Preparatory immunity: Seasonality of mucosal skin defenses and Batrachochytrium infections in Southern leopard frogs

Accurately predicting the impacts of climate change on wildlife health requires a deeper understanding of seasonal rhythms in host–pathogen interactions. The amphibian pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), exhibits seasonality in incidence; however, the role that biological rhythms in host defences play in defining this pattern remains largely unknown.
The aim of this study was to examine whether host immune and microbiome defences against Bd correspond with infection risk and seasonal fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
Over the course of a year, five populations of Southern leopard frogs (Rana [Lithobates] sphenocephala) in Tennessee, United States, were surveyed for host immunity, microbiome and pathogen dynamics. Frogs were swabbed for pathogen load and skin bacterial diversity and stimulated to release stored antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Secretions were analysed to estimate total hydrophobic peptide concentrations, presence of known AMPs and effectiveness of...

精准预测气候变化对野生动物健康的影响，有赖于深化对宿主-病原体互作季节性节律的认知。两栖类病原体蛙壶菌（Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis，简称Bd）的发病具有季节性特征，但宿主防御的生物节律在塑造这一发病模式中所发挥的作用，目前仍未得到充分阐明。
本研究旨在探究宿主针对Bd的免疫与微生物组防御能力，是否与感染风险及温湿度的季节性波动存在关联。
本研究在为期一年的周期内，对美国田纳西州的5个南部豹蛙（Rana [Lithobates] sphenocephala）种群开展了宿主免疫、微生物组与病原体动态相关的调查。研究人员通过棉拭取样检测蛙类的病原体载量与皮肤细菌多样性，并诱导其释放储存的抗菌肽（AMPs）。随后对采集的分泌物进行分析，以估算总疏水肽浓度、已知AMPs的存在情况，以及...的有效性。