title: Community Structure and Function of Amphibian Skin Microbes: An Experiment with Bullfrogs Exposed to a Chytrid Fungus.
abstract: The vertebrate microbiome contributes to disease resistance, but few experiments have examined the link between microbiome community structure and disease resistance functions. Chytridiomycosis, a major cause of amphibian population declines, is a skin disease caused by the fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). In a factorial experiment, bullfrog skin microbiota was reduced with antibiotics, augmented with an anti-Bd bacterial isolate (Janthinobacterium lividum), or unmanipulated, and individuals were then either exposed or not exposed to Bd. We found that the microbial community structure of individual frogs prior to Bd exposure influenced Bd infection intensity one week following exposure, which, in turn, was negatively correlated with proportional growth during the experiment. Microbial community structure and function differed among unmanipulated, antibiotic-treated, and augmented frogs only when frogs were exposed to Bd. Bd is a selective force on microbial community structure and function, and beneficial states of microbial community structure may serve to limit the impacts of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jenifer B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Walke
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Matthew H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Loftus
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Leanna L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: House
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thais L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Teotonio
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kevin P C
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Minbiole
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Belden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001483:Base Sequence; D008411:Chytridiomycota / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D064307:Microbiota / Q000187:drug effects; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011892:Rana catesbeiana / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S