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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Ability Of Skin Bacteria On The Panamanian Frog Species, Craugastor Fitzingeri, To Inhibit The Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis, Tiffany N. Bridges
Ability Of Skin Bacteria On The Panamanian Frog Species, Craugastor Fitzingeri, To Inhibit The Fungal Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis, Tiffany N. Bridges
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
An emerging infectious disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is leading to global amphibian declines and is threatening the biodiversity of amphibians. Bd susceptibility varies among individuals, species, and populations perhaps due to defensive mechanisms such as symbiotic skin microbes. Some species of amphibians such as Craugastor fitzingeri, a terrestrial frog native to Central America, continue to persist in Bd-positive environments in Panama. My study focused on identifying antifungal bacterial isolates and determining the culturability of the bacterial community on 15 individuals of C. fitzingeri. Morphologically distinct isolates were challenged against Bd in …
Probiotic Bioaugmentation Of An Anti-Bd Bacteria, Janthinobacterium Lividum, On The Amphibian, Notophthalmus Viridescens: Transmission Efficacy And Persistence Of The Probiotic On The Host And Non-Target Effects Of Probiotic Addition On Ecosystem Components, Molly Bletz
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Amphibians worldwide are threatened by the fungal disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the skin pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Mutualistic skin bacteria are a critical element in amphibians’ defenses against chytridiomycosis. Probiotic bioaugmentation of beneficial, anti-Bd bacteria on amphibians is a potential conservation strategies. Outdoor experimental ponds were used to investigate transmission efficacy and persistence of the anti-Bd bacteria, Janthinobacterium lividum, on the amphibian, Notophthalmus viridescens. More specifically, this research investigated whether a short-term individual bath, environmental bioaugmentation, or both are necessary to afford transmission and persistence of J. lividum on N. viridescens. Additionally, this research investigated the effectiveness of these different probiotic …
A Bioaugmentation Approach To The Prevention Of Chytridiomycosis, Carly Muletz
A Bioaugmentation Approach To The Prevention Of Chytridiomycosis, Carly Muletz
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Symbiosis is defined as two species living together. This association between organisms is present at all taxonomic levels making it a ubiquitious phenomenon in ecology and evolution. I studied symbiosis among three species: a mutualistic bacterium, a parasitic fungus and an amphibian host. The first goal of my research was to examine how the mutualistic bacteria of amphibians’ skin are acquired. I demonstrated that a cutaneous mutualistic bacterial species, Janthinobacterium lividum, was transmitted environmentally, via soil, to the skin of an amphibian species, Plethodon cinereus. These results indicate that amphibians’ mutualistic bacteria can be acquired from the environment. Based upon …
Chemotaxis Of Amphibian Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis In The Presence And Absence Of Antifungal Metabolites Produced By Amphibian Skin Bacteria, Brianna Ashlyn Lam
Chemotaxis Of Amphibian Pathogen Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis In The Presence And Absence Of Antifungal Metabolites Produced By Amphibian Skin Bacteria, Brianna Ashlyn Lam
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Chytridiomycosis is an amphibian skin disease that threatens amphibian biodiversity worldwide. The infectious fungal agent of chytridiomycosis, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, can affect amphibians differently in that some amphibian populations can co-exist with the fungus and others quickly succumb to disease. Amphibians in populations that co-exist with the B. dendrobatidis are shown to have sub-lethal infections on their skins. Several co-existing populations have also been shown to have higher proportions of individuals with antifungal skin bacteria suggesting the role of skin bacteria in disease outcome. Little is known about the mechanism(s) that antifungal skin bacteria use to ameliorate the effects of B. …