Meeting Abstract
Research on the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the causative agent of the lethal disease chytridiomycosis, has shifted from assessments of pathogenicity and susceptible species to more specialized questions concerning the complex interactions between the pathogen, species-specific immune responses, and the environment. Our work examines the potential for interactions between two innate immune defenses of frogs against Bd: 1) secretions of antimicrobial peptides and 2) communities of commensal cutaneous bacteria. While both defenses have been studied individually, little data are available to examine interactions between these defenses. We caught Panamanian glass frogs (Espadarana prosoblepon) and stimulated them to release skin secretions, which we quantified with a protein assay. We also collected samples of cutaneous bacteria before and after stimulation to determine if the bacterial community changed after skin secretion. We used the bacteria samples to isolate and purify unique bacterial types based on colony morphology, then used challenge assays to understand the impact of isolated bacterial types on Bd growth in vitro. These data, in conjunction with the abundance of each bacterial type before and after the frogs secreted antimicrobial peptides, are useful to understand the interactions of the defenses. By examining whether the interactions of these independent defenses are additive or antagonistic, and their ultimate consequence for amphibian susceptibility to Chytridiomycosis, our research can aid conservationists in determining the best course of action in the management of amphibian disease.
