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USGS2007

North to Alaska: Evidence for conveyor belt transport of Dungeness crab larvae along the west coast of the United States and Canada

We propose and evaluate the hypothesis that Dungeness crab ( Cancer magister ) larvae from the northwestern coast of the United States and Canada can be transported northward to southeastern Alaska. Larvae collected in southeastern Alaska during May and June 1997–2004 had abundances and stages that varied seasonally, interannually, and spatially. An unexpected presence of late-stage larvae in spring raises a question regarding their origin, and the most plausible explanation is that they hatched off the northern Washington and British Columbia coasts and were transported to southeastern Alaska. Buoy drift tracks support the hypothesis that larvae released off the northern Washington and British Columbia coasts during the peak hatching season can be physically transported to southeastern Alaska, arriving as late-stage larvae in May and June, when local larvae are only beginning to hatch. A northward spring progression of monthly mean 7°C SST isotherms and phytoplankton blooms provide further evidence that environmental conditions are conducive for larval growth and metabolism during the transport period. The proposed larval transport suggests possible unidirectional gene flow between southern and northern populations of Dungeness crabs in southeastern Alaska.

Limnology and Oceanography↗

USGS2026

Is "weediness" and "invasiveness" of weeds a function of the plant microbiome?

Over the past several decades, the extent to which microbes enhance plant development and health has become clearer; however, this has not been explored in terms of the aggressiveness and hardiness of weedy plants. In this review, we explore the hypothesis that many features of weeds and invasive plants are related to the activities of plant microbiomes. Microbes contribute to weed growth, fecundity, and fitness. They also play roles in soils, and in plants as endophytes, where they modulate plant development and protect the host from pathogens, insects, animals, and abiotic stresses. In addition, the adaptability and hardiness of weeds partly stem from the effects of endophytes on plant gene expression and genetic diversity. Weed control often involves multiple applications of herbicides or other treatments that can be costly and destructive. Weed and invasive plant control for agriculture and environment goes beyond monetary costs to negative impacts on people, animals and environment. However, with a more complete knowledge of the roles played by microbes, their symbiotic interactions may be altered to diminish aggressive traits less expensively and with fewer non target effects on environmental, human and animal health.

Grass Research↗

USGS2018

Fungal loop transfer of nitrogen depends on biocrust constituents and nitrogen form

Besides performing multiple ecosystem services individually and collectively, biocrust constituents may also create biological networks connecting spatially and temporally distinct processes. In the fungal loop hypothesis rainfall variability allows fungi to act as conduits and reservoirs, translocating resources between soils and host plants. To evaluate the extent to which biocrust species composition and nitrogen (N) form influence loops, we created a minor, localized rainfall event containing 15 NH 4 + and 15 NO 3 − . We then measured the resulting δ 15 N in the surrounding dry cyanobacteria- and lichen-dominated crusts and grass, Achnatherum hymenoides , after 24 h. We also estimated the biomass of fungal constituents using quantitative PCR and characterized fungal communities by sequencing the 18S rRNA gene. We found evidence for the initiation of fungal loops in cyanobacteria-dominated crusts where 15 N, from 15 NH 4 + , moved 40 mm h −1 in biocrust soils with the δ 15 N of crusts decreasing as the radial distance from the water addition increased (linear mixed effects model (LMEM)): R 2 = 0.67, F 2,12 = 11, P = 0.002). In cyanobacteria crusts, δ 15 N, from 15 NH 4 + , was diluted as Ascomycota biomass increased (LMEM: R 2 = 0.63, F 2,8 = 6.8, P = 0.02), Ascomycota accounted for 82 % (±2.8) of all fungal sequences, and one order, Pleosporales, comprised 66 % (±6.9) of Ascomycota. The seeming lack of loops in moss-dominated crusts may stem from the relatively large moss biomass effectively absorbing and holding N from our minor wet deposition event. The substantial movement of 15 NH 4 + may indicate a fungal preference for the reduced N form during amino acid transformation and translocation. We found a marginally significant enrichment of δ 15 N in A. hymenoides leaves but only in cyanobacteria biocrusts translocating 15 N, offering evidence of links between biocrust constituents and higher plants. Our results suggest that minor rainfall events may initiate fungal loops potentially allowing constituents, like dark septate Pleosporales, to rapidly translocate N from NH 4 + over NO 3 − through biocrust networks.

Biogeosciences↗

USGS2009

Geomyces destructans sp. nov. associated with bat white-nose syndrome

We describe and illustrate the new species Geomyces destructans . Bats infected with this fungus present with powdery conidia and hyphae on their muzzles, wing membranes, and/or pinnae, leading to description of the accompanying disease as white-nose syndrome, a cause of widespread mortality among hibernating bats in the northeastern US. Based on rRNA gene sequence (ITS and SSU) characters the fungus is placed in the genus Geomyces , yet its distinctive asymmetrically curved conidia are unlike those of any described Geomyces species.

Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont↗

USGS2001

Cloning, sequencing, and expression of interferon-γ from elk in North America

Eradication of Mycobacterium bovis relies on accurate detection of infected animals, including potential domestic and wildlife reservoirs. Available diagnostic tests lack the sensitivity and specificity necessary for accurate detection, particularly in infected wildlife populations. Recently, an in vitro diagnostic test for cattle which measures plasma interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels in blood following in vitro incubation with M. bovis purified protein derivative has been enveloped. This test appears to have increased sensitivity over traditional testing. Unfortunately, it does not detect IFN-γ from Cervidae. To begin to address this problem, the IFN-γ gene from elk ( Cervus elaphus ) was cloned, sequenced, expressed, and characterized. cDNA was cloned from mitogen stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The predicted amino acid (aa) sequence was compared to known sequences from cattle, sheep, goats, red deer ( Cervus elaphus ), humans, and mice. Biological activity of the recombinant elk IFN-γ (rElkIFN-γ) was confirmed in a vesicular stomatitis virus cytopathic effect reduction assay. Production of monoclonal antibodies to IFN-γ epitopes conserved between ruminant species could provide an important tool for the development of reliable, practical diagnostic assays for detection of a delayed type hypersensitivity response to a variety of persistent infectious agents in ruminants, including M. bovis and Brucella abortus . Moreover, development of these reagents will aid investigators in studies to explore immunological responses of elk that are associated with resistance to infectious diseases.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2002

Fatal spirochetosis due to a relapsing fever-like Borrelia sp. in northern spotted owl

Acute septicemic spirochetosis was diagnosed in an adult male northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) found dead in Kittitas County, Washington, USA. Gross necropsy findings included marked enlargement of the liver and spleen and serofibrinous deposits on the serous membranes lining the body cavities and the pericardial and perihepatic sacs. Microscopic observations included macrophage infiltration in the liver and spleen with mild thrombosis and multifocal necrosis, as well as hemorrhage and acute inflammation in the choroid plexus of the brain. No viruses or pathogenic bacteria were isolated from brain, liver, or spleen, and no parasites were found in blood smears or impression smears of the liver. Chlamydial culture attempts were unsuccessful and no chlamydial antibodies were detected in serum. In silver-stained microscopic sections and by transmission electron microscopy of liver, numerous long, thin, spiral-shaped bacteria were seen in the liver, spleen, cerebral ventricles, and within blood vessels in many organs. The organism was identified as a member of the Borrelia genus by sequence analysis of the PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene. The most closely related species is B. hermsii, an agent of relapsing fever in humans in the western United States. This is the first report of a relapsing fever-related Borrelia in a wild bird.

Washington↗

USGS2004

Detection of Clostridium botulinum type C cells in the gastrointestinal tracts of Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) by polymerase chain reaction

We established a method of directly detecting Clostridium botulinum type C cells, while minimizing spore detection, in the intestinal contents of Mozambique tilapia ( Oreochromis mossambicus ). This technique involved extraction of predominantly cellular DNA from tilapia intestinal tracts and used a polymerase chain reaction assay to detect presence of type C 1 toxin gene. We consistently detected C. botulinum type C cells in tilapia gastrointestinal contents at a level of 7.5×10 4 cells per 0.25 g material or 1.9×10 3 cells. This technique is useful for determining prevalence of the potentially active organisms within a given population of fish and may be adapted to other types of C. botulinum and vertebrate populations as well.

California↗

USGS2005

Molecular identification of a papilloma virus from cutaneous lesions of captive and free-ranging Florida manatees

Cutaneous papillomatous lesions were biopsied from three captive Florida manatees ( Trichechus manatus latirostris ) at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park (HSSWP), Homosassa, Florida, USA, and from six free-ranging Florida manatees from Crystal and Homosassa rivers, Florida. Total DNA extracted from these lesions was assayed for the presence of papilloma virus genomes using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers that target the L1 capsid protein gene. The amplification generated DNA fragments 458 base pairs in length that encompassed a highly conserved domain within the L1 capsid protein and translated into identical polypeptides of 152 amino acids, suggesting the involvement of a single papilloma virus genotype. Multiple amino acid sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the L1 fragment indicated that the Florida manatee papilloma virus is a unique and quite distinct papillomavirus from other known papilloma viruses. The emergence of this new pathogen raises concerns about its potential impact on the already endangered Florida manatee.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2011

Antigenic profiling of Yersinia pestis infection in the Wyoming coyote (Canis latrans)

Although Yersinia pestis is classified as a "high-virulence" pathogen, some host species are variably susceptible to disease. Coyotes (Canis latrans) exhibit mild, if any, symptoms during infection, but antibody production occurs postinfection. This immune response has been reported to be against the F1 capsule, although little subsequent characterization has been conducted. To further define the nature of coyote humoral immunity to plague, qualitative serology was conducted to assess the antiplague antibody repertoire. Humoral responses to six plasmid-encoded Y. pestis virulence factors were first examined. Of 20 individual immune coyotes, 90% were reactive to at least one other antigen in the panel other than F1. The frequency of reactivity to low calcium response plasmid (pLcr)-encoded Yersinia protein kinase A (YpkA) and Yersinia outer protein D (YopD) was significantly greater than that previously observed in a murine model for plague. Additionally, both V antigen and plasminogen activator were reactive with over half of the serum samples tested. Reactivity to F1 was markedly less frequent in coyotes (35%). Twenty previously tested antibody-negative samples were also examined. While the majority were negative across the panel, 15% were positive for 1-3 non-F1 antigens. In vivo-induced antigen technology employed to identify novel chromosomal genes of Y. pestis that are up-regulated during infection resulted in the identification of five proteins, including a flagellar component (FliP) that was uniquely reactive with the coyote serum compared with immune serum from two other host species. Collectively, these data suggest that humoral immunity to pLcr-encoded antigens and the pesticin plasmid (pPst)-encoded Pla antigen may be relevant to plague resistance in coyotes. The serologic profile of Y. pestis chromosomal antigens up-regulated in vivo specific to C. latrans may provide insight into the differences in the pathogen-host responses during Y. pestis infection.

Wyoming↗

USGS2011

Population differences in host immune factors may influence survival of Gunnison's prairie dogs ( Cynomys Gunnisoni ) during plague outbreaks

Over the past 40 yr, epizootics of plague ( Yersinia pestis ) in northern Arizona have reduced populations of the Gunnison’s prairie dog ( Cynomys gunnisoni ), with the exception of a large population found in the Aubrey Valley (AV). To examine potential mechanisms accounting for their survival, we collected prairie dog serum samples in 2005–2006 from AV and a neighboring population near Seligman (SE), Arizona. We quantified gene expression at 58 diverse immune proteins using a multiplexed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay panel. We found a subset of proteins important in coagulation and inflammation (tissue factor [TF], calbindin [Cal], and thrombopoietin [TPO]) and T-cell responses (CD40L and CD40) that were present in AV at levels two to eight times greater than SE. These results suggest that AV and SE animals might differ in their ability to mount an immune response.

Arizona↗

USGS2014

Infection of sea lamprey with an unusual strain of Aeromonas salmonicida

The invasion of the Laurentian Great Lakes by the fish-parasitic sea lamprey has led to catastrophic consequences, including the potential introduction of fish pathogens. Aeromonas salmonicida is a bacterial fish pathogen that causes devastating losses worldwide. Currently, there are five accepted subspecies of Aeromonas salmonicida: A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, masoucida, smithia, achromogenes, and pectinolytica. We discuss the discovery of an isolate of A. salmonicida that is pathogenic to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and exhibits unique phenotypic and molecular characteristics. We examined 181 adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) from the Humber River (Lake Ontario watershed) and 162 adult sea lamprey from Duffins Creek (Lake Ontario watershed) during the spring seasons of 2005–11. Among those, 4/343 (1.2%) sea lamprey were culture positive for A. salmonicida, whereby biochemical and molecular studies identified three of the isolates as A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida. The remaining isolate (As-SL1) recovered from Humber River sea lamprey was phenotypically more similar to A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida than to the four other A. salmonicida subspecies. However, unlike A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida, As-SL1 was sucrose positive, produced an acid-over-acid reaction on triple-sugar iron medium and did not amplify with A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida specific primers. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial stretches of the 16S rRNA and DNA gyrase subunit B genes further confirmed that the As-SL1 isolate was not A. salmonicida subsp. masoucida, smithia, achromogenes, or pectinolytica. Based on our analyses, the As-SL1 isolate is either an unusual strain of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida or a novel A. salmonicida subspecies. The four A. salmonicida isolates that were recovered from sea lamprey were pathogenic to rainbow trout in experimental challenge studies. Our study also underscores the potential role of sea lamprey in the ecology of infectious fish diseases.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2014

Evaluation of monkeypox virus infection of prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) using in vivo bioluminescent imaging

Monkeypox (MPX) is a re-emerging zoonotic disease that is endemic in Central and West Africa, where it can cause a smallpox-like disease in humans. Despite many epidemiologic and field investigations of MPX, no definitive reservoir species has been identified. Using recombinant viruses expressing the firefly luciferase (luc) gene, we previously demonstrated the suitability of in vivo bioluminescent imaging (BLI) to study the pathogenesis of MPX in animal models. Here, we evaluated BLI as a novel approach for tracking MPX virus infection in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). Prairie dogs were affected during a multistate outbreak of MPX in the US in 2003 and have since been used as an animal model of this disease. Our BLI results were compared with PCR and virus isolation from tissues collected postmortem. Virus was easily detected and quantified in skin and superficial tissues by BLI before and during clinical phases, as well as in subclinical secondary cases, but was not reliably detected in deep tissues such as the lung. Although there are limitations to viral detection in larger wild rodent species, BLI can enhance the use of prairie dogs as an animal model of MPX and can be used for the study of infection, disease progression, and transmission in potential wild rodent reservoirs.

South Dakota↗

USGS2017

Lambdapapillomavirus 2 in a gray wolf (Canis lupus) from Minnesota with oral papillomatosis and sarcoptic mange

Oral papillomatosis was diagnosed in a gray wolf ( Canis lupus ) with sarcoptic mange from Minnesota, USA found dead in February 2015. Intranuclear inclusion bodies were evident histologically, and papillomaviral antigens were confirmed using immunohistochemistry. Sequencing of the L1 papillomavirus gene showed closest similarity to Lambdapapillomavirus 2 .

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2020

Rabies outbreak in captive big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) used in white-nose syndrome vaccine trial

An outbreak of rabies occurred in a captive colony of wild-caught big brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus ). Five of 27 bats exhibited signs of rabies virus infection 22–51 d after capture or 18–22 d after contact with the index case. Rabid bats showed weight loss, aggression, increased vocalization, hypersalivation, and refusal of food. Antigenic typing and virus sequencing confirmed that all five bats were infected with an identical rabies virus variant that circulates in E. fuscus in the United States. Two bats with no signs of rabies virus infection were seropositive for rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies; the brains of these bats had no detectable viral proteins by the direct fluorescence antibody test. We suspect bat-to-bat transmission of rabies virus occurred among our bats because all rabies-infected bats were confined to the cage housing the index case and were infected with viruses having identical sequences of the entire rabies nucleoprotein gene. This outbreak illustrated the risk of rabies virus infection in captive bats and highlights the need for researchers using bats to assume that all wild bats could be infected with rabies virus.

Journal of Wildlife Diseases↗

USGS2019

Limited detection of antibodies to clade 2.3.4.4 A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus in North American waterfowl

During 2014, highly pathogenic (HP) influenza A viruses (IAVs) of the A/Goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage (GsGD-HP-H5), originating from Asia, were detected in domestic poultry and wild birds in Canada and the US. These clade 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HP-H5 viruses included reassortants possessing North American lineage gene segments; were detected in wild birds in the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi flyways; and caused the largest HP IAV outbreak in poultry in US history. To determine if an antibody response indicative of previous infection with clade 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HP-H5 IAV could be detected in North American wild waterfowl sampled before, during, and after the 2014–15 outbreak, sera from 2,793 geese and 3,715 ducks were tested by blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests using both clade 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HPH5 and North American lineage low pathogenic (LP) H5 IAV antigens. We detected an antibody response meeting a comparative titer-based criteria (HI titer observed with 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HP-H5 antigens exceeded the titer observed for LP H5 antigen by two or more dilutions) for previous infection with clade 2.3.4.4 GsGD-HP-H5 IAV in only five birds, one Blue-winged Teal ( Spatula discors ) sampled during the outbreak and three Mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) and one Canada Goose ( Branta canadensis ) sampled during the post-outbreak period. These serologic results are consistent with the spatiotemporal extent of the outbreak in wild birds in North America during 2014 and 2015 and limited exposure of waterfowl to GsGD-HP-H5 IAV, particularly in the central and eastern US.

Alaska, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, ↗

USGS2019

Leptospirosis in Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) from Washington

We diagnosed leptospirosis in six northern sea otters ( Enhydra lutris kenyoni ) that stranded on beaches in Washington, US in 2002. Significant gross findings included cyanotic oral mucous membranes, renal swelling, congestion or pale streaks on the cut surface of the lobules, hematuria, dehydration, lymphadenopathy, pulmonary congestion and rarely adrenal hemorrhage and congestion. Histopathology showed lymphoplasmacytic tubulointerstitial nephritis with intraluminal spirochetes and immunoreactivity to leptospiral antigens in the renal tubules and interstitium. qPCR using kidney or urine for the leptospiral lipL32 gene was positive with cycle threshold values indicative of abundant or moderate amounts of nucleic acid. A microscopic agglutination test showed the highest serum antibody titer to serovar Pomona and titers to serovars Autumnalis, Bratislava, Hebdomadis, Grippo, Ictero, Pyrogenes, Ballum, Canicola, and Hardjo. While antibodies to Leptospira interrogans have been previously detected in sea otters, there are no reports of disease or descriptions of pathology.

Washington↗

USGS2023

Investigating microbial size classes associated with the transmission of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD)

Effective treatment and prevention of any disease necessitates knowledge of the causative agent, yet the causative agents of most coral diseases remain unknown, in part due to the difficulty of distinguishing the pathogenic microbe(s) among the complex microbial backdrop of coral hosts. Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is a particularly destructive disease of unknown etiology, capable of transmitting through the water column and killing entire colonies within a matter of weeks. Here we used a previously described method to (i) isolate diseased and apparently healthy coral colonies within individual mesocosms containing filtered seawater with low microbial background levels; (ii) incubate for several days to enrich the water with coral-shed microbes; (iii) use tangential-flow filtration to concentrate the microbial community in the mesocosm water; and then (iv) filter the resulting concentrate through a sequential series of different pore-sized filters. To investigate the size class of microorganism(s) associated with SCTLD transmission, we used 0.8 µm pore size filters to capture microeukaryotes and expelled zooxanthellae, 0.22 µm pore size filters to capture bacteria and large viruses, and 0.025 µm pore size filters to capture smaller viruses. In an attempt to further refine which size fraction(s) contained the transmissible element of SCTLD, we then applied these filters to healthy “receiver” coral fragments and monitored them for the onset of SCTLD signs over three separate experimental runs. However, several factors outside of our control confounded the transmission results, rendering them inconclusive. As the bulk of prior studies of SCTLD in coral tissues have primarily investigated the associated bacterial community, we chose to characterize the prokaryotic community associated with all mesocosm 0.22 µm pore size filters using Illumina sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. We identified overlaps with prior SCTLD studies, including the presence of numerous previously identified SCTLD bioindicators within our mesocosms. The identification in our mesocosms of specific bacterial amplicon sequence variants that also appear across prior studies spanning different collection years, geographic regions, source material, and coral species, suggests that bacteria may play some role in the disease.

PeerJ↗

USGS2016

Bacterial community diversity of the deep-sea octocoral Paramuricea placomus

Compared to tropical corals, much less is known about deep-sea coral biology and ecology. Although the microbial communities of some deep-sea corals have been described, this is the first study to characterize the bacterial community associated with the deep-sea octocoral, Paramuricea placomus . Samples from five colonies of P. placomus were collected from Baltimore Canyon (379–382 m depth) in the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of the United States of America. DNA was extracted from the coral samples and 16S rRNA gene amplicons were pyrosequenced using V4-V5 primers. Three samples sequenced deeply (>4,000 sequences each) and were further analyzed. The dominant microbial phylum was Proteobacteria, but other major phyla included Firmicutes and Planctomycetes. A conserved community of bacterial taxa held in common across the three P. placomus colonies was identified, comprising 68–90% of the total bacterial community depending on the coral individual. The bacterial community of P. placomus does not appear to include the genus Endozoicomonas , which has been found previously to be the dominant bacterial associate in several temperate and tropical gorgonians. Inferred functionality suggests the possibility of nitrogen cycling by the core bacterial community.

PeerJ↗