Co-infecting pathogen lineages have additive effects on host bacterial communities

ABSTRACT Amphibian skin bacteria may confer protection against the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but responses of skin bacteria to different Bd lineages are poorly understood. The global panzootic lineage (Bd-GPL) has caused amphibian declines and extinctions globally. However, other l...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FEMS microbiology ecology 2021-04, Vol.97 (4)
Main Authors: Medina, Daniel, Greenspan, Sasha E, Carvalho, Tamilie, Becker, C Guilherme, Toledo, Luís Felipe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Bacteria
Bacteria - genetics
Batrachochytrium
Brazil
Chytridiomycota - genetics
Community composition
Community structure
Ecological studies
Ecology
Genotypes
Globalization
Laboratories
Microbiology
Microbiomes
Mycoses
Pathogens
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics
rRNA 16S
Skin
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Summary:ABSTRACT Amphibian skin bacteria may confer protection against the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), but responses of skin bacteria to different Bd lineages are poorly understood. The global panzootic lineage (Bd-GPL) has caused amphibian declines and extinctions globally. However, other lineages are enzootic (Bd-Asia-2/Brazil). Increased contact rates between Bd-GPL and enzootic lineages via globalization pose unknown consequences for host-microbiome-pathogen dynamics. We conducted a laboratory experiment and used 16S rRNA amplicon-sequencing to assess: (i) whether two lineages (Bd-Asia-2/Brazil and Bd-GPL) and their recombinant, in single and mixed infections, differentially affect amphibian skin bacteria; (ii) and the changes associated with the transition to laboratory conditions. We determined no clear differences in bacterial diversity among Bd treatments, despite differences in infection intensity. However, we observed an additive effect of mixed infections on bacterial alpha diversity and a potentially antagonistic interaction between Bd genotypes. Additionally, observed changes in community composition suggest a higher ability of Bd-GPL to alter skin bacteria. Lastly, we observed a drastic reduction in bacterial diversity and a change in community structure in laboratory conditions. We provide evidence for complex interactions between Bd genotypes and amphibian skin bacteria during coinfections, and expand on the implications of experimental conditions in ecological studies. Mixed infections using distinct lineages of the amphibian chytrid fungus and their recombinant have an additive effect on host bacterial diversity while reducing infection intensity.
ISSN:0168-6496
1574-6941
DOI:10.1093/femsec/fiab030