Probiotics Modulate a Novel Amphibian Skin Defense Peptide That Is Antifungal and Facilitates Growth of Antifungal Bacteria

Woodhams, Douglas C; Rollins-Smith, Louise A; Reinert, Laura K; Lam, Briana A; Harris, Reid N; Briggs, Cheryl J; Vredenburg, Vance T; Patel, Bhumi T; Caprioli, Richard M; Chaurand, Pierre; Hunziker, Peter; Bigler, Laurent

doi:10.1007/s00248-019-01385-9

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Woodhams, D. C., Rollins-Smith, L. A., Reinert, L. K., Lam, B. A., Harris, R. N., Briggs, C. J., Vredenburg, V. T., Patel, B. T., Caprioli, R. M., Chaurand, P., Hunziker, P., & Bigler, L. (2020). Probiotics Modulate a Novel Amphibian Skin Defense Peptide That Is Antifungal and Facilitates Growth of Antifungal Bacteria. Microbial Ecology, 79, 192–202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-019-01385-9

Abstract

Probiotics can ameliorate diseases of humans and wildlife, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Host responses to interventions that change their microbiota are largely uncharacterized. We applied a consortium of four natural antifungal bacteria to the skin of endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs, Rana sierrae, before experimental exposure to the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The probiotic microbes did not persist, nor did they protect hosts, and skin peptide sampling indicated immune modulation. We char