Social Immunity in Amphibians: Evidence for Vertical Transmission of Innate Defenses

  1. Jenifer B. Walke1,
  2. Reid N. Harris2,
  3. Laura K. Reinert3,
  4. Louise A. Rollins-Smith3,4,5,
  5. Douglas C. Woodhams5,6,†

Article first published online: 2 MAY 2011

DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00787.x

Issue

Biotropica

Biotropica

Volume 43, Issue 4, pages 396–400, July 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Walke, J. B., Harris, R. N., Reinert, L. K., Rollins-Smith, L. A. and Woodhams, D. C. (2011), Social Immunity in Amphibians: Evidence for Vertical Transmission of Innate Defenses. Biotropica, 43: 396–400. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00787.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, U.S.A.

  2. 2

    Department of Biology, James Madison University, MSC 7801, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807, U.S.A.

  3. 3

    Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2363, U.S.A.

  4. 4

    Departments of Pediatrics and of Biological Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2363, U.S.A.

  5. 5

    Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Republic of Panamá

  6. 6

    Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland

  1. †

    7Corresponding author; e-mail: dwoodhams@gmail.com

  1. †

    7Corresponding author; e-mail: dwoodhams@gmail.com

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 JUL 2011
  2. Article first published online: 2 MAY 2011
  3. Received 27 December 2010; revision accepted 9 March 2011.

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Keywords:

  • antimicrobial peptide;
  • Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis;
  • disease ecology;
  • Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum;
  • Panama;
  • skin defense;
  • symbiotic microbiota

ABSTRACT

Amphibian embryos are at risk of microbial infection. Here we find evidence that innate immune defenses, both antimicrobial skin peptides and mutualistic microbiota, of adult glass frogs, Hyalinobatrachium colymbiphyllum, can be transmitted to embryos deposited on leaves above rain forest streams in Panama and can inhibit the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp.

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