title: Bacteria isolated from bats inhibit the growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of white-nose syndrome.
abstract: Emerging infectious diseases are a key threat to wildlife. Several fungal skin pathogens have recently emerged and caused widespread mortality in several vertebrate groups, including amphibians, bats, rattlesnakes and humans. White-nose syndrome, caused by the fungal skin pathogen Pseudogymnoascus destructans, threatens several hibernating bat species with extinction and there are few effective treatment strategies. The skin microbiome is increasingly understood to play a large role in determining disease outcome. We isolated bacteria from the skin of four bat species, and co-cultured these isolates with P. destructans to identify bacteria that might inhibit or kill P. destructans. We then conducted two reciprocal challenge experiments in vitro with six bacterial isolates (all in the genus Pseudomonas) to quantify the effect of these bacteria on the growth of P. destructans. All six Pseudomonas isolates significantly inhibited growth of P. destructans compared to non-inhibitory control bacteria, and two isolates performed significantly better than others in suppressing P. destructans growth for at least 35 days. In both challenge experiments, the extent of suppression of P. destructans growth was dependent on the initial concentration of P. destructans and the initial concentration of the bacterial isolate. These results show that bacteria found naturally occurring on bats can inhibit the growth of P. destructans in vitro and should be studied further as a possible probiotic to protect bats from white-nose syndrome. In addition, the presence of these bacteria may influence disease outcomes among individuals, populations, and species.
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.
authors: Joseph R
authors: JR
authors: Hoyt
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.
authors: Tina L
authors: TL
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.
authors: Kate E
authors: KE
authors: Langwig
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.
authors: Mallory M
authors: MM
authors: Hee
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.
authors: Winifred F
authors: WF
authors: Frick
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America.
authors: A Marm
authors: AM
authors: Kilpatrick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001203:Ascomycota / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D002633:Chemotaxis; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D006605:Hibernation; D050296:Microbial Viability; D064307:Microbiota; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology