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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Chytridiomycosis disrupts metabolic responses in amphibians at metamorphic climax
Microbes and infection, Vol.27(3), pp.1-10
03/2025
PMID: 39551241
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Source: InCites
Abstract
The fungal disease chytridiomycosis (causative agent Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]) is a primary contributor to amphibian species declines. The morphological and physiological reorganisation that occurs during amphibian metamorphosis likely increases the vulnerability of metamorphs to Bd. To address this, we exposed pro-metamorphic tadpoles of Fleay’s barred frog (Mixophyes fleayi) to Bd and sampled skin and liver sections from control and exposed animals throughout metamorphosis (Gosner stages 40, 42 and 45). We used an untargeted metabolomics approach to assess the metabolic impacts of Bd infection during the critical metamorphic stages, extracting metabolites from sampled tissues and analysing them via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometry. Most exposed animals became moribund at Gosner stage 45, while a subset seemingly cleared their infections. Metabolite abundance varied throughout development, with Gosner stage 45 samples distinct from previous stages. Clinically infected animals at Gosner stage 45 exhibited profound metabolic dysregulation (e.g., upregulation of amino acid biosynthesis and degradation) in comparison to uninfected groups (negative controls and ‘cleared’ animals). Despite showing parallels with previous metabolomic analyses of Bd-infected adult frogs, we identified variations in our results that could be attributed to the dramatic changes that characterise metamorphosis and may be driving the heightened vulnerability observed in metamorphic amphibians.
Details
- Title
- Chytridiomycosis disrupts metabolic responses in amphibians at metamorphic climax
- Creators
- Josephine E. Humphries - Griffith UniversitySteven D. Melvin - Griffith UniversityChantal Lanctôt - Griffith UniversityHamish McCallum - Griffith UniversityDavid Newell - Southern Cross UniversityLaura F. Grogan - Griffith University
- Publication Details
- Microbes and infection, Vol.27(3), pp.1-10
- Publisher
- Elsevier Masson SAS; AMSTERDAM
- Grant note
- New South Wales Department of Planning Industry and Environment via the Saving Our Species program and the Griffith University Postgraduate research scholarship. Australian Research Council (ARC) grants DP180101415 and DE200100490 funded by the Australian Government. ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE180101286). ARC grant DP180101415.
- Identifiers
- 991013236411702368
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Authors
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article