AI Article Synopsis
- Aquatic chytrid fungi, particularly Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, pose a global threat to amphibians due to their rapid spread and ability to infect various hosts.
- Understanding the host range of these chytrids is crucial for identifying reservoirs of infection and improving biosecurity measures to protect uninfected areas.
- The study shows that zebrafish can be infected by chytrid fungi, leading to significant health issues, and emphasizes the role of the microbiome in preventing such infections, thereby expanding research tools for studying chytrid pathogenesis.
Article Abstract
Aquatic chytrid fungi threaten amphibian biodiversity worldwide owing to their ability to rapidly expand their geographical distributions and to infect a wide range of hosts. Combating this risk requires an understanding of chytrid host range to identify potential reservoirs of infection and to safeguard uninfected regions through enhanced biosecurity. Here we extend our knowledge on the host range of the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis by demonstrating infection of a non-amphibian vertebrate host, the zebrafish. We observe dose-dependent mortality and show that chytrid can infect and proliferate on zebrafish tissue. We also show that infection phenotypes (fin erosion, cell apoptosis and muscle degeneration) are direct symptoms of infection. Successful infection is dependent on disrupting the zebrafish microbiome, highlighting that, as is widely found in amphibians, commensal bacteria confer protection against this pathogen. Collectively, our findings greatly expand the limited tool kit available to study pathogenesis and host response to chytrid infection.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5411484 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15048 | DOI Listing |
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Article Synopsis
- Aquatic chytrid fungi, particularly Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, pose a global threat to amphibians due to their rapid spread and ability to infect various hosts.
- Understanding the host range of these chytrids is crucial for identifying reservoirs of infection and improving biosecurity measures to protect uninfected areas.
- The study shows that zebrafish can be infected by chytrid fungi, leading to significant health issues, and emphasizes the role of the microbiome in preventing such infections, thereby expanding research tools for studying chytrid pathogenesis.
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