Priority effects alter microbiome composition and increase abundance of probiotic taxa in treefrog tadpoles

• Published in: Applied and environmental microbiology Vol. 90; no. 6; p. e0061924
• Main Authors: Jones, Korin Rex, Belden, Lisa K., Hughey, Myra C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 18.06.2024
• Subjects: Abundance; Animals; Anura - microbiology; Bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Colonization; Community composition; Composition; Ecology; Embryo, Nonmammalian - microbiology; Embryos; Environmental impact; Gene sequencing; Inoculation; Juveniles; Larva - growth & development; Larva - microbiology; Microbial activity; Microbial Ecology; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Oxalobacteraceae - physiology; Probiotics; Probiotics - administration & dosage; Probiotics - pharmacology; Pseudomonas; Pseudomonas - physiology; Relative abundance; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; rRNA 16S; Stochasticity; Taxa; bacteria; frog; priority effects; amphibian; microbiome; community assembly; probiotics
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/aem.00619-24

Harnessing the functions of host-associated bacteria is a promising mechanism for managing disease outcomes across different host species. In the case of amphibians, certain frog-associated bacteria can mitigate lethal outcomes of infection by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis . Successful probiotic applications require knowledge of community assembly and an understanding of the ecological mechanisms that structure these symbiotic bacterial communities. In our study, we show the importance of environment and parentage in determining bacterial community composition and that community composition can be influenced by priority effects. Further, we provide support for the use of bacterial priority effects as a mechanism to increase the relative abundance of target probiotic taxa in a developing host. While our results show that priority effects are not universally effective across all host-associated bacteria, our ability to increase the relative abundance of specific probiotic taxa may enhance conservation strategies that rely on captive rearing of endangered vertebrates.