Variation in alkaloid-based microbial defenses of the dendrobatid poison frog Oophaga pumilio

Mina, Annemarie E.; Ponti, András K.; Woodcraft, Nicole L.; Johnson, Erin E.; Saporito, Ralph A.

doi:10.1007/s00049-015-0186-5

Cited by 30 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…; Mina et al. ). Sequestration as a defensive strategy appears to have evolved independently in four lineages of dendrobatids, with 97 dendrobatid species in 11 genera known or believed (based on coloration and phylogeny) to employ alkaloid‐based defenses (Grant et al.…”

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confidence: 97%

“…Brightly colored poison frogs of the family Dendrobatidae secrete alkaloid-based chemical defenses that are sequestered from dietary arthropods and provide protection from predators and pathogens (Saporito et al 2012;Mina et al 2015). Sequestration as a defensive strategy appears to have evolved independently in four lineages of dendrobatids, with 97 dendrobatid species in 11 genera known or believed (based on coloration and phylogeny) to employ alkaloid-based defenses (Grant et al 2006(Grant et al , 2017Saporito et al 2012;Santos et al 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Comment on Amézquita et al. (2017) “Conspicuousness, color resemblance, and toxicity in geographically diverging mimicry: The pan-Amazonian frogAllobates femoralis”

Saporito

Grant

2018

Evolution

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Amézquita et al. (2017) recently concluded that species of the Allobates femoralis group are toxic to mice at levels equivalent to syntopic alkaloid-containing poison frogs, which they attributed to the presence of alkaloids in skin secretions. However, the chemical composition of skin secretions was not analyzed, and here we present additional data supporting the absence of alkaloids in skin secretions of the Allobates femoralis group. Instead, we suggest the observed toxicity was caused by the anesthetic benzocaine, which was applied to the buccal cavity to euthanize frogs prior to skin removal. We show that orally administered benzocaine is rapidly incorporated into the skin of species that sequester and do not sequester alkaloids, which casts doubt on the conclusion that Allobates femoralis group skin secretions are toxic and makes the results of experiments with alkaloid-containing species of Adelphobates and Ameerega uninterpretable. To prevent experimental errors and misinterpretations in studies of amphibian chemical defense, we encourage researchers to test the chemical composition of samples prior to experimentation, include all necessary controls to detect false positives, conduct small pilot studies for new methods, and consider the limitations of particular methods and their ability to address the intended research questions.

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confidence: 97%

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Comment on Amézquita et al. (2017) “Conspicuousness, color resemblance, and toxicity in geographically diverging mimicry: The pan-Amazonian frogAllobates femoralis”

Saporito

Grant

2018

Evolution

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“…Generally higher plants are regarded as a rich source of antimicrobial compounds, among which alkaloids represent a promising class of bioactive compounds [47,48,49,50,51,52]. Antimicrobial activity of alkaloids is dependent on the structural class, so that piperidine, pyrrolidine and pumiliotoxine alkaloids have been found to be the most inhibitory [47,53,54].…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidihydropinidine, the main piperidine alkaloid compound of Norway spruce (Picea abies) shows promising antibacterial and anti-Candida activity

et al. 2017

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ArtikkelitLuonnontieteiden This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T

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“…The roles of such toxins in limiting parasites and disease are relatively unexplored (Macfoy et al, 2005). Alkaloid-based toxins in the skin of strawberry poison dart frogs (Oophaga pumilio) help limit bacterial and fungal infections (Mina, Ponti, Woodcraft, Johnson, & Saporito, 2015). Granular glands in the skin of many amphibians secrete antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that function as a component of innate immune defense against potential pathogens (Conlon, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Of poisons and parasites—the defensive role of tetrodotoxin against infections in newts

Johnson

Calhoun

Stokes

et al. 2018

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Classical research on animal toxicity has focused on the role of toxins in protection against predators, but recent studies suggest these same compounds can offer a powerful defense against parasites and infectious diseases. Newts in the genus Taricha are brightly coloured and contain the potent neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX), which is hypothesized to have evolved as a defense against vertebrate predators such as garter snakes. However, newt populations often vary dramatically in toxicity, which is only partially explained by predation pressure. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between TTX concentration and infection by parasites. By systematically assessing micro- and macroparasite infections among 345 adult newts (sympatric populations of Taricha granulosa and T. torosa), we detected 18 unique taxa of helminths, fungi, viruses and protozoans. For both newt species, per-host concentrations of TTX, which varied from undetectable to >60 μg/cm skin, negatively predicted overall parasite richness as well as the likelihood of infection by the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and ranavirus. No such effect was found on infection load among infected hosts. Despite commonly occurring at the same wetlands, T. torosa supported higher parasite richness and average infection load than T. granulosa. Host body size and sex (females > males) tended to positively predict infection levels in both species. For hosts in which we quantified leucocyte profiles, total white blood cell count correlated positively with both parasite richness and total infection load. By coupling data on host toxicity and infection by a broad range of micro- and macroparasites, these results suggest that-alongside its effects on predators-tetrodotoxin may help protect newts against parasitic infections, highlighting the importance of integrative research on animal chemistry, immunological defenses and natural enemy ecology.

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Variation in alkaloid-based microbial defenses of the dendrobatid poison frog Oophaga pumilio

Cited by 30 publications

References 53 publications

Comment on Amézquita et al. (2017) “Conspicuousness, color resemblance, and toxicity in geographically diverging mimicry: The pan-Amazonian frogAllobates femoralis”

Comment on Amézquita et al. (2017) “Conspicuousness, color resemblance, and toxicity in geographically diverging mimicry: The pan-Amazonian frogAllobates femoralis”

Epidihydropinidine, the main piperidine alkaloid compound of Norway spruce (Picea abies) shows promising antibacterial and anti-Candida activity

Of poisons and parasites—the defensive role of tetrodotoxin against infections in newts

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