Genetic evidence for a high diversity and wide distribution of endemic strains of the pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in wild Asian amphibians
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Molecular Ecology
Publication Date
6-2013
Volume
22
Issue
16
First Page
4196
Last Page
4209
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Keywords
chytrid fungus, conservation, emerging infectious disease, endemism, frogs, host–parasite co-evolution, invasive species, population declines, prevalence, salamanders
Abstract
Population declines and extinctions of amphibians have been attributed to the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), especially one globally emerging recombinant lineage (‘Bd-GPL’). We used PCR assays that target the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of Bd to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of Bd in South Korea, where Bd is widely distributed but is not known to cause morbidity or mortality in wild populations. We isolated Korean Bd strains from native amphibians with low infection loads and compared them to known worldwide Bd strains using 19 polymorphic SNP and microsatellite loci. Bd prevalence ranged between 12.5 and 48.0%, in 11 of 17 native Korean species, and 24.7% in the introduced bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus. Based on ITS sequence variation, 47 of the 50 identified Korean haplotypes formed a group closely associated with a native Brazilian Bd lineage, separated from the Bd-GPL lineage. However, multilocus genotyping of three Korean Bd isolates revealed strong divergence from both Bd-GPL and the native Brazilian Bd lineages. Thus, the ITS region resolves genotypes that diverge from Bd-GPL but otherwise generates ambiguous phylogenies. Our results point to the presence of highly diversified endemic strains of Bd across Asian amphibian species. The rarity of Bd-GPL-associated haplotypes suggests that either this lineage was introduced into Korea only recently or Bd-GPL has been outcompeted by native Bd strains. Our results highlight the need to consider possible complex interactions among native Bd lineages, Bd-GPL and their associated amphibian hosts when assessing the spread and impact of Bd-GPL on worldwide amphibian populations.
DOI
10.1111/mec.12385
Print ISSN
09621083
E-ISSN
1365294X
Funding Information
This work was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Grant Numbers: 20120004032, 2012044449 {20120004032, 2012044449}
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Bataille, A., Fong, J. J., Cha, M., Wogan, G. O. U., Baek, H. J., Lee, H,...Waldman, B. (2013). Genetic evidence for a high diversity and wide distribution of endemic strains of the pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in wild Asian amphibians. Molecular Ecology, 22(16), 4196–4209. doi: 10.1111/mec.12385