Experimental Drought Suppresses Amphibian Pathogen Yet Intensifies Transmission and Disrupts Protective Skin Microbiome.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Experimental Drought Suppresses Amphibian Pathogen Yet Intensifies Transmission and Disrupts Protective Skin Microbiome.
Authors: Buttimer, Shannon1,2 (AUTHOR) shannon.buttimer@gmail.com, Medina, Daniel1 (AUTHOR), Martins, Renato A.3 (AUTHOR), da Silva, Ana Gabrielle Morais4 (AUTHOR), Neely, Wesley J.5 (AUTHOR), Haddad, Célio F. B.3 (AUTHOR), DiRenzo, Graziella V.6 (AUTHOR), Catenazzi, Alessandro7 (AUTHOR), Bell, Rayna C.8 (AUTHOR), Becker, C. Guilherme1,2 (AUTHOR) guibecker@psu.edu
Source: Global Change Biology. Jun2025, Vol. 31 Issue 6, p1-14. 14p.
Subjects: Climate change, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Animal behavior, Disease resistance of plants, Medical climatology, Biomes
Abstract: Shifting precipitation regimes driven by global climate change can alter vertebrate behavior and host‐symbiont relationships, potentially compromising host resistance to pathogen invasion. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, prior research identified drought as a key factor disrupting the skin microbiome, contributing to a die‐off of pumpkin toadlets due to the invasive waterborne fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). However, observational studies cannot disentangle the direct effect of moisture on Bd growth from increased amphibian activity during wet breeding seasons. Using field enclosures, we experimentally tested the influence of drought conditions on host microhabitat use, Bd disease dynamics, and the composition and predicted Bd‐inhibitory function of cutaneous bacterial communities. Each enclosure housed ecologically realistic densities of Brachycephalus pitanga, a micro‐endemic pumpkin toadlet. We simulated a short‐term drought in half of the enclosures using translucent tarp coverings. To track individual toadlets, we identified their unique markings and collected skin swabs biweekly over 3 months. We then implemented molecular techniques to quantify Bd loads and characterize skin bacterial diversity and composition over time. Our findings indicate that while drought may reduce overall Bd loads on hosts, this effect is partially offset by an increase in the use of water‐filled areas of the enclosures and by a disruption of the protective host skin microbiome. This study provides valuable insights into the cascading impacts of climate change on animal behavior, host‐symbiont interactions, and disease dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Global Change Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Engineering Source
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: egs
DbLabel: Engineering Source
An: 186253024
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Experimental Drought Suppresses Amphibian Pathogen Yet Intensifies Transmission and Disrupts Protective Skin Microbiome.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Buttimer%2C+Shannon%22">Buttimer, Shannon</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> shannon.buttimer@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Medina%2C+Daniel%22">Medina, Daniel</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Martins%2C+Renato+A%2E%22">Martins, Renato A.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22da+Silva%2C+Ana+Gabrielle+Morais%22">da Silva, Ana Gabrielle Morais</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Neely%2C+Wesley+J%2E%22">Neely, Wesley J.</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Haddad%2C+Célio+F%2E+B%2E%22">Haddad, Célio F. B.</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22DiRenzo%2C+Graziella+V%2E%22">DiRenzo, Graziella V.</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Catenazzi%2C+Alessandro%22">Catenazzi, Alessandro</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bell%2C+Rayna+C%2E%22">Bell, Rayna C.</searchLink><relatesTo>8</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Becker%2C+C%2E+Guilherme%22">Becker, C. Guilherme</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> guibecker@psu.edu</i>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Global+Change+Biology%22">Global Change Biology</searchLink>. Jun2025, Vol. 31 Issue 6, p1-14. 14p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+change%22">Climate change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Batrachochytrium+dendrobatidis%22">Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Animal+behavior%22">Animal behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Disease+resistance+of+plants%22">Disease resistance of plants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+climatology%22">Medical climatology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biomes%22">Biomes</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Shifting precipitation regimes driven by global climate change can alter vertebrate behavior and host‐symbiont relationships, potentially compromising host resistance to pathogen invasion. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, prior research identified drought as a key factor disrupting the skin microbiome, contributing to a die‐off of pumpkin toadlets due to the invasive waterborne fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). However, observational studies cannot disentangle the direct effect of moisture on Bd growth from increased amphibian activity during wet breeding seasons. Using field enclosures, we experimentally tested the influence of drought conditions on host microhabitat use, Bd disease dynamics, and the composition and predicted Bd‐inhibitory function of cutaneous bacterial communities. Each enclosure housed ecologically realistic densities of Brachycephalus pitanga, a micro‐endemic pumpkin toadlet. We simulated a short‐term drought in half of the enclosures using translucent tarp coverings. To track individual toadlets, we identified their unique markings and collected skin swabs biweekly over 3 months. We then implemented molecular techniques to quantify Bd loads and characterize skin bacterial diversity and composition over time. Our findings indicate that while drought may reduce overall Bd loads on hosts, this effect is partially offset by an increase in the use of water‐filled areas of the enclosures and by a disruption of the protective host skin microbiome. This study provides valuable insights into the cascading impacts of climate change on animal behavior, host‐symbiont interactions, and disease dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Global Change Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=egs&AN=186253024
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/gcb.70275
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Animal behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Disease resistance of plants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical climatology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biomes
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Experimental Drought Suppresses Amphibian Pathogen Yet Intensifies Transmission and Disrupts Protective Skin Microbiome.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Buttimer, Shannon
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Medina, Daniel
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Martins, Renato A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: da Silva, Ana Gabrielle Morais
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Neely, Wesley J.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Haddad, Célio F. B.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: DiRenzo, Graziella V.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Catenazzi, Alessandro
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bell, Rayna C.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Becker, C. Guilherme
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 13541013
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 31
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Global Change Biology
              Type: main
ResultId 1