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Abstract Detail



Mycological Section

Lueschow, Shiloh [1], Porras-Alfaro, Andrea [2], Northup, Diana [3].

Effect of Pseudogymnoascus destructans on Microbial Community Composition on Bats.

Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the fungus responsible for the mycoses known as White Nose Syndrome (WNS), has killed millions of bats since its discovery in 2006. It has decimated bat populations from the east coast to the Midwest and Canada. The decline in bat populations has a significant impact on ecosystem health and the agricultural industry as bats serve as both pollinators and pest control for crops. Thus far, much of the research has focused on P. destructans’ direct impact on the bats, but not on the impact on microbial communities associated with bats. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity and community structure of fungal and bacterial communities on bats before and after arrival of P. destructans. 454 next generation sequencing was conducted on wing swabs of three healthy and three WNS-positive Perimyotis subflavus bats collected in Illinois before and after WNS arrival. Qiime and the Ribosomal Database Project (RDP) were used to analyze changes in community structure and to identify fungi and bacteria. Preliminary analysis shows both the bacterial and fungal diversity decline after WNS arrival. WNS positive bats were dominated by Actinobacteria (99% of the sequences) whereas WNS negative bats showed more diverse phyla including Proteobacteria (14%), Firmicutes (1.7%) and Bacteroidetes (1.2%). Further, in WNS positive bats over 96% of the fungi were classified as P. destructans, but WNS negative bats were dominated by uncultured Ascomycota (66%), Cryptococcus (5%), Penicillium (19%), and Urocystis (5%) species showing dramatic shifts in community composition.


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1 - Western Illinois University, Biological Sciences, 1 University Circle, Macomb, Illinois, 61455, United States
2 - Western Illinois University, Biology, Waggoner Hall, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL, 61455, USA
3 - University of New Mexico, Biology, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

Keywords:
White nose syndrome
Pseudogymnoacus
Pseudogymnoascus destructans
Community Assembly
bats.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall D/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2015
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PMY036
Abstract ID:829
Candidate for Awards:MSA Best Poster Presentation Award by a Graduate Student


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