Abstract Host-associated microbes are vital for combatting infections and maintaining health. In amphibians, certain skin-associated bacteria inhibit the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ), yet our understanding of host microbial ecology its role in disease outbreaks is limited. We sampled from Pyrenean midwife toad populations exhibiting enzootic or epizootic dynamics. demonstrate that bacterial communities differ between life stages with few shared taxa, indicative...

Summary Biological communities inhabiting the soil are among most diversified, complex and yet poorly studied terrestrial ecosystems. The greatest knowledge gaps apply to arthropod mesofauna (0·1–2 mm body size) because conventional morphological molecular approaches in many cases insufficient for characterisation of these communities. development high‐throughput sequencing ( HTS ) methodologies is required solve current impediments further advance our understanding below‐ground...

Variation among animals in their host-associated microbial communities is increasingly recognized as a key determinant of important life history traits including growth, metabolism, and resistance to disease. Quantitative estimates the factors shaping stability host microbiomes over time at individual level non-model organisms are scarce. Addressing this gap our knowledge important, variation individuals microbiome may represent temporal gain or loss species functions linked health and/or...

Amphibian populations worldwide are at risk of extinction from infectious diseases, including chytridiomycosis caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). cutaneous microbiomes interact with Bd and can confer protective benefits to host. The composition microbiome itself is influenced many environment- host-related factors. However, little known about interacting effects host population structure, genetic variation developmental stage on prevalence across multiple...

Abstract Background The fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ) threatens amphibian biodiversity and ecosystem stability worldwide. Amphibian skin microbial community structure has been linked to the clinical outcome of infections, yet its overall functional importance is poorly understood. Methods Microbiome taxonomic profiles were assessed using high-throughput bacterial 16S rRNA ITS2 gene sequencing, shotgun metagenomics mucosal metabolomics. We sampled 56 wild midwife toads...

A population of 15,500 snuff-users was observed by cytological, histological, and visual means. Only two carcinomas the oral cavity were found. We feel that snuff use per se cannot logically be considered as carcinogenic in view large number patients have used for many years with no clinical or histological evidence tissue change. Our animal studies do not implicate chewing tobacco carcinogens.

Polymerase chain reaction approaches for DNA sequencing from dried collection specimens of insects usually suffer contamination, short fragment length, and limited phylogenetic power. As an alternative, we use shotgun metagenomic mixed pools DNA, which mitochondrial sequences are filtered in silico. We extracted a single leg 35 species British butterflies that had been stored the Natural History Museum between 9 years. Illumina MiSeq (1/3 flow cell) produced mitogenome > 10 kb ten species,...

Abstract Many species of fungi are closely allied with bark beetles, including many tree pathogens, but their richness and patterns distribution remain largely unknown. We established a protocol for metabarcoding fungal communities directly from total genomic DNA extracted individual showing that the ITS 3/4 primer pair selectively amplifies . Using three specimens beetle different species, we assess diversity associated these repeatability estimates in PCR s conducted tags. The combined...

The deep sea is the largest biome on earth, and microbes dominate in biomass abundance. Anthropogenic litter now almost ubiquitous this biome, its deposition creates new habitats environments, including for microbial assemblages. With ever increasing accumulation of debris, it timely to identify describe bacterial archaeal communities that are able form biofilms macrodebris sea. Using 16S rRNA gene high throughput sequencing, we show first time composition bacteria archaea collected from Our...

The emerging fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) is responsible for the catastrophic decline of European salamanders and poses a threat to amphibians globally. amphibian skin microbiome can influence disease outcome several host-pathogen systems, yet little known its role in Bsal infection. In addition, many experimental in-vivo studies date have relied on specimens that been kept captivity long periods without considering environment how this may impact host response...

We present the first documented complete mitogenomes of deep-sea Pennatulacea, representing nine genera and eight families. These include one species each Funiculina, Halipteris, Protoptilum Distichoptilum, four Umbellula Pennatula, three Kophobelemnon two Anthoptilum, as well epi- mesobenthic genus Virgularia. Seventeen circular genomes ranged from 18,513 bp (Halipteris cf. finmarchica) to 19,171 (Distichoptilum gracile) contained all genes standard octocoral mitochondrial (14...

Black corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) are an ecologically and culturally important group of deep-sea cnidarians. However, as the majority species inhabit depths >50 m, they relatively understudied. The inaccessibility well-preserved tissue for interest has limited scope molecular analysis, a result only small number antipatharian mitochondrial genomes have been published. Using next generation sequencing, eighteen complete five partial were assembled, increasing to twenty-two. This includes...

An organism's phenotype is to some extent influenced by costs and benefits in terms of natural sexual selection. The intensity selection can part be driven habitat structure, which may result varying levels crypsis and/or on traits related maximizing performance that habitat. This countered selection, lead dimorphism body size the expression conspicuous ornamentation relating reproductive success. these forces also different between sexes, resulting complex patterns phenotypic variation....

There is growing appreciation of the important role commensal microbes in ensuring normal function and health their hosts, including determining how hosts respond to pathogens. A range infectious diseases are threatening amphibians worldwide, evidence accumulating that host-associated bacteria comprise microbiome may be key mediating interactions between amphibian We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing quantify skin microbial community structure over 200 individual wild adult European common...

Gut-associated microbial communities are known to play a vital role in the health and fitness of their hosts. Though studies investigating factors associated with among-individual variation microbiome structure wild animal species increasing, knowledge this at individual level is scarce, despite clear link between nutritional status uncovered humans model organisms. Here, we combine detailed observational data on life history foraging preference 16S rRNA profiling faecal investigate...

Abstract Ophidiomycosis is an emerging infectious disease affecting wild snakes in the Northern Hemisphere. Recently confirmed Great Britain, prevalence, severity and significance of ophidiomycosis has yet to be characterised free-living at a population level Europe. Therefore, barred grass ( Natrix helvetica ) eastern England was monitored for three seasons (May 2019 October 2021), investigate prevalence (25.5%; 191/750 snakes) skin lesions their aetiology. The most frequently observed...

ABSTRACT Many sharks, rays and skates are highly threatened vulnerable to overexploitation, as such reliable monitoring of elasmobranchs is key effective management conservation. The mobile elusive nature these species makes challenging, particularly in temperate waters with low visibility. Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods present an opportunity study the absence visual identification or invasive techniques. However, eDNA data alone can be difficult interpret for monitoring, a marine setting...

Abstract Environmental heterogeneity is known to modulate the interactions between pathogens and hosts. However, impact of environmental on structure host-associated microbial communities, how these communities respond pathogenic exposure remain poorly understood. Here we use an experimental framework probe links heterogeneity, skin microbiome infection by emerging pathogen Ranavirus in a vertebrate host, European common frog ( Rana temporaria ). We provide evidence that complexity directly...

Abstract Genetically-defined biodiversity units must align with practical conservation frameworks, and most is conducted at the species level. Chinese giant salamanders have traditionally been interpreted as single widespread Andrias davidianus, but molecular studies reinterpreted this taxon representing multiple allopatric clades, competing taxonomic hypotheses support different numbers of candidate species. We delimitation analyses using tree-based models (General Mixed Yule Coalescent,...

Abstract Microbiome–pathogen interactions are increasingly recognized as an important element of host immunity. While these host‐level will have consequences for community disease dynamics, the factors which influence microbiomes at larger scales poorly understood. We here describe landscape‐scale pathogen–microbiome associations within context post‐epizootic amphibian chytridiomycosis, a caused by panzootic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis . undertook survey Neotropical...

We examine the phylogeny of sea pens using sequences whole mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal cluster generated through low coverage Illumina sequencing. Taxon sampling includes 30 species in 19 genera representing 13 families. Ancestral state reconstruction shows that most pen have ancestral gene order, Pennatulacea with diverse orders are found a single clade. The monophyly Pennatulidae Protoptilidae rejected by both dataset, while dataset further rejects Virgulariidae,...

In response to the current worldwide amphibian extinction crisis, conservation instances have encouraged establishment of ex-situ collections for endangered species. The resulting assurance populations are managed under strict biosecure protocols, often involving artificial cycles temperature and humidity induce active overwintering phases, which likely affect bacterial symbionts living on skin. However, skin microbiota is an important first line defense against pathogens that can cause...