Origin of the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

Weldon, Ché; Preez, Louis H. Du; Hyatt, Alex D.; Müller, Reinhold; Speare, Rick

doi:10.3201/eid1012.030804

Cited by 397 publications

(383 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Genetic comparisons of 35 B. dendrobatidis isolates from North America, Panama, Africa, and Australia demonstrate that all are closely related (Morehouse et al, 2003). This supports ecologic, pathologic, and biogeographic evidence that chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians (Daszak et al, 1999;Weldon et al, 2004). This also suggests that B. dendrobatidis is a generalist pathogen and that species possessing an innate immunologic defense at the time of emergence are more likely to survive.…”

Section: Discussion Predicting Immunologic Resistance To Chytridiomycsupporting

confidence: 55%

“…The strength of X. laevis resistance is consistent with a coevolutionary history with the fungus. Studies of preserved museum specimens have found the earliest B. dendrobatidis infection in X. laevis from South Africa in 1938, and enzootic infections were found in nondeclining populations in South Africa (Weldon et al, 2004). Antimicrobial peptide defenses may evolve more readily than components of the adaptive immune system (Zasloff, 2002;Vanhoye et al, 2003).…”

Section: Discussion Predicting Immunologic Resistance To Chytridiomycmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Survival of natural populations of R. pipiens and X. laevis infected with B. dendrobatidis (Green et al, 2002;Weldon et al, 2004;Ouellet et al 2005) and resistance to experimental exposure (Rollins-Smith and Conlon, 2005;Carey, unpubl. data) demonstrate that these species are quite resistant to disease development.…”

Section: Collection Of Skin Peptidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predicted Disease Susceptibility in a Panamanian Amphibian Assemblage Based on Skin Peptide Defenses

Woodhams

Voyles

Lips

et al. 2006

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

135

139

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ABSTRACT:Chytridiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease of amphibians caused by a chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. This panzootic does not equally affect all amphibian species within an assemblage; some populations decline, others persist. Little is known about the factors that affect disease resistance. Differences in behavior, life history, biogeography, or immune function may impact survival. We found that an innate immune defense, antimicrobial skin peptides, varied significantly among species within a rainforest stream amphibian assemblage that has not been exposed to B. dendrobatidis. If exposed, all amphibian species at this central Panamanian site are at risk of population declines. In vitro pathogen growth inhibition by peptides from Panamanian species compared with species with known resistance (Rana pipiens and Xenopus laevis) or susceptibility (Bufo boreas) suggests that of the nine species examined, two species (Centrolene prosoblepon and Phyllomedusa lemur) may demonstrate strong resistance, and the other species will have a higher risk of disease-associated population declines. We found little variation among geographically distinct B. dendrobatidis isolates in sensitivity to an amphibian skin peptide mixture. This supports the hypothesis that B. dendrobatidis is a generalist pathogen and that species possessing an innate immunologic defense at the time of disease emergence are more likely to survive.

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Section: Discussion Predicting Immunologic Resistance To Chytridiomycsupporting

confidence: 55%

Section: Discussion Predicting Immunologic Resistance To Chytridiomycmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predicted Disease Susceptibility in a Panamanian Amphibian Assemblage Based on Skin Peptide Defenses

Woodhams

Voyles

Lips

et al. 2006

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

135

139

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“…In Xenopus, international trade has been pro- posed to be at the origin of the spread of another pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, implicated in the worldwide decline of amphibian populations (Weldon et al, 2004). The possibility that X. laevis constitutes a reservoir for ranavirus, therefore, is plausible, although a more extensive survey of wild and captive X. laevis populations is needed for an accurate estimation of the prevalence of covert FV3 infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Xenopus Laevis: A Possible Vector of Ranavirus Infection?

Robert

Abramowitz

Gantress

et al. 2007

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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ABSTRACT:Frog virus 3 (FV3) or FV3-like viruses (Iridoviridae) infect a wide range of amphibian species, and they are becoming increasingly and causally associated with amphibian disease outbreaks worldwide. We have established the frog Xenopus laevis as an experimental model to study host defense and pathogenesis of FV3 infection. Although X. laevis adults usually clear FV3 infection within a few weeks, viral DNA has been detected in the kidneys several months after they had been experimentally infected; virus also has been detected in seemingly healthy nonexperimentally infected adults. Based on this information, we hypothesized that covert FV3 infection may occur in Xenopus. We first conducted a survey that detected FV3 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the kidneys (the main site of FV3 infection) in a significant fraction of X. laevis raised in five different locations in the United States. Asymptomatic FV3 carriers also were detected by initiation of an acute systemic FV3 infection in frogs that had been immunosupressed by sublethal c-irradiation. Finally, we focused on macrophages as a potential site for viral persistence, and we showed that FV3 can infect peritoneal macrophages in vitro as determined by reverse transcriptase-PCR detection of viral mRNAs. Unlike kidney cell lines that are readily killed by FV3, infected macrophages, like uninfected macrophages, survived up to 12 days. Viral transcription also was detected in macrophages from animals up to 12 days after infection. These results suggest that FV3 can become quiescent in resistant species such as Xenopus, thereby making these species potential viral reservoirs.

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“…Similarly, in a previous study on Sicilian populations of African clawed frog, we recorded the presence of a Bufo bufo tadpole among 306 stomachs examined (Faraone et al 2008b). The African clawed frog is also considered as the probable origin of the spread, and a vector of, the chytridiomycosis fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Weldon et al 2004). Despite the aforementioned observations that lead to a legitimate concern for native species, few studies provide details of the impact of African clawed frogs on host ecosystems, particularly local populations of amphibians.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can the introduction of Xenopus laevis affect native amphibian populations? Reduction of reproductive occurrence in presence of the invasive species

2010

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Biological invasions are regarded as a form of global change and potential cause of biodiversity loss. Xenopus laevis is an anuran amphibian native to sub-Saharan Africa with strong invasive capacity, especially in geographic regions with a Mediterranean climate. In spite of the worldwide diffusion of X. laevis, the effective impact on local ecosystems and native amphibian populations is poorly quantified. A large population of X. laevis occurs in Sicily and our main aim of this work was to assess the consequences of introduction of this alien species on local amphibian populations. In this study we compare the occurrence of reproduction of native amphibians in ponds with and without X. laevis, and before and after the alien colonization. The results of our study shows that, when X. laevis establishes a conspicuous population in a pond system, the populations of Discoglossus pictus, Hyla intermedia and Pelophylax synklepton esculentus show clear signs of distress and the occurrence of reproduction of these native amphibians collapses. In contrast, the populations of Bufo bufo do not appear to be affected by the alien species. Since the Sicilian population of X. laevis shows a strong dispersal capacity, proportionate and quick interventions become necessary to bound the detriment to the Sicilian amphibians populations.

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Origin of the Amphibian Chytrid Fungus

Abstract: Histologic evidence indicates southern Africa as the origin of the amphibian chytrid fungus.

Cited by 397 publications

References 22 publications

Predicted Disease Susceptibility in a Panamanian Amphibian Assemblage Based on Skin Peptide Defenses

Predicted Disease Susceptibility in a Panamanian Amphibian Assemblage Based on Skin Peptide Defenses

Xenopus Laevis: A Possible Vector of Ranavirus Infection?

Can the introduction of Xenopus laevis affect native amphibian populations? Reduction of reproductive occurrence in presence of the invasive species

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