High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska
Abstract Glacier algae, which are photosynthetic microbes growing on ice, considerably reduce the surface albedo of glaciers and accelerate their melting rate. Although the growth of glacier algae can be suppressed by parasitic chytrids, the impact of chytrids on algal populations is still largely u...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30721-w |
| _version_ | 1797864686287323136 |
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| author | Kino Kobayashi Nozomu Takeuchi Maiko Kagami |
| author_facet | Kino Kobayashi Nozomu Takeuchi Maiko Kagami |
| author_sort | Kino Kobayashi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Glacier algae, which are photosynthetic microbes growing on ice, considerably reduce the surface albedo of glaciers and accelerate their melting rate. Although the growth of glacier algae can be suppressed by parasitic chytrids, the impact of chytrids on algal populations is still largely unknown. In this study, we described the morphology of the chytrid infecting the glacier alga Ancylonema nordenskioeldii and quantified the prevalence of infection in different habitats on a mountain glacier in Alaska, USA. Microscopic observations revealed three different morphological types of chytrids with distinct rhizoid shapes. Variations in the size of the sporangia were probably because of their different growth stages, indicating that they actively propagated on the glacier. The prevalence of infection did not vary among sites with different elevations but was substantially higher in cryoconite holes (20%) than on ice surfaces (4%) at all sites. This indicates that cryoconite holes are hot spots for chytrid infections of glacier algae, and the dynamics of cryoconite holes might affect the host–parasite interactions between chytrids and the glacier algae, which may in turn alter surface albedo and ice melting. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:55:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-458ec7bcf8df4e7f9d8432df64189cc8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:55:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-458ec7bcf8df4e7f9d8432df64189cc82023-03-22T11:13:57ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-03-011311910.1038/s41598-023-30721-wHigh prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in AlaskaKino Kobayashi0Nozomu Takeuchi1Maiko Kagami2Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chiba UniversityDepartment of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba UniversityFaculty of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National UniversityAbstract Glacier algae, which are photosynthetic microbes growing on ice, considerably reduce the surface albedo of glaciers and accelerate their melting rate. Although the growth of glacier algae can be suppressed by parasitic chytrids, the impact of chytrids on algal populations is still largely unknown. In this study, we described the morphology of the chytrid infecting the glacier alga Ancylonema nordenskioeldii and quantified the prevalence of infection in different habitats on a mountain glacier in Alaska, USA. Microscopic observations revealed three different morphological types of chytrids with distinct rhizoid shapes. Variations in the size of the sporangia were probably because of their different growth stages, indicating that they actively propagated on the glacier. The prevalence of infection did not vary among sites with different elevations but was substantially higher in cryoconite holes (20%) than on ice surfaces (4%) at all sites. This indicates that cryoconite holes are hot spots for chytrid infections of glacier algae, and the dynamics of cryoconite holes might affect the host–parasite interactions between chytrids and the glacier algae, which may in turn alter surface albedo and ice melting.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30721-w |
| spellingShingle | Kino Kobayashi Nozomu Takeuchi Maiko Kagami High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska Scientific Reports |
| title | High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska |
| title_full | High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska |
| title_fullStr | High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska |
| title_full_unstemmed | High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska |
| title_short | High prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in Alaska |
| title_sort | high prevalence of parasitic chytrids infection of glacier algae in cryoconite holes in alaska |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30721-w |
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