Seasonal and ontogenetic variation of skin microbial communities and relationships to natural disease dynamics in declining amphibians.

ABSTRACT: Recently, microbiologists have focused on characterizing the probiotic role of skin bacteria for amphibians threatened by the fungal disease chytridiomycosis. However, the specific characteristics of microbial diversity required to maintain health or trigger disease are still not well understood in natural populations. We hypothesized that seasonal and developmental transitions affecting susceptibility to chytridiomycosis could also alter the stability of microbial assemblages. To test our hypothesis, we examined patterns of skin bacterial diversity in two species of declining amphibians (Lithobates yavapaiensis and Eleutherodactylus coqui) affected by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). We focused on two important transitions that affect Bd susceptibility: ontogenet

SUBMITTER: Longo AV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4632566 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature