scholarly journals Living with the pathogenic chytrid fungus: Exploring mechanisms of coexistence in the harlequin toad Atelopus cruciger

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0254439
Author(s):  
Onil Ballestas ◽  
Margarita Lampo ◽  
Diego Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Risk Of Extinction

Chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been linked with the disappearance of amphibian populations worldwide. Harlequin toads (Atelopus) are among the most severely impacted genera. Two species are already considered extinct and most of the others are at high risk of extinction. The recent rediscovery of harlequin toad populations coexisting with Bd suggest that the pathogen can maintain enzootic cycles at some locations. The mechanisms promoting coexistence, however, are not well understood. We explore the dynamics of Bd infection in harlequin toads by modeling a two-stage host population with transmission through environmental reservoirs. Simulations showed that variations in the recruitment of adults and the persistence of zoospores in the environment were more likely to drive shifts between extinction and coexistence than changes in the vulnerability of toads to infection with Bd. These findings highlight the need to identify mechanisms for assuring adult recruitment or minimizing transmission from potential reservoirs, biotic or abiotic, in recovering populations.

Evaluation of the Skin Peptide Defenses of the Oregon Spotted Frog Rana pretiosa Against Infection by the Chytrid Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 797-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Conlon ◽  
Laura K. Reinert ◽  
Milena Mechkarska ◽  
Manju Prajeep ◽  
Mohammed A. Meetani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Rana Pretiosa

The high-risk benign tumor: Evidence from the two-stage skin cancer model and relevance for human cancer

2007 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 605-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Glick ◽  
Andrew Ryscavage ◽  
Rolando Perez-Lorenzo ◽  
Henry Hennings ◽  
Stuart Yuspa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Benign Tumor ◽  
Human Cancer ◽  
Cancer Model ◽  
Two Stage

scholarly journals Is overwintering mortality driving enigmatic declines? Evaluating the impacts of trematodes and the amphibian chytrid fungus on an anuran from hatching through overwintering

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0262561
Author(s):  
Olivia Wetsch ◽  
Miranda Strasburg ◽  
Jessica McQuigg ◽  
Michelle D. Boone
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Critical Life Events ◽  
Overwintering Mortality ◽  
Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

Emerging infectious diseases are increasing globally and are an additional challenge to species dealing with native parasites and pathogens. Therefore, understanding the combined effects of infectious agents on hosts is important for species’ conservation and population management. Amphibians are hosts to many parasites and pathogens, including endemic trematode flatworms (e.g., Echinostoma spp.) and the novel pathogenic amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]). Our study examined how exposure to trematodes during larval development influenced the consequences of Bd pathogen exposure through critical life events. We found that prior exposure to trematode parasites negatively impacted metamorphosis but did not influence the effect of Bd infection on terrestrial growth and survival. Bd infection alone, however, resulted in significant mortality during overwintering—an annual occurrence for most temperate amphibians. The results of our study indicated overwintering mortality from Bd could provide an explanation for enigmatic declines and highlights the importance of examining the long-term consequences of novel parasite exposure.

scholarly journals Establishement of a national monitoring program based on environmental DNA for amphibians and the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis     

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omneya Osman ◽  
Johan Andersson ◽  
Tomas Larsson ◽  
Mats Töpel ◽  
Alexander Eiler
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
National Level ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Rana Arvalis ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
National Monitoring ◽  
Wide Range

National monitoring programs provide the basis for evaluating the integrity of ecosystems, their responses to disturbances, and the success of actions taken to conserve or recover biodiversity. In this study, we successfully established a national program for the invasive chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) based on dual TaqMan assays. Amphibian diversity based on metabarcoding of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene was also performed. Assays were optimized for sensitive detection of target species from a wide range of amphibian ponds with variable potential of inhibitions for eDNA based detection. An amphibian mock community of 5 species was used to validate the metabarcoding approach while internal standards were used in the case of the dual TaqMan assays. First sampling of over 170 ponds in Norway resulted in Bd detection in 12 environmental samples and one swab sample taken over multiple years indicating the establishment of Bd in Norway. Five amphibian species Bufo bufo, Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus cristatus, Rana arvalis and Rana temporaria as predicted from data in long-term citizen science reporting systems were widely detected in the collected eDNA samples. Our large scale-monitoring program indicates a low risk of a Bd outbreak and amphibian decline caused by chytridiomycosis but continued monitoring is recommended in the future. These findings indicate that eDNA is an effective method to detect invasive species, and to monitor endangered amphibian species. Still, several shortcomings (such as PCR inhibitors and sample volume) were identified that need to be addressed to improve eDNA-based monitoring at the national level.

Non-detection of mycoviruses in amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) from Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Webb ◽  
Alexandra A. Roberts ◽  
Stephen Wylie ◽  
Tiffany Kosch ◽  
Luís Felipe Toledo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

scholarly journals Sensitivity of histology for the detection of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Borteiro ◽  
Francisco Kolenc ◽  
José Manuel Verdes ◽  
Claudio Martínez Debat ◽  
Martín Ubilla
Keyword(s):  
Skin Disease ◽  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Pathogenic Fungus ◽  
Chytrid Fungus ◽  
Clinically Normal ◽  
Frog Species ◽  
Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

Histology is often underappreciated for the detection of the amphibian pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the cause of the potentially lethal skin disease chytridiomycosis. We evaluated the sensitivity of histology to detect chytrids in 20 wild specimens of 2 frog species from Uruguay that were clinically normal, but confirmed by PCR to be infected by B. dendrobatidis. We detected maturing and sporulated sporangia in 15 of 20 (75%) frogs, which is more sensitive than previously reported for histology. The effort needed to identify chytrids in histologic skin sections of Physalaemus henselii and Pleurodema bibroni required examination of 3.2 and 8.7 mm of skin sections for each frog species, respectively.

scholarly journals Chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has nonamphibian hosts and releases chemicals that cause pathology in the absence of infection

2012 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 210-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. McMahon ◽  
L. A. Brannelly ◽  
M. W. H. Chatfield ◽  
P. T. J. Johnson ◽  
M. B. Joseph ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Chytrid Fungus
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