Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans sp. nov. causes lethal chytridiomycosis in amphibians

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2013-09, Vol.110 (38), p.15325-15329
• Main Authors: Martel, An, Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Annemarieke, Blooi, Mark, Bert, Wim, Ducatelle, Richard, Fisher, Matthew C., Woeltjes, Antonius, Bosman, Wilbert, Chiers, Koen, Bossuyt, Franky, Pasmans, Frank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acclimatization - physiology; Alytes obstetricans; Amphibia; Amphibians; Animal populations; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Base Sequence; Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Bayes Theorem; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Sciences; Caudata; Chytridiomycetes; Chytridiomycota - genetics; Chytridiomycota - growth & development; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Depopulation; Dermatomycoses - epidemiology; Dermatomycoses - pathology; Dermatomycoses - veterinary; DNA Primers - genetics; Extinction; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; Lesions; Likelihood Functions; Microscopy, Electron; Models, Genetic; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycology; Netherlands - epidemiology; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Phylogeny; Plant cytology, morphology, systematics, chorology and evolution; Polymerase chain reaction; Population Dynamics; Reptiles & amphibians; RNA, Ribosomal - genetics; Salamanders; Salamandra - microbiology; Salamandra salamandra; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Skin; Species Specificity; Spores, Fungal - ultrastructure; Temperature; Thallophyta; Zoospores
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307356110

The current biodiversity crisis encompasses a sixth mass extinction event affecting the entire class of amphibians. The infectious disease chytridiomycosis is considered one of the major drivers of global amphibian population decline and extinction and is thought to be caused by a single species of aquatic fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. However, several amphibian population declines remain unexplained, among them a steep decrease in fire salamander populations (Salamandra salamandra) that has brought this species to the edge of local extinction. Here we isolated and characterized a unique chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans sp. nov., from this salamander population. This chytrid causes erosive skin disease and rapid mortality in experimentally infected fire salamanders and was present in skin lesions of salamanders found dead during the decline event. Together with the closely related B. dendrobatidis, this taxon forms a well-supported chytridiomycete clade, adapted to vertebrate hosts and highly pathogenic to amphibians. However, the lower thermal growth preference of B. salamandrivorans, compared with B. dendrobatidis, and resistance of midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans) to experimental infection with B. salamandrivorans suggest differential niche occupation of the two chytrid fungi.