Table_2_Transport from the wild rapidly alters the diversity and composition of skin microbial communities and antifungal taxa in spring peeper frogs.docx

Amphibians are routinely collected from the wild and added into managed care and public display facilities; however, there is a gap in understanding how these practices might alter the diversity and composition of skin microbial communities on these animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare skin microbial communities of spring peeper frogs (Pseudacris crucifer) from acquisition in the wild through the end of their quarantine period and identify microbial taxa with antifungal properties. From an original group of seventy-six frogs, cohorts of ten were swabbed when acquired in the wild, upon transport from the wild, and swabbed throughout a 9-week quarantine period while under managed care. An immediate loss of microbial richness and diversity was evident upon transfer of the frogs from their original environment and continued throughout subsequent sampling time-points during quarantine. Importantly, antifungal taxa comprised significantly more of the overall skin community after the frogs were moved from the wild, largely due to members of the family Moraxellaceae. Overall, our findings demonstrate that amphibian skin microbiome changes immediately on removal from the wild, and that these changes persist throughout quarantine while being housed under managed care. This may play a pivotal role in the development of dermatological disease and have implications in the health and immune function of amphibians.

两栖类动物常被从野外捕获，并转入人工管护与公共展示机构；然而目前学界对这类操作如何改变动物体表皮肤微生物群落（skin microbial communities）的多样性与组成仍存在认知空白。本研究旨在评估并比较春雨蛙（Pseudacris crucifer）从野外捕获至检疫期结束全过程的皮肤微生物群落，并筛选具有抗真菌特性的微生物类群。研究初始共纳入76只青蛙，分别在野外捕获时、从野外转运时，以及人工管护下的9周检疫期内的多个采样时间点，对每10只青蛙组成的队列进行棉拭采样。结果显示，青蛙从原生环境转移后，其微生物丰富度与多样性即刻出现显著下降，且这一趋势在检疫期后续的所有采样时间点中持续存在。值得注意的是，青蛙从野外转移后，抗真菌类群在其整体皮肤群落中的占比显著提升，这一现象主要由莫拉菌科（Moraxellaceae）的成员所主导。综上，本研究结果表明，两栖类动物的皮肤微生物组（skin microbiome）在脱离野外原生环境后会即刻发生改变，且这类改变在人工管护下的检疫期内会持续存在。这类改变可能在两栖类皮肤疾病的发生发展中发挥关键作用，并对两栖类的健康与免疫功能产生重要影响。