Skin microbiomes of frogs vary among individuals and body regions, revealing differences that reflect known patterns of chytrid infection

Abstract

The amphibian skin microbiome is an important line of defense against pathogens including the deadly chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Intra-species variation in disease susceptibility and intra-individual variation in infection distribution across the skin, therefore, may relate to differences in skin microbiomes. However, characterization of microbiome variation within and among amphibian individuals is needed. We utilized 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to compare microbiomes of ten body regions from nine captive R. sierrae individuals and their tank environments. While frogs harbored distinct microbial communities compared to their tank environments, tank identity was associated with more variation in frog microbiomes than individual frog identity. Within individuals, we detected differences between microbiomes of body regions where Bd infection would be expected compared to regions that infrequently experience infection. Notably, the bacterial families Burkholderiaceae (phylum Proteobacteria) and Rubritaleaceae (phylum Verrucomicrobia) were dominant on frog skin, and the relative abundances of undescribed members of these families were important to describing differences among and within individuals. Two undescribed Burkholderiaceae taxa were found to be putatively Bd-inhibitory, and both showed higher relative abundance on body regions where Bd infection is often localized. These findings highlight the importance of considering intrapopulation and intraindividual heterogeneities, which could provide insights relevant to predicting localized interactions with pathogens.