The Effects of Cutaneous Fatty Acids on the Growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Etiological Agent of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS)

Frank, Craig L.; Ingala, Melissa R.; Ravenelle, Rebecca; Dougherty-Howard, Kelsey; Wicks, Samuel O.; Herzog, Carl; Rudd, Robert J.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0153535

Cited by 23 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Any mechanism to mitigate water loss during hibernation is likely to be advantageous given the pathology of WNS. Recent research even suggests the unique fatty acid composition of E. fuscus wing epidermis may even inhibit fungal growth (Frank et al 2016). In addition, microclimates of hibernacula in the prairies are drier and colder than those of known cave hibernacula (Lausen and Barclay 2006;Klüg-Baerwald unpublished data) and outside the optimal growing conditions of Pd (Langwig et al 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hung out to dry? Intraspecific variation in water loss in a hibernating bat

Klüg-Baerwald

Brigham

2017

Oecologia

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Hibernation is a period of water deficit for some small mammals, and humidity strongly influences hibernation patterns. Dry conditions reduce length of torpor bouts, stimulate arousals, and decrease overwinter survival. To mitigate these effects, many small mammals hibernate in near saturated (100% RH) conditions. However, big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) hibernate in a wider variety of conditions and tolerate lower humidity than most other bats. To assess arid tolerance in this species, we compared torpid metabolic rates (TMR) and rates of total evaporative water loss (TEWL) between two populations of E. fuscus with differing winter ecologies: one that hibernates in humid karst caves and one that hibernates in relatively dry rock crevices. We used flow-through respirometry to measure TMR and TEWL of bats in humid and dry conditions. Torpid metabolic rates did not differ between populations or with humidity treatments. Rates of TEWL were similar between populations in humid conditions, but higher for cave-hibernating bats than crevice-hibernating bats in dry conditions. Our results suggest that E. fuscus hibernating in arid environments have mechanisms to decrease evaporative water loss that are not evident at more humid sites. Drought tolerance may facilitate the sedentary nature of the species, allowing them to tolerate more variable microclimates during hibernation and thus increasing the availability of overwintering habitat. The ability to survive arid conditions may also lessen the susceptibility of E. fuscus to diseases that affect water balance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hung out to dry? Intraspecific variation in water loss in a hibernating bat

Klüg-Baerwald

Brigham

2017

Oecologia

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“…Multiple host traits may contribute to the observed differential impacts of WNS across species (Reeder and Moore 2013;Hayman et al 2016). These traits may include body size, length of hibernation period, attributes of hibernacula and microclimate selection (Wilder et al 2011;Halsall et al 2012;Johnson et al 2014;Grieneisen et al 2015), population size and social structure (Wilder et al 2011;Langwig et al 2012;Frick et al 2015), rates of evaporative water loss (Cryan et al 2010;Willis et al 2011;Warnecke et al 2013), sebaceous lipid composition (Frank et al 2016), and microbial communities on skin surfaces Avena et al 2016). When the fungus does successfully infect the host, immune defences likely affect the outcome of infection (Romani 2011;Johnson et al 2015;Field et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Energy conserving thermoregulatory patterns and lower disease severity in a bat resistant to the impacts of white-nose syndrome

Moore

Field

Behr³

et al. 2017

J Comp Physiol B

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The devastating bat fungal disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS), does not appear to affect all species equally. To experimentally determine susceptibility differences between species, we exposed hibernating naïve little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) to the fungus that causes WNS, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). After hibernating under identical conditions, Pd lesions were significantly more prevalent and more severe in little brown myotis. This species difference in pathology correlates with susceptibility to WNS in the wild and suggests that survival is related to different host physiological responses. We observed another fungal infection, associated with neutrophilic inflammation, that was equally present in all bats. This suggests that both species are capable of generating a response to cold tolerant fungi and that Pd may have evolved mechanisms for evading host responses that are effective in at least some bat species. These host-pathogen interactions are likely mediated not just by host physiological responses, but also by host behavior. Pd-exposed big brown bats, the less affected species, spent more time in torpor than did control animals, while little brown myotis did not exhibit this change. This differential thermoregulatory response to Pd infection by big brown bat hosts may allow for a more effective (or less pathological) immune response to tissue invasion.

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“…Despite the impact of WNS, a clear understanding of the factors that allow P. destructans to infect its host remain elusive. Studies have suggested several attributes may be important for fungal virulence including the production of small molecule effectors [3], protease secretion [4,5], lipid utilization [6], as well as the fungal heat shock response, cell wall remodeling, and micronutrient acquisition [7]. A significant obstacle to evaluation of these hypotheses has been the lack of a tractable infection model.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Galleria mellonella as an Insect Model for P. destructans, the Cause of White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

Beekman

Meckler

Kim

2018

Preprint

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Pseudogymnoascus destructans is the fungal pathogen responsible for White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease that has killed millions of bats in North America over the last decade. A major obstacle to research on P. destructans has been the lack of a tractable infection model for monitoring virulence. Here, we establish a high-throughput model of infection using larvae of Galleria mellonella, an invertebrate used to study host-pathogen interactions for a wide range of microbial species. We demonstrate that P. destructans can kill G. mellonella larvae in an inoculum-dependent manner when infected larvae are housed at 13°C or 18°C. Larval killing is an active process, as heat-killed P. destructans spores caused significantly decreased levels of larval death compared to live spores. We also show that fungal spores that were germinated prior to inoculation were able to kill larvae 3-4 times faster than non-germinated spores. Lastly, we identified chemical inhibitors of P. destructans and used G. mellonella to evaluate these inhibitors for their ability to reduce virulence. We demonstrate that two chemicals, trifluoperazine and amphotericin B, can effectively block larval killing by P. destructans and thereby establish that this infection model can be used to screen biocontrol agents against this fungal pathogen.peer-reviewed)

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The Effects of Cutaneous Fatty Acids on the Growth of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Etiological Agent of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS)

Cited by 23 publications

References 41 publications

Hung out to dry? Intraspecific variation in water loss in a hibernating bat

Hung out to dry? Intraspecific variation in water loss in a hibernating bat

Energy conserving thermoregulatory patterns and lower disease severity in a bat resistant to the impacts of white-nose syndrome

Galleria mellonella as an Insect Model for P. destructans, the Cause of White-Nose Syndrome in Bats

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