Identification of toxic metabolites produced by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus

Abstract

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd, is a fungus that causes chytridiomycosis in amphibians, a disease responsible for the rapid decline in amphibian populations globally. The pervasiveness and mortality rates of the Bd fungus has spurred researchers to discover why the fungus is so lethal in various species of frogs, salamanders, and caecilians. While it is known that the fungus affects the skin of amphibians and causes death through suffocation via populating in the pores of adult amphibians, little is known about the active compounds in the fungus. An understanding of the methods of infection will aid in the creation of safe ways to treat amphibians and prevent further outbreaks. To determine the metabolites excreted by the fungus, the culture medium was filtered, dried, and analyzed by LCMS. A Daphnia assay was developed in order to aid bioactivity‐guided fractionation. Preliminary data suggests the presence of several compounds of interest in the dried metabolites. The masses of the peaks of interest were used to guide further isolation and identification of compounds.Support or Funding InformationFunded by a SURF grant from the University of Tampa