Localization of symbiotic bacteria (arrows) in the mucus layer of adult boreal toad skin by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Blue indicates host nuclei stained with DAPI, and pink indicates bacterial cells stained with the oligoprobe EUB338. Image from coauthor, Dr. Irene Salinas.
Master’s student Kelly Barnhart published her first paper titled, “Identification of Bufadienolides from the Boreal Toad, Anaxyrus boreas, Active Against a Fungal Pathogen” in Microbial Ecology. In addition to showing that toad toxins could inhibit fungal growth, other microbiota were detected in the skin mucus and granular glands that were facilitated by the compounds. Presented on Aug. 8, 2017 at the Northeast Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Meeting at Mountain Lake Biological Station, Virginia.
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00248-017-0997-8