Gene expression profiling of frog responses to chytrid fungal infection

This study investigated gene expression differences among lowland leopard frog (Rana yavapaiensis) individuals from different genetic backgrounds that were exposed to the global pandemic lineage of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Control animals were compared to early infection stages, late infection survivors, and late infection susceptible individuals across four clutches of frogs that were all lab-reared in a common garden from egg masses. Skin (drink patch) and spleen transcriptomes were characterized to focus on potential immune gene expression changes important for susceptibility outcomes.