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Resistance to Chytridiomycosis in European plethodontid salamanders of the genus Speleomantes
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 5, p e63639 (2013), PLoS ONE, PLOS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- North America and the neotropics harbor nearly all species of plethodontid salamanders. In contrast, this family of caudate amphibians is represented in Europe and Asia by two genera, Speleomantes and Karsenia, which are confined to small geographic ranges. Compared to neotropical and North American plethodontids, mortality attributed to chytridiomycosis caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has not been reported for European plethodontids, despite the established presence of Bd in their geographic distribution. We determined the extent to which Bd is present in populations of all eight species of European Speleomantes and show that Bd was undetectable in 921 skin swabs. We then compared the susceptibility of one of these species, Speleomantes strinatii, to experimental infection with a highly virulent isolate of Bd (BdGPL), and compared this to the susceptible species Alytes muletensis. Whereas the inoculated A. muletensis developed increasing Bd-loads over a 4-week period, none of five exposed S. strinatii were colonized by Bd beyond 2 weeks post inoculation. Finally, we determined the extent to which skin secretions of Speleomantes species are capable of killing Bd. Skin secretions of seven Speleomantes species showed pronounced killing activity against Bd over 24 hours. In conclusion, the absence of Bd in Speleomantes combined with resistance to experimental chytridiomycosis and highly efficient skin defenses indicate that the genus Speleomantes is a taxon unlikely to decline due to Bd.
- Subjects :
- Male
Veterinary Microbiology
Alytes muletensis
Speleomantes
PEPTIDE DEFENSES
Genus
Speleomantes strinatii
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
FROG
Conservation Science
Disease Resistance
Skin
Multidisciplinary
Ecology
biology
LOW-PREVALENCE
Spores, Fungal
Host-Pathogen Interaction
Europe
Chytridiomycota
AMBYSTOMA-TIGRINUM
Veterinary Diseases
Veterinary Mycology
AMPHIBIAN DECLINES
590 Animals (Zoology)
Medicine
Female
Disease Susceptibility
Research Article
Amphibian
ETHIDIUM MONOAZIDE
Science
skin secrection
plethodontid salamander
Urodela
Zoology
1100 General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Mycology
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Microbiology
Amphibian Proteins
10127 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
1300 General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
biology.animal
Animals
Chytridiomycosis
Biology
Microbial Pathogens
IMMUNE DEFENSES
1000 Multidisciplinary
PATHOGEN BATRACHOCHYTRIUM-DENDROBATIDIS
Herpetology
Biology and Life Sciences
CHYTRID FUNGUS
biology.organism_classification
salamander
chytridiomycosis
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Mycoses
570 Life sciences
Salamander
amphibian
Veterinary Science
SKIN
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- Italian
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 5, p e63639 (2013), PLoS ONE, PLOS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....08ebcf600f154734923c7777023a211f