Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Endemic Salamander Species from Central Texas

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
EcoHealth Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A nested PCR protocol was used to analyze five endemic salamander species from Central Texas for the presence of the emerging pathogen, chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). Chytrid fungus was detected from samples of each of the five species sampled: with low abundance, in the Texas salamander (Eurycea neotenes) (1 positive out of 16 individuals tested; 1/16), the Blanco River Springs salamander (E. pterophila) (1/20), the threatened San Marcos salamander (E. nana) (1/17), and the endangered Barton Springs salamander (E. sosorum) (1/7); much higher abundance was obtained for the Jollyville Plateau salamander (E. tonkawae) (6/14), which has recently been petitioned for addition to the USA endangered species list. With one exception, sequences of PCR products were identical to the 5.8S rRNA gene, and nearly so for the flanking internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of B. dendrobatidis which confirmed the detection of chytrid fungus, and thus demonstrated the presence of this pathogen in populations of endangered species in Central Texas. These confirmations were obtained from nonconsumptive tail clippings which confirms the applicability of historically collected samples from other studies in the examination of the fungus across time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

References

  • Annis SL, Dastoor FP, Ziel H, Daszak P, Longcore JE (2004) A DNA-based assay identifies Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 40:420–428.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arias CR, Garay E, Aznar R (1995) Nested PCR method for rapid and sensitive detection of Vibrio vulnificus in fish, sediments, and water. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 61:3476–3478.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baker JK (1961) Distribution of and key to the neotenic Eurycea of Texas. The Southwestern Naturalist 6:27–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger L, Speare R, Daszak P, Green DE, Cunningham AA, Goggin CL, et al. (1998) Chytridiomycosis causes amphibian mortality associated with population declines in the rain forests of Australia and Central America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 95:9031–9036.

  • Beyer W, Glockner P, Otto J, Bohm R (1995) A nested PCR method for the detection of Bacillus anthracis in environmental samples collected from former tannery sites. Microbiological Research 150:179–186.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bosch J, Martinez-Solano I (2006) Chytrid fungus infection related to unusual mortalities of Salamandra salamandra and Bufo bufo in the Penalara Natural Park, Spain. Oryx 40:84–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bosch J, Martínez-Solano I, García-París M (2001) Evidence of a chytrid fungus infection involved in the decline of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) in protected areas of central Spain. Biological Conservation 97:331–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowles BD, Sanders MS, Hansen RS (2006) Ecology of the Jollyville Plateau salamander (Eurycea tonkawae: Plethodontidae) with an assessment of the potential effects of urbanization. Hydrobiologia 553:111–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carey C, Cohen N, Rollins-Smith L (1999) Amphibian declines: an immunological perspective. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 23:459–472.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chippindale PT, Price AH, Wiens JJ, Hillis DM (2000) Phylogenetic relationships and systematic revision of Central Texas hemidactyliine plethodontid salamanders Herpetological Monographs 14:1–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummer MR, Green DE, O’Neill EM (2005) Aquatic chytrid pathogen detected in terrestrial plethodontid salamander. Herpetological Review 36:248–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daszak P, Cunningham AA, Hyatt AD (2003) Infectious disease and amphibian population declines. Diversity and Distributions 9:141–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daszak P, Scott DE, Kilpatrick AM, Faggioni C, Gibbons JW, Porter D (2005) Amphibian population declines at savannah river site are linked to climate, not chytridiomycosis. Ecology 86:3232–3237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson C, Shaffer HB, Jennings MR (2001) Declines of the California red-legged frog: climate, UV-B, habitat, and pesticides hypotheses. Ecological Applications 11:464–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson EW, Parris M, Collins JP, Longcore JE, Pessier AP, Brunner J (2003) Pathogenicity and transmission of chytridiomycosis in tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum). Copeia 3:601–607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredericks LP, Dankert SR (2000) Antibacterial and hemolytic activity of the skin of the terrestrial salamander, Plethodon cinereus. Journal of Experimental Zoology 287:340–345.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hero JM, Morrison C (2004) Frog declines in Australia: global implications. Herpetological Journal 14:175–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrera RA, Steciow MM, Natale GS (2005) Chytrid fungus parasitizing the wild amphibian Leptodactylus ocellatus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in Argentina. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 64:247–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hillis DM, Chamberlain DA, Wilcox TP, Chippindale PT (2001) A new species of subterranean blind salamander (Plethodontidae: Hemidactyliini: Eurycea: Typhlomolge) from Austin, Texas, and a systematic revision of central Texas paedomorphic salamanders. Herpetologica 57:266–280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hillis DM, Hillis AM, Martin RF (1984) Reproductive ecology and hybridization of the endangered Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis). Journal of Herpetology 18:56–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins S, Channing A (2002) Chytridiomycosis in northern and western cape frog populations, South Africa. Froglog 54:1–2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyatt AD, Boyle DG, Olsen V, Boyle DB, Berger L, Obendorf D, et al. (2007) Diagnostic assays and sampling protocols for the detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 73:175–192.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lips KR, Burrowes PA, Mendelson JR, Parra-Olea G (2005) Amphibian population declines in Latin America: a synthesis. Biotropica 11:222–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lips KR, Green DE, Papendick R (2003) Chytridiomycosis in wild frogs from southern Costa Rica. Journal of Herpetology 37:215–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Llop P, Bonaterra A, Peñalver J, López MM (2000) Development of a highly sensitive nested-PCR procedure using a single closed tube for detection of Erwinia amylovora in asymptomatic plant material. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66:2071–2078.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucas L (2006) Population Genetics and Conservation of Texas Hill Country Eurycea. MSc Thesis, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

  • Matutte B, Storey KB, Knoop FC, Conlon JM (2000) Induction of synthesis of an antimicrobial peptide in the skin of the freeze-tolerant frog, Rana sylvatica, in response to environmental stimuli. FEBS Letters 483:135–138.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller KM, Sterling CR (2007) Sensitivity of nested PCR in the detection of low numbers of Giardia lamblia cysts. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 73:5949–5950.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morehouse EA, James TY, Ganley ARD, Vilgaly R, Berger L, Murphy PJ, et al. (2003) Multilocus sequence typing suggests the chytrid pathogen of amphibians is a recently emerged clone. Molecular Ecology 12:395–403.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Donnell L, Turner P, Sanders MS, Geismar E, Heilman S, Zebehazy L (2006) Summary of Jollyville Plateau Salamander Data (1997–2006) and Status. Report No. SR-07-02, City of Austin Watershed Protection and Development Review Department, Austin, TX.

  • Pasman F, Zwart P, Hyatt AD (2004) Chytridiomycosis in the Central American bolitoglossine salamander (Bolitoglossa dofleini). Veterinary Record 154:153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson WR, Lipman DJ (1988) Improved tools for biological sequence comparison. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 85:2444–2448.

  • Potter F, Sweet S (1981) Generic boundaries in Texas cave salamanders, and a redescription of Typhlomolge robusta (Amphibia: Plethodontidae). Copeia 1981:64–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rollins-Smith LA, Carey C, Longcore J, Doersam JK, Boutte A, Bruzgal JE, et al. (2002) Activity of antimicrobial skin peptides from ranid frogs against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the chytrid fungus associated with global amphibian declines. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 26:471–479.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Maniatis T (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherer RD, Muths E, Noon BR, Corn PS (2005) An evaluation of weather and disease as causes of decline in two populations of boreal toads. Ecological Applications 15:2150–2160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schloegel LM, Hero JM, Berger L, Speare R, McDonald K, Daszak P (2006) The decline of the sharp-snouted day frog (Taudactylus acutirostris): the first documented case of extinction by infection in a free-ranging wildlife species? EcoHealth 3:35–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skerratt LF, Berger L, Speare R, Cashins S, McDonald KR, Phillott AD, et al. (2007) Spread of chytridiomycosis has caused the rapid global decline and extinction of frogs. EcoHealth 4:125–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stamatakis A, Hoover P, Rougemont J (2008) A rapid bootstrap algorithm for the RAxML web-servers. Systematic Biology 57:758–771

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stuart SN, Chanson JS, Cox NA, Young BE, Rodrigues ASL, Fischman DL, et al. (2004) Status and trends of amphibian declines and extinctions worldwide. Science 306:1783–1786.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sweet SS (1982) A distributional analysis of epigean populations of Eurycea neotenes in Central Texas, with comments on the origin of troglobitic populations Herpetologica 38:430–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • White TJ, Bruns T, Lee S, Taylor J (1990) Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics. In: PCR Protocols, a Guide to Methods and Applications, Innis MA, Gelfand DH, Sninsky JJ, White TJ (editors), San Diego: Academic Press, pp 315–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widmer F, Shaffer BT, Porteous LA, Seidler RJ (1999) Analysis of nifH gene pool complexity in soil and litter at a Douglas fir forest site in the Oregon Cascade mountain range. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 65:374–380.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to the City of Austin; the Department of Biology, Texas State University; and the National Science Foundation (GK-12 Grant no. 0742306) for financial support. The research was carried out in compliance with the rules overseen by the Texas State Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC, permits 0721-0530-7 and 05-05C38ADFDB), and with sampling authority from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD, permit SPR-1005-1515).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA

    James P. Gaertner, Michael R. J. Forstner & Dittmar Hahn

  2. City of Austin, P.O. Box 1018, Austin, TX, 78767, USA

    Lisa O’Donnell

Authors
  1. James P. Gaertner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael R. J. Forstner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lisa O’Donnell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dittmar Hahn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dittmar Hahn.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gaertner, J.P., Forstner, M.R.J., O’Donnell, L. et al. Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Endemic Salamander Species from Central Texas. EcoHealth 6, 20–26 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-009-0229-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-009-0229-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation