Snake Fungal Disease (Ophidiomycosis) Induces Microbiome Dysbiosis

Reptiles are among the most threatened species on Earth with approximately 20% of taxa at risk of extinction. This threat is hypothesized to be a cumulative effect of environmental, climatic, and biotic factors, such as emerging pathogens. Recently, a fungal pathogen of snakes (Ophidiomyces ophidiicola) has been linked with population declines in the USA. This epidermal pathogen causes changes to the skin microbiome by affecting the structure and function of bacterial assemblages. The microbiome is an important component of host health and can provide disease resistance to wildlife pathogens. This research demonstrates that there exists a strong correlation between O. ophidiicola and community assembly processes of skin microbiomes, with tangible conservation implications. The proposed model system will advance understanding of mechanisms that contribute to variation in microbiome communities across gradients of host skin resources and fungal metabolites. The researchers propose to fill a knowledge gap by testing for the effects of fungal pathogens on mechanisms of microbiome community assembly, and more generally, advance fundamental knowledge of disease ecology. Outreach activities with zoos and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will help inform the general public about wildlife disease and the importance of skin microbiomes in biodiversity conservation. An undergraduate microbiome scientist program at Middle Tennessee State University will contribute to the training of the next generation of microbial ecologists.