ORCID Profile
0000-0003-4384-9058
Current Organisation
University of California, Berkeley
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Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 14-08-2019
Abstract: Wildlife disease dynamics are strongly influenced by the structure of host communities and their symbiotic microbiota. Conspicuous hibian declines associated with the waterborne fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) have been observed in aquatic-breeding frogs globally. However, less attention has been given to cryptic terrestrial-breeding hibians that have also been declining in tropical regions. By experimentally manipulating multiple tropical hibian assemblages harbouring natural microbial communities, we tested whether Bd spillover from naturally infected aquatic-breeding frogs could lead to Bd lification and mortality in our focal terrestrial-breeding host: the pumpkin toadlet Brachycephalus pitanga . We also tested whether the strength of spillover could vary depending on skin bacterial transmission within host assemblages. Terrestrial-breeding toadlets acquired lethal spillover infections from neighbouring aquatic hosts and experienced dramatic but generally non-protective shifts in skin bacterial composition primarily attributable to their Bd infections. By contrast, aquatic-breeding hibians maintained mild Bd infections and higher survival, with shifts in bacterial microbiomes that were unrelated to Bd infections. Our results indicate that Bd spillover from even mildly infected aquatic-breeding hosts may lead to dysbiosis and mortality in terrestrial-breeding species, underscoring the need to further investigate recent population declines of terrestrial-breeding hibians in the tropics.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 11-01-2018
DOI: 10.1101/246538
Abstract: Parasitic chytrid fungi have emerged as a significant threat to hibian species worldwide, necessitating the development of techniques to isolate these pathogens into sterile culture for research purposes. However, early methods of isolating chytrids from their hosts relied on killing hibians. We modified a pre-existing protocol for isolating chytrids from infected animals to use toe clips and biopsies from toe webbing rather than euthanizing hosts, and distributed the protocol to interested researchers worldwide as part of the Bio ERsA project RACE – here called the RML protocol. In tandem, we developed a lethal procedure for isolating chytrids from tadpole mouthparts. Reviewing a database of use a decade after their inception, we find that these methods have been widely applied across at least 5 continents, 23 countries and in 62 hibian species, and have been successfully used to isolate chytrids in remote field locations. Isolation of chytrids by the non-lethal RML protocol occured in 18% of attempts with 207 fungal isolates and three species of chytrid being recovered. Isolation of chytrids from tadpoles occured in 43% of attempts with 334 fungal isolates of one species ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ) being recovered. Together, these methods have resulted in a significant reduction and refinement of our use of threatened hibian species and have improved our ability to work with this important group of emerging fungal pathogens.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-05-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-24472-2
Abstract: Parasitic chytrid fungi have emerged as a significant threat to hibian species worldwide, necessitating the development of techniques to isolate these pathogens into culture for research purposes. However, early methods of isolating chytrids from their hosts relied on killing hibians. We modified a pre-existing protocol for isolating chytrids from infected animals to use toe clips and biopsies from toe webbing rather than euthanizing hosts, and distributed the protocol to researchers as part of the Bio ERsA project RACE here called the RML protocol. In tandem, we developed a lethal procedure for isolating chytrids from tadpole mouthparts. Reviewing a database of use a decade after their inception, we find that these methods have been applied across 5 continents, 23 countries and in 62 hibian species. Isolation of chytrids by the non-lethal RML protocol occured in 18% of attempts with 207 fungal isolates and three species of chytrid being recovered. Isolation of chytrids from tadpoles occured in 43% of attempts with 334 fungal isolates of one species ( Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ) being recovered. Together, these methods have resulted in a significant reduction and refinement of our use of threatened hibian species and have improved our ability to work with this group of emerging pathogens.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 11-05-2018
Abstract: Species in the fungal genus Batrachochytrium are responsible for severe declines in the populations of hibians globally. The sources of these pathogens have been uncertain. O'Hanlon et al. used genomics on a panel of more than 200 isolates to trace the source of the frog pathogen B. dendrobatidis to a hyper erse hotspot in the Korean peninsula (see the Perspective by Lips). Over the past century, the trade in hibian species has accelerated, and now all lineages of B. dendrobatidis occur in traded hibians the fungus has become ubiquitous and is ersifying rapidly. Science , this issue p. 621 see also p. 604
Location: United States of America
No related grants have been discovered for Thomas Jenkinson.