Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibian

Host-associated microbiomes play important roles in host health and pathogen defense. In amphibians, the skin-associated microbiota can contribute to innate immunity with potential implications for disease management. Few studies have examined season-long temporal variation in the amphibian skin-ass...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kenen B. Goodwin, Jaren D. Hutchinson, Zachariah Gompert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020329/full
_version_ 1811178250166075392
author Kenen B. Goodwin
Kenen B. Goodwin
Jaren D. Hutchinson
Zachariah Gompert
author_facet Kenen B. Goodwin
Kenen B. Goodwin
Jaren D. Hutchinson
Zachariah Gompert
author_sort Kenen B. Goodwin
collection DOAJ
description Host-associated microbiomes play important roles in host health and pathogen defense. In amphibians, the skin-associated microbiota can contribute to innate immunity with potential implications for disease management. Few studies have examined season-long temporal variation in the amphibian skin-associated microbiome, and the interactions between bacteria and fungi on amphibian skin remain poorly understood. We characterize season-long temporal variation in the skin-associated microbiome of the western tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium) for both bacteria and fungi between sites and across salamander life stages. Two hundred seven skin-associated microbiome samples were collected from salamanders at two Rocky Mountain lakes throughout the summer and fall of 2018, and 127 additional microbiome samples were collected from lake water and lake substrate. We used 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing with Bayesian Dirichlet-multinomial regression to estimate the relative abundances of bacterial and fungal taxa, test for differential abundance, examine microbial selection, and derive alpha diversity. We predicted the ability of bacterial communities to inhibit the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a cutaneous fungal pathogen, using stochastic character mapping and a database of Bd-inhibitory bacterial isolates. For both bacteria and fungi, we observed variation in community composition through time, between sites, and with salamander age and life stage. We further found that temporal trends in community composition were specific to each combination of salamander age, life stage, and lake. We found salamander skin to be selective for microbes, with many taxa disproportionately represented relative to the environment. Salamander skin appeared to select for predicted Bd-inhibitory bacteria, and we found a negative relationship between the relative abundances of predicted Bd-inhibitory bacteria and Bd. We hope these findings will assist in the conservation of amphibian species threatened by chytridiomycosis and other emerging diseases.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T06:16:33Z
format Article
id doaj.art-740d7e73005e4cceae07845a9cd4c19e
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1664-302X
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T06:16:33Z
publishDate 2022-12-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Microbiology
spelling doaj.art-740d7e73005e4cceae07845a9cd4c19e2022-12-22T04:41:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2022-12-011310.3389/fmicb.2022.10203291020329Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibianKenen B. Goodwin0Kenen B. Goodwin1Jaren D. Hutchinson2Zachariah Gompert3Department of Watershed Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United StatesDepartment of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United StatesDepartment of Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United StatesDepartment of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United StatesHost-associated microbiomes play important roles in host health and pathogen defense. In amphibians, the skin-associated microbiota can contribute to innate immunity with potential implications for disease management. Few studies have examined season-long temporal variation in the amphibian skin-associated microbiome, and the interactions between bacteria and fungi on amphibian skin remain poorly understood. We characterize season-long temporal variation in the skin-associated microbiome of the western tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium) for both bacteria and fungi between sites and across salamander life stages. Two hundred seven skin-associated microbiome samples were collected from salamanders at two Rocky Mountain lakes throughout the summer and fall of 2018, and 127 additional microbiome samples were collected from lake water and lake substrate. We used 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing with Bayesian Dirichlet-multinomial regression to estimate the relative abundances of bacterial and fungal taxa, test for differential abundance, examine microbial selection, and derive alpha diversity. We predicted the ability of bacterial communities to inhibit the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a cutaneous fungal pathogen, using stochastic character mapping and a database of Bd-inhibitory bacterial isolates. For both bacteria and fungi, we observed variation in community composition through time, between sites, and with salamander age and life stage. We further found that temporal trends in community composition were specific to each combination of salamander age, life stage, and lake. We found salamander skin to be selective for microbes, with many taxa disproportionately represented relative to the environment. Salamander skin appeared to select for predicted Bd-inhibitory bacteria, and we found a negative relationship between the relative abundances of predicted Bd-inhibitory bacteria and Bd. We hope these findings will assist in the conservation of amphibian species threatened by chytridiomycosis and other emerging diseases.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020329/fulltemporal variationspatial variationbacteriafungirelative abundanceBayesian analysis
spellingShingle Kenen B. Goodwin
Kenen B. Goodwin
Jaren D. Hutchinson
Zachariah Gompert
Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibian
Frontiers in Microbiology
temporal variation
spatial variation
bacteria
fungi
relative abundance
Bayesian analysis
title Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibian
title_full Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibian
title_fullStr Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibian
title_full_unstemmed Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibian
title_short Spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation, microbial selection, and predicted Bd-inhibitory function in the skin-associated microbiome of a Rocky Mountain amphibian
title_sort spatiotemporal and ontogenetic variation microbial selection and predicted bd inhibitory function in the skin associated microbiome of a rocky mountain amphibian
topic temporal variation
spatial variation
bacteria
fungi
relative abundance
Bayesian analysis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020329/full
work_keys_str_mv AT kenenbgoodwin spatiotemporalandontogeneticvariationmicrobialselectionandpredictedbdinhibitoryfunctionintheskinassociatedmicrobiomeofarockymountainamphibian
AT kenenbgoodwin spatiotemporalandontogeneticvariationmicrobialselectionandpredictedbdinhibitoryfunctionintheskinassociatedmicrobiomeofarockymountainamphibian
AT jarendhutchinson spatiotemporalandontogeneticvariationmicrobialselectionandpredictedbdinhibitoryfunctionintheskinassociatedmicrobiomeofarockymountainamphibian
AT zachariahgompert spatiotemporalandontogeneticvariationmicrobialselectionandpredictedbdinhibitoryfunctionintheskinassociatedmicrobiomeofarockymountainamphibian