Fungi on white-nose infected bats (Myotis spp.) in Eastern Canada show no decline in diversity associated with Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Ascomycota: Pseudeurotiaceae) presence

Vanderwolf, Karen J.; Malloch, David; McAlpine, Donald F.

doi:10.5038/1827-806x.45.1.1946

Cited by 17 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Bats’ associated microbes have recently received much attention from two specific perspectives: the first views bats as potential reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens that may infect humans (44–47). The second focuses on the pathogens of the bats themselves, particularly on dynamics of the white nose syndrome (48, 49) a serious emerging bat epidemic in bats (50, 51). The highly correlated dynamics of the colony members’ fur microbiomes suggests that in bats, and perhaps more broadly – in social species that roost in great proximity – the resilience to some types of disease may be largely a colony-level trait, and less a feature of individuals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is the host of the host-associated microbiome? Colony-level dynamics overshadow individual-level characteristics in the fur microbiome of a social mammal, the Egyptian fruit-bat

Kolodny

Weinberg

Reshef

et al. 2017

Preprint

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In the first longitudinal study of bat microbiomes, we find that unlike the pattern described in humans and other mammals, the prominent dynamics in Egyptian fruit bats’ fur microbiomes are those of change over time at the level of the colony as a whole. Thus, on average, a pair of fur microbiome samples from different individuals in the same colony collected on the same date are more similar to one another than a pair of samples from the same individual collected at different time points. This pattern suggests that the whole colony may be the appropriate biological unit for understanding some of the roles of the host microbiome in social bats’ ecology and evolution. This pattern of synchronized colony changes over time is also reflected in the profile of volatile compounds in the bats’ fur, but differs from the more individualized pattern found in the bats’ gut microbiome.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is the host of the host-associated microbiome? Colony-level dynamics overshadow individual-level characteristics in the fur microbiome of a social mammal, the Egyptian fruit-bat

Kolodny

Weinberg

Reshef

et al. 2017

Preprint

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“…Most of the fungal taxa isolated from Anticosti cave walls that we have not isolated previously from cave walls in New Brunswick have been cultured from bats in New Brunswick caves (Vanderwolf et al, 2013b(Vanderwolf et al, , 2016a). While we found Thysanophora sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fungal assemblage in caves on the mainland in nearby New Brunswick has been relatively intensively studied (Vanderwolf et al, 2013b(Vanderwolf et al, , 2016a. Our objectives were to document the mycota in caves on Anticosti Island and compare these to previous studies in caves in New Brunswick and to assess factors that may influence the fungal assemblage in the caves, such as microclimate and the presence of mammals, running water, and arthropods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lack of cave-associated mammals influences the fungal assemblages of insular solution caves in eastern Canada

Vanderwolf¹,

Malloch²,

Ivanova³

et al. 2016

JCKS

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The biogeography of cave fungi and factors that influence community composition are poorly known. The movement of animals into caves from the outside environment is thought to be one factor that affects cave mycota. Islands often have different faunal assemblages from the mainland, and this may affect the fungal diversity of island caves. In 2014 we swabbed walls in three natural solution caves on Anticosti Island, Quebec, to determine the composition of cave fungal assemblages present relative to well-studied nearby mainland sites. At least one of these caves, Grotteà la Patate in Anticosti National Park, appears to support overwintering bats. Culture-dependent methods were used to establish pure cultures, and fungi were identified by a combination of morphology and genetic sequencing. A total of 54 fungal taxa were identified, with a mean of 7.4 6 3.9 taxa per swab. The most common taxa isolated were Penicillium spp., Pseudogymnoascus pannorum sensu lato, P. roseus, Trichoderma sp., Cladosporium spp., Thysanophora spp., Mucor sp., and Trichosporon dulcitum. Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the causative agent of the fungal disease white-nose syndrome in bats, was not detected, and we conclude that Pd was not present in the three sampled caves as of summer 2014. Two of the caves did not appear to be suitable bat hibernacula based on microclimate, although diverse fungal assemblages were detected on the walls. Several other fungal taxa common to bat hibernacula on the mainland, in addition to Pd, were lacking from Anticosti Island caves. We suggest that fungal assemblages on Anticosti Island are influenced by the absence of non-volant cave-visiting mammals on the island, particularly porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) and raccoons (Procyon lotor), both frequent cave associates elsewhere in Maritime Canada.

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“…WNS was first detected in New Brunswick, Canada in March 2011 and subsequently spread to all known hibernacula by April 2013 ( [24,25]; unpublished data). The goals of this study were to 1) determine if the culturable fungal assemblage on cave walls differs from assemblages previously documented in the same sites on arthropods [20] and hibernating bats [21,22,26] and 2) establish whether the culturable fungal assemblage on cave walls changed after the introduction of Pd to the region and subsequent decrease in the hibernating bat population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pd may influence cave ecosystems through interactions with native microflora or by the removal of hibernating bats due to high mortality from WNS. Bats may act as vectors of fungal spores into caves [21,22] or provide energy sources for fungi in the form of guano or dead bats. In tropical caves with large guano deposits bats are thought to fuel cave food webs and influence the fungal assemblage [7,23], although this is less likely in temperate caves with little guano.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

No Change Detected in Culturable Fungal Assemblages on Cave Walls in Eastern Canada with the Introduction of Pseudogymnoascus destructans

2019

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Studies of fungi in caves have become increasingly important with the advent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by the invasive fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) that has killed an estimated 6.5 million North American bats. We swabbed cave walls in New Brunswick, Canada, in 2012 and 2015 to determine whether the culturable fungal assemblage on cave walls changed after the introduction of Pd and subsequent decrease in hibernating bat populations. We also compared fungal assemblages on cave walls to previous studies on the fungal assemblages of arthropods and hibernating bats in the same sites. The fungal diversity of bats and cave walls was more similar than on arthropods. The diversity and composition of fungal assemblages on cave walls was significantly different among media types and sites but did not differ over time. Therefore, no change in the culturable fungal assemblage present on cave walls was detected with the introduction of Pd and subsequent disappearance of the hibernating bat population over a 3-year period. This suggests that fungi documented in caves in the region prior to the outbreak of Pd do not require regular transmission of spores by bats to maintain fungal diversity at these sites.

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Fungi on white-nose infected bats (Myotis spp.) in Eastern Canada show no decline in diversity associated with Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Ascomycota: Pseudeurotiaceae) presence

Cited by 17 publications

References 3 publications

Who is the host of the host-associated microbiome? Colony-level dynamics overshadow individual-level characteristics in the fur microbiome of a social mammal, the Egyptian fruit-bat

Who is the host of the host-associated microbiome? Colony-level dynamics overshadow individual-level characteristics in the fur microbiome of a social mammal, the Egyptian fruit-bat

Lack of cave-associated mammals influences the fungal assemblages of insular solution caves in eastern Canada

No Change Detected in Culturable Fungal Assemblages on Cave Walls in Eastern Canada with the Introduction of Pseudogymnoascus destructans

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