title: Effect of glucocorticoids on expression of cutaneous antimicrobial peptides in northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many species of frogs secrete cutaneous antimicrobial peptides that are capable of killing Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Some of these species are nonetheless susceptible to chytridiomycosis, suggesting that host factors causing dysregulation of this innate immune response may be important in pathogenesis. Since stresses, such as from environmental perturbations, are a potential cause of such dysregulation, this study investigated the effect of glucocorticoid on cutaneous gene expression of these antimicrobial peptides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) were injected with either the corticosteroid methylprednisolone or saline every 48 h. Norepinephrine-elicited cutaneous secretions were collected every 8 days for 40 days. Gene expression of antimicrobial peptides (brevinin-1P and ranatuerin-2P) in the cutaneous secretions was measured relative to the reference genes EF1-α and RPL8 using quantitative RT-PCR. Corticosteroid treatment was associated with a significant increase in brevinin-1P gene expression, which was most notable at 24-40 days of corticosteroid administration. Ranatuerin-2P expression followed a similar but non-significant trend.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This treatment protocol, including corticosteroid-administration and frequent norepinephrine-induced secretion, increased AMP gene expression in the skin of L. pipiens under these experimental conditions. The findings do not support the hypothesis that environmental stress predisposes frogs to chytridiomycosis by causing glucocorticoid-induced suppression of antimicrobial peptide defences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. laetitiatatiersky@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tatiersky
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology and of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA. louise.rollins-smith@Vanderbilt.Edu.|Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA. louise.rollins-smith@Vanderbilt.Edu.
authors.forename: Louise A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rollins-Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. rlu@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. cjardi01@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jardine
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. ibarker@golden.net.
authors.forename: Ian K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. meclark@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. jcaswell@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Jeff L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Caswell
mesh_terms: D029845:Amphibian Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011894:Rana pipiens / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029845:Amphibian Proteins; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008775:Methylprednisolone