Meeting Abstract
White-nose Syndrome is an emerging infectious disease that has devastated bat populations in North America. The disease is caused by the lethal fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans (commonly called “Pd”). Although there are different responses to infection among bat species, the underlying mechanisms that lead to interspecific susceptibility are unknown. In many mammals, the innate response is the “front line” of defense against infectious pathogens and can include a diversity of non-specific antimicrobial capabilities. In particular, mammals defend against cutaneous fungal pathogens with skin bacteria and chemical secretions that are released from epidermal glands at the skin surface. Some skin secretions contain antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which may inhibit colonization and growth of infectious pathogens such as Pd. We hypothesized that different species may have a diversity of AMPs in their skin secretions that differentially inhibit Pd growth. To test this hypothesis, we collected skin swab samples of the wing surface from multiple bat species in several critical hibernacula of New Mexico to test their ability to inhibit Pd growth in in vitro challenge assays. We found that skin secretions from different bat species vary in their effectiveness at limiting Pd growth. These results suggest that we may be able to characterize skin secretions to determine which bat species could be more susceptible to White-nose syndrome prior to arrival of the pathogen. This information may help guide management and conservation management decisions for bats facing the threat of White-nose syndrome.
