Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans and the Risk of a Second Amphibian Pandemic

Yap, Tiffany A.; Nguyen, Natalie T.; Serr, Megan; Shepack, Alexander; Vredenburg, Vance T.

doi:10.1007/s10393-017-1278-1

Cited by 49 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 95 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Longcore, Pessier & Nichols, ; Berger et al, ; Fisher, Garner & Walker, ; Joneson et al, ; Voyles, Rosenblum & Berger, ; Byrne et al, ) and B . salamandrivorans (Gray et al, ; Yap et al, ) are two related chytrid species that cause fatal skin damage to amphibians and are threatening populations globally. The second most important menace to vertebrates is the dothideomycete Pseudogymnoascus destructans , that is causing massive bat mortality in North America (Foley et al, ; Fenton, ; Cryan et al, ; Alves, Terribile & Brito, ; Leopardi, Blake & Puechmaille, ).…”

Section: Fungi and Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal evolution: major ecological adaptations and evolutionary transitions

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fungi are a highly diverse group of heterotrophic eukaryotes characterized by the absence of phagotrophy and the presence of a chitinous cell wall. While unicellular fungi are far from rare, part of the evolutionary success of the group resides in their ability to grow indefinitely as a cylindrical multinucleated cell (hypha). Armed with these morphological traits and with an extremely high metabolical diversity, fungi have conquered numerous ecological niches and have shaped a whole world of interactions with other living organisms. Herein we survey the main evolutionary and ecological processes that have guided fungal diversity. We will first review the ecology and evolution of the zoosporic lineages and the process of terrestrialization, as one of the major evolutionary transitions in this kingdom. Several plausible scenarios have been proposed for fungal terrestralization and we here propose a new scenario, which considers icy environments as a transitory niche between water and emerged land. We then focus on exploring the main ecological relationships of Fungi with other organisms (other fungi, protozoans, animals and plants), as well as the origin of adaptations to certain specialized ecological niches within the group (lichens, black fungi and yeasts). Throughout this review we use an evolutionary and comparative-genomics perspective to understand fungal ecological diversity. Finally, we highlight the importance of genome-enabled inferences to envision plausible narratives and scenarios for important transitions.

show abstract

Section: Fungi and Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungal evolution: major ecological adaptations and evolutionary transitions

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous studies have hypothesized that Bsal should be able to spread rapidly, similarly to B . dendrobatidis (hereafter: Bd) 12 , thus posing a concrete risk of a novel amphibian pandemic 13 , 14 . On the other hand, Canessa et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-epizootic salamander persistence in a disease-free refugium suggests poor dispersal ability of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans

Sluijs¹,

Stegen

Bogaerts³

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lack of disease spill-over between adjacent populations has been associated with habitat fragmentation and the absence of population connectivity. We here present a case which describes the absence of the spill-over of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) between two connected subpopulations of fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra). Based on neutrally evolving microsatellite loci, both subpopulations were shown to form a single genetic cluster, suggesting a shared origin and/or recent gene flow. Alpine newts (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and fire salamanders were found in the landscape matrix between the two sites, which are also connected by a stream and separated by no obvious physical barriers. Performing a laboratory trial using alpine newts, we confirmed that Bsal is unable to disperse autonomously. Vector-mediated dispersal may have been impeded by a combination of sub-optimal connectivity, limited dispersal ability of infected hosts and a lack of suitable dispersers following the rapid, Bsal-driven collapse of susceptible hosts at the source site. Although the exact cause remains unclear, the aggregate evidence suggests that Bsal may be a poorer disperser than previously hypothesized. The lack of Bsal dispersal between neighbouring salamander populations opens perspectives for disease management and stresses the necessity of implementing biosecurity measures preventing human-mediated spread.

show abstract

“…globe (1,4,5). Ranavirus, a genus of the Iridoviridae family, are double-stranded DNA viruses capable of infecting a wide range of ectothermic vertebrates, including amphibians, reptiles, and bony fishes (6).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Frog Virus 3 Genomes Reveal Prevalent Recombination between Ranavirus Lineages and Their Origins in Canada

Vilaça

Bienentreu

Brunetti

et al. 2019

J Virol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ranaviruses are pathogens associated with the decline of amphibian populations across much of their distribution. In North America, frog virus 3 (FV3) is a widely distributed pathogen with wild populations of amphibians harboring different lineages and putative recombinants between FV3 and common midwife toad virus (CMTV). These recombinants have higher pathogenicity, and CMTV-derived genes associated with virulence are reported in wild strains in Canada. However, while FV3 is linked to amphibian die-offs in North America, CMTVs have been reported only in commercial frog farms in North America. We sequenced complete genomes of 18 FV3 isolates from three amphibian species to characterize genetic diversity of the lineages in Canada and infer possible recombinant regions. The 18 FV3 isolates displayed different signals of recombination, varying from none to interspersed recombination with previously isolated CMTV-like viruses. In general, most recombination breakpoints were located within open reading frames (ORFs), generating new ORFs and proteins that were a mixture between FV3 and CMTV. A combined spatial and temporal phylogeny suggests the presence of the FV3 lineage in Canada is relatively contemporary (<100 years), corroborating the hypothesis that both CMTV- and FV3-like viruses spread to North America when the international commercial amphibian trade started. Our results highlight the importance of pathogen surveillance and viral dynamics using full genomes to more clearly understand the mechanisms of disease origin and spread. IMPORTANCE Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, and these declines have been linked to a number of anthropogenic factors, including disease. Among the pathogens associated with amphibian mortality, ranaviruses have caused massive die-offs across continents. In North America, frog virus 3 (FV3) is a widespread ranavirus that can infect wild and captive amphibians. In this study, we sequenced full FV3 genomes isolated from frogs in Canada. We report widespread recombination between FV3 and common midwife toad virus (CMTV). Phylogenies indicate a recent origin for FV3 in Canada, possibly as a result of international amphibian trade.

show abstract

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans and the Risk of a Second Amphibian Pandemic

Cited by 49 publications

References 95 publications

Fungal evolution: major ecological adaptations and evolutionary transitions

Fungal evolution: major ecological adaptations and evolutionary transitions

Post-epizootic salamander persistence in a disease-free refugium suggests poor dispersal ability of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans

Frog Virus 3 Genomes Reveal Prevalent Recombination between Ranavirus Lineages and Their Origins in Canada

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About