:4949-4965. [PMID: 37401520 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem disturbance is increasing in extent, severity and frequency across the globe. To date, research has largely focussed on the impacts of disturbance on animal population size, extinction risk and species richness. However, individual responses, such as changes in body condition, can act as more sensitive metrics and may provide early warning signs of reduced fitness and population declines. We conducted the first global systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the impacts of ecosystem disturbance on reptile and amphibian body condition. We collated 384 effect sizes representing 137 species from 133 studies. We tested how disturbance type, species traits, biome and taxon moderate the impacts of disturbance on body condition. We found an overall negative effect of disturbance on herpetofauna body condition (Hedges' g = -0.37, 95% CI: -0.57, -0.18). Disturbance type was an influential predictor of body condition response and all disturbance types had a negative mean effect. Drought, invasive species and agriculture had the largest effects. The impact of disturbance varied in strength and direction across biomes, with the largest negative effects found within Mediterranean and temperate biomes. In contrast, taxon, body size, habitat specialisation and conservation status were not influential predictors of disturbance effects. Our findings reveal the widespread effects of disturbance on herpetofauna body condition and highlight the potential role of individual-level response metrics in enhancing wildlife monitoring. The use of individual response metrics alongside population and community metrics would deepen our understanding of disturbance impacts by revealing both early impacts and chronic effects within affected populations. This could enable early and more informed conservation management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina J Macdonald
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Don A Driscoll
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kimberley J Macdonald
- Biodiversity Protection and Information Branch, Biodiversity Division, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bronwyn Hradsky
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tim S Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Costa S, Lopes I. Saprolegniosis in Amphibians: An Integrated Overview of a Fluffy Killer Disease. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050537. [PMID: 35628794 PMCID: PMC9144230 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050537] [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: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians constitute the class of vertebrates with the highest proportion of threatened species, with infectious diseases being considered among the greatest causes for their worldwide decline. Aquatic oomycetes, known as “water molds,” are fungus-like microorganisms that are ubiquitous in freshwater ecosystems and are capable of causing disease in a broad range of amphibian hosts. Various species of Achlya sp., Leptolegnia sp., Aphanomyces sp., and mainly, Saprolegnia sp., are responsible for mass die-offs in the early developmental stages of a wide range of amphibian populations through a disease known as saprolegniosis, aka, molding or a “Saprolegnia-like infection.” In this context, the main objective of the present review was to bring together updated information about saprolegniosis in amphibians to integrate existing knowledge, identify current knowledge gaps, and suggest future directions within the saprolegniosis–amphibian research field. Based on the available literature and data, an integrated and critical interpretation of the results is discussed. Furthermore, the occurrence of saprolegniosis in natural and laboratory contexts and the factors that influence both pathogen incidence and host susceptibility are also addressed. The focus of this work was the species Saprolegnia sp., due to its ecological importance on amphibian population dynamics and due to the fact that this is the most reported genera to be associated with saprolegniosis in amphibians. In addition, integrated emerging therapies, and their potential application to treat saprolegniosis in amphibians, were evaluated, and future actions are suggested.
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Evidence for Negative Impacts on Terrestrial Salamanders following Invasive Plant Removal. J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1670/21-018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Biological invasions alter environmental microbiomes: A meta-analysis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240996. [PMID: 33091062 PMCID: PMC7580985 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological invasions impact both agricultural and natural systems. The damage can be quantified in terms of both economic loss and reduction of biodiversity. Although the literature is quite rich about the impact of invasive species on plant and animal communities, their impact on environmental microbiomes is underexplored. Here, we re-analyze publicly available data using a common framework to create a global synthesis of the effects of biological invasions on environmental microbial communities. Our findings suggest that non-native species are responsible for the loss of microbial diversity and shifts in the structure of microbial populations. Therefore, the impact of biological invasions on native ecosystems might be more pervasive than previously thought, influencing both macro- and micro-biomes. We also identified gaps in the literature which encourage research on a wider variety of environments and invaders, and the influence of invaders across seasons and geographical ranges.
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