Alvarado-Rybak, M;
Acuña, P;
Peñafiel-Ricaurte, A;
Sewell, TR;
O'Hanlon, SJ;
Fisher, MC;
Valenzuela-Sánchez, A;
... Azat, C; + view all
(2021)
Chytridiomycosis Outbreak in a Chilean Giant Frog (Calyptocephalella gayi) Captive Breeding Program: Genomic Characterization and Pathological Findings.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
10.3389/fvets.2021.733357.
Preview |
Text
Alvarado-Rybak_Bd & Chilean giant frogs_Front Vet Sci_2021.pdf - Published Version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases in wildlife are increasingly associated with animal mortality and species declines, but their source and genetic characterization often remains elusive. Amphibian chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been associated with catastrophic and well-documented amphibian population declines and extinctions at the global scale. We used histology and whole-genome sequencing to describe the lesions caused by, and the genetic variability of, two Bd isolates obtained from a mass mortality event in a captive population of the threatened Chilean giant frog (Calyptocephalella gayi). This was the first time an association between Bd and high mortality had been detected in this charismatic and declining frog species. Pathological examinations revealed that 30 dead metamorphosed frogs presented agnathia or brachygnathia, a condition that is reported for the first time in association with chytridiomycosis. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that Bd isolates (PA1 and PA2) from captive C. gayi group with other Bd isolates (AVS2, AVS4, and AVS7) forming a single highly supported Chilean Bd clade within the global panzootic lineage of Bd (BdGPL). These findings are important to inform the strengthening of biosecurity measures to prevent the impacts of chytridiomycosis in captive breeding programs elsewhere.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Chytridiomycosis Outbreak in a Chilean Giant Frog (Calyptocephalella gayi) Captive Breeding Program: Genomic Characterization and Pathological Findings |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fvets.2021.733357 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.733357 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | © 2021 Alvarado-Rybak, Acuña, Peñafiel-Ricaurte, Sewell, O'Hanlon, Fisher, Valenzuela-Sánchez, Cunningham and Azat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
| Keywords: | Agnathia, amphibians, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, BdGPL, brachygnathia, Chile, emerging infectious disease, whole-genome sequencing |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10135966 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
