Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont
Individual differences in host phenotypes can generate heterogeneity in the acquisition and transmission of microbes. Although this has become a prominent factor of disease epidemiology, host phenotypic variation might similarly underlie the transmission of microbial symbionts that defend against pa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.191080 |
| _version_ | 1818116573534093312 |
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| author | Carl N. Keiser Trina Wantman Eria A. Rebollar Reid N. Harris |
| author_facet | Carl N. Keiser Trina Wantman Eria A. Rebollar Reid N. Harris |
| author_sort | Carl N. Keiser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Individual differences in host phenotypes can generate heterogeneity in the acquisition and transmission of microbes. Although this has become a prominent factor of disease epidemiology, host phenotypic variation might similarly underlie the transmission of microbial symbionts that defend against pathogen infection. Here, we test whether host body size and behaviour influence the social acquisition of a skin bacterium, Janthinobacterium lividum, which in some hosts can confer protection against infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the causative agent of the amphibian skin disease chytridiomycosis. We measured body size and boldness (time spent in an open field) of green frog tadpoles and haphazardly constructed groups of six individuals. In some groups, we exposed one individual in each group to J. lividum and, in other groups, we inoculated a patch of aquarium pebbles to J. lividum. After 24 h, we swabbed each individual to estimate the presence of J. lividum on their skin. On average, tadpoles acquired nearly four times more bacteria when housed with an exposed individual compared to those housed with a patch of inoculated substrate. When tadpoles were housed with an exposed group-mate, larger and ‘bolder’ individuals acquired more bacteria. These data suggest that phenotypically biased acquisition of defensive symbionts might generate biased patterns of mortality from the pathogens against which they protect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:24:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-94d9e9b348f14e8bb099b43ab81e1778 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T04:24:40Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-94d9e9b348f14e8bb099b43ab81e17782022-12-22T01:21:00ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032019-09-016910.1098/rsos.191080191080Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiontCarl N. KeiserTrina WantmanEria A. RebollarReid N. HarrisIndividual differences in host phenotypes can generate heterogeneity in the acquisition and transmission of microbes. Although this has become a prominent factor of disease epidemiology, host phenotypic variation might similarly underlie the transmission of microbial symbionts that defend against pathogen infection. Here, we test whether host body size and behaviour influence the social acquisition of a skin bacterium, Janthinobacterium lividum, which in some hosts can confer protection against infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the causative agent of the amphibian skin disease chytridiomycosis. We measured body size and boldness (time spent in an open field) of green frog tadpoles and haphazardly constructed groups of six individuals. In some groups, we exposed one individual in each group to J. lividum and, in other groups, we inoculated a patch of aquarium pebbles to J. lividum. After 24 h, we swabbed each individual to estimate the presence of J. lividum on their skin. On average, tadpoles acquired nearly four times more bacteria when housed with an exposed individual compared to those housed with a patch of inoculated substrate. When tadpoles were housed with an exposed group-mate, larger and ‘bolder’ individuals acquired more bacteria. These data suggest that phenotypically biased acquisition of defensive symbionts might generate biased patterns of mortality from the pathogens against which they protect.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.191080amphibianhorizontal transmissionjanthinobacterium lividumlithobates clamitanstadpole |
| spellingShingle | Carl N. Keiser Trina Wantman Eria A. Rebollar Reid N. Harris Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont Royal Society Open Science amphibian horizontal transmission janthinobacterium lividum lithobates clamitans tadpole |
| title | Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont |
| title_full | Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont |
| title_fullStr | Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont |
| title_short | Tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont |
| title_sort | tadpole body size and behaviour alter the social acquisition of a defensive bacterial symbiont |
| topic | amphibian horizontal transmission janthinobacterium lividum lithobates clamitans tadpole |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.191080 |
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