Mr. Toad's wild fungi: Fungal isolate diversity on Colorado boreal toads and their capacity for pathogen inhibition

Abstract

The amphibian skin pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused an ongoing biodiversity crisis, including in the locally endangered Colorado boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas). Although researchers have investigated the bacteria living on amphibian skin and how they interact with Bd, there is less information about fungal community members. This study describes (1) the diversity of culturable fungi from boreal toad skin, (2) which subset of these isolates is Bd-inhibitory, and (3) how Bd affects these isolates' growth and morphology. Most isolates were from the orders Capnodiales, Helotiales, and Pleosporales. Of 16 isolates tested for Bd-inhibition, two from the genus Neobulgaria and three from Pseudeurotium inhibited Bd. Fungal growth in co-culture with Bd varied with weak statistical support for Neobulgaria sp. (isolate BTF_36) and cf Psychrophila (isolate BTF_60) (p-values = 0.076 and 0.092, respectively). Fungal morphology remained unchanged in co-culture with Bd, however, these results could be attributed to low replication per isolate. Nonetheless, two fungal isolates’ growth may have been affected by Bd, implying that fungal growth changes in Bd co-culture could be a variable worth measuring in the future (with higher replication). These findings add to the sparse but growing literature on amphibian-associated fungi and suggest further study may uncover the relevance of fungi to amphibian health and Bd infection.