In this study, we used radiotelemetry and translocations to track microbiome composition and function, pathogen infection, and host stress over time across natural movement paths for the forest-associated treefrog, Boana faber. We found strong integration of host stress response and anti-pathogen potential of the microbiome. Additionally, we observed a capacity for resilience (resistance to structural change and functional loss) in the amphibian skin microbiome, with maintenance of putative pathogen-inhibitory function despite major temporal shifts in microbiome composition.
Neely WJ, Martins RA, Mendonça da Silva CM, Ferreira da Silva T, Fleck LE, Whetstone RD, Woodhams DC, Cook WH, Prist PR, Valiati VH, Greenspan SE, Tozetti AM, Earley RL, Becker CG. 2023. Linking microbiome and stress hormone responses in wild tropical treefrogs across continuous and fragmented forests. Communications Biology, 6(1):1261. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05600-9.
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