Priority effects among amphibian microbes lead to varying levels of Bd infection

Abstract

Priority effects in host-associated microbiomes can influence not only community composition and structure, but also community functions, such as disease resistance. However, evidence for these priority effects remains scarce. Past studies suggest that amphibian protection from chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is related to antifungal bacterial composition on host skin. Priority effects in these bacterial communities may influence susceptibility to Bd, but this possibility has not been tested. Using in vitro microcosms, we demonstrated that priority effects can influence interactions among amphibian-associated microbes. We observed strong priority effects irrespective of high antifungal ability such that the Bd-inhibitory potential of two strongly inhibitory bacterial species did not always produce higher levels of Bd-inhibition. This result suggests that interactions may be more complex than previously thought. Additionally, our results suggest that priority effects between commensal and pathogenic taxa can be either facilitatory or inhibitory, with the strength and direction of this effect dependent on the composition of the community. Thus, changes in assembly may lead to varying levels of Bd infection, influencing how we might augment amphibian-associated microbiomes to conserve taxa currently at risk of extinction.