Affiliation:
1. Department of Biology, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA
2. Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA 02125, USA
Abstract
The amphibian chytrid fungus,Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans(Bsal) threatens salamander biodiversity. The factors underlyingBsalsusceptibility may include glucocorticoid hormones (GCs). The effects of GCs on immunity and disease susceptibility are well studied in mammals, but less is known in other groups, including salamanders. We usedNotophthalmus viridescens(eastern newts) to test the hypothesis that GCs modulate salamander immunity. We first determined the dose required to elevate corticosterone (CORT; primary GC in amphibians) to physiologically relevant levels. We then measured immunity (neutrophil lymphocyte ratios, plasma bacterial killing ability (BKA), skin microbiome, splenocytes, melanomacrophage centres (MMCs)) and overall health in newts following treatment with CORT or an oil vehicle control. Treatments were repeated for a short (two treatments over 5 days) or long (18 treatments over 26 days) time period. Contrary to our predictions, most immune and health parameters were similar for CORT and oil-treated newts. Surprisingly, differences in BKA, skin microbiome and MMCs were observed between newts subjected to short- and long-term treatments, regardless of treatment type (CORT, oil vehicle). Taken together, CORT does not appear to be a major factor contributing to immunity in eastern newts, although more studies examining additional immune factors are necessary.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Amphibian immunity: stress, disease and ecoimmunology’.
Funder
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
Duquesne University
Subject
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Cited by
1 articles.
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