Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space
White-nose disease (WND), caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, represents one of the greatest threats for North American hibernating bats. Research on molecular data has significantly advanced our knowledge of various aspects of the disease, yet more studies are needed re...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Pensoft Publishers
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Biodiversity Data Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/109848/download/pdf/ |
| _version_ | 1797326122870898688 |
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| author | Violeta Zhelyazkova Nicola Fischer Sebastien Puechmaille |
| author_facet | Violeta Zhelyazkova Nicola Fischer Sebastien Puechmaille |
| author_sort | Violeta Zhelyazkova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | White-nose disease (WND), caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, represents one of the greatest threats for North American hibernating bats. Research on molecular data has significantly advanced our knowledge of various aspects of the disease, yet more studies are needed regarding patterns of P. destructans genetic diversity distribution. In the present study, we investigate three sites within the native range of the fungus in detail: two natural hibernacula (karst caves) in Bulgaria, south-eastern Europe and one artificial hibernaculum (disused cellar) in Germany, northern Europe, where we conducted intensive surveys between 2014 and 2019. Using 18 microsatellite and two mating type markers, we describe how P. destructans genetic diversity is distributed between and within sites, the latter including differentiation across years and seasons of sampling; across sampling locations within the site; and between bats and hibernaculum walls. We found significant genetic differentiation between hibernacula, but we could not detect any significant differentiation within hibernacula, based on the variables examined. This indicates that most of the pathogen’s movement occurs within sites. Genotypic richness of P. destructans varied between sites within the same order of magnitude, being approximately two times higher in the natural caves (Bulgaria) compared to the disused cellar (Germany). Within all sites, the pathogen’s genotypic richness was higher in samples collected from hibernaculum walls than in samples collected from bats, which corresponds with the hypothesis that hibernacula walls represent the environmental reservoir of the fungus. Multiple pathogen genotypes were commonly isolated from a single bat (i.e. from the same swab sample) in all study sites, which might be important to consider when studying disease progression. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T06:19:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01acd1f007514c41a16486c0a435889b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1314-2828 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T06:19:01Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biodiversity Data Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-01acd1f007514c41a16486c0a435889b2024-02-04T10:45:41ZengPensoft PublishersBiodiversity Data Journal1314-28282024-02-011212110.3897/BDJ.12.e109848109848Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and spaceVioleta Zhelyazkova0Nicola Fischer1Sebastien Puechmaille2National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of SciencesZoological Institute and Museum, University of GreifswaldZoological Institute and Museum, University of GreifswaldWhite-nose disease (WND), caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, represents one of the greatest threats for North American hibernating bats. Research on molecular data has significantly advanced our knowledge of various aspects of the disease, yet more studies are needed regarding patterns of P. destructans genetic diversity distribution. In the present study, we investigate three sites within the native range of the fungus in detail: two natural hibernacula (karst caves) in Bulgaria, south-eastern Europe and one artificial hibernaculum (disused cellar) in Germany, northern Europe, where we conducted intensive surveys between 2014 and 2019. Using 18 microsatellite and two mating type markers, we describe how P. destructans genetic diversity is distributed between and within sites, the latter including differentiation across years and seasons of sampling; across sampling locations within the site; and between bats and hibernaculum walls. We found significant genetic differentiation between hibernacula, but we could not detect any significant differentiation within hibernacula, based on the variables examined. This indicates that most of the pathogen’s movement occurs within sites. Genotypic richness of P. destructans varied between sites within the same order of magnitude, being approximately two times higher in the natural caves (Bulgaria) compared to the disused cellar (Germany). Within all sites, the pathogen’s genotypic richness was higher in samples collected from hibernaculum walls than in samples collected from bats, which corresponds with the hypothesis that hibernacula walls represent the environmental reservoir of the fungus. Multiple pathogen genotypes were commonly isolated from a single bat (i.e. from the same swab sample) in all study sites, which might be important to consider when studying disease progression.https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/109848/download/pdf/Chiropteraemerging infectious diseasefungal pa |
| spellingShingle | Violeta Zhelyazkova Nicola Fischer Sebastien Puechmaille Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space Biodiversity Data Journal Chiroptera emerging infectious disease fungal pa |
| title | Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space |
| title_full | Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space |
| title_fullStr | Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space |
| title_short | Bat white-nose disease fungus diversity in time and space |
| title_sort | bat white nose disease fungus diversity in time and space |
| topic | Chiroptera emerging infectious disease fungal pa |
| url | https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/109848/download/pdf/ |
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