Diversity of bacteria on bats associated with Pseudogymnoascus destructans infection in Europe

0470199 - ÚBO 2017 US eng A - Abstract
Kováčová, V. - Banďouchová, H. - Bartonička, T. - García Fraile, Paula - Kohoutová, L. - Kolařík, Miroslav - Martínková, Natália - Zukal, Jan - Pikula, J.
Diversity of bacteria on bats associated with Pseudogymnoascus destructans infection in Europe.
Abstracts 46th Annual Symposium of North American Society for Bat Research. San Antonio: North American Society for Bat Research, 2016. s. 42.
[Annual Symposium of North American Society for Bat Research /46./. 12.10.2016-15.10.2016, San Antonio]
Institutional support: RVO:68081766 ; RVO:61388971
Keywords : bats * white-nose syndrome (WNS)
Subject RIV: EG - Zoology; EE - Microbiology, Virology (MBU-M)

Hibernating bats from temperate regions are challenged by a skin disease caused by Pseudogymnoascus destructans. This fungal infection called white-nose syndrome (WNS) has devastated North American bat populations during the past decade. P. destructans was also confirmed in Eurasia; however, without reports of mass mortality of bats. Little is known about bat skin diversity of microorganisms and their interactions with P. destructans. When monitoring WNS and P. destructans we examined Myotis myotis, M. emarginatus, M. daubentonii, M. bechsteinii, M. mystacinus M. nattereri, and M. brandtii. Skin samples from each bat were cultured for fungi and bacteria and quantified for fungal load (qPCR). Bacterial isolates obtained from bats were identified by MALDI-TOF and sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene. Wing WNS lesions were enumerated using UV transillumination. Pseudomonas (50% prevalence) and Serratia (26%) bacteria were found consistently, followed by Arthrobacter (7%), Stenotrophomonas (3%), and Ewingella (3%). We found Lonsdalea quercina ssp. britannica, the causal agent of bark canker and drippy nut disease of oaks, in the sample from a lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). In vitro, all Pseudomonas isolates were able to inhibit the Pseudogymnoascus fungus, while Serratia isolates mostly did not. This finding corresponds with field data. When Pseudomonas only was present on the bat´s skin, the number of lesions was significantly lower compared to the skin colonization by Serratia only. Deciphering the diversity and function of these microbes may provide insights into the roles they play in maintaining skin health of bats.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0267904