Department
Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Document Type
Article
Source
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
Publication Date
12-16-2021
ISSN
1574-6941
Volume
97
Issue
12
Abstract
Host-associated microbial communities can influence physiological processes of macroorganisms, including contributing to infectious disease resistance. For instance, some bacteria that live on amphibian skin produce antifungal compounds that inhibit two lethal fungal pathogens, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Therefore, differences in microbiome composition among host species or populations within a species can contribute to variation in susceptibility to Bd/Bsal. This study applies 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the skin bacterial microbiomes of three widespread terrestrial salamander genera native to the western United States. Using a metacommunity structure analysis, we identified dispersal barriers for these influential bacteria between salamander families and localities. We also analysed the effects of habitat characteristics such as percent natural cover and temperature seasonality on the microbiome. We found that certain environmental variables may influence the skin microbial communities of some salamander genera more strongly than others. Each salamander family had a somewhat distinct community of putative anti-Bd skin bacteria, suggesting that salamanders may select for a functional assembly of cutaneous symbionts that could differ in its ability to protect these amphibians from disease. Our observations raise the need to consider host identity and environmental heterogeneity during the selection of probiotics to treat wildlife diseases.
PubMed ID
34918086
Rights
© The Author(s) 2021.
Publisher's Statement
This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in FEMS Microbiology Ecology following peer review. The version of record Shannon Buttimer, Obed Hernández-Gómez, Erica Bree Rosenblum, Skin bacterial metacommunities of San Francisco Bay Area salamanders are structured by host genus and habitat quality, FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Volume 97, Issue 12, December 2021, fiab162, is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiab162.