Bats

DNA metabarcoding analyses reveal fine-scale microbiome structures on Western Canadian bat wings

Insuk, C., Cheeptham, N., Lausen, C. & Xu, J.

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Research reveals new information on the natural wing microbiome of Western Canadian bats, with possible implications for tackling the threat of White-Nose Syndrome.

Key points

• White-nose syndrome (WNS) has threatened bat populations across North America since 2006. Recent research suggests that the skin microbiome of bats may play a significant role in bat's susceptibility to the disease.
• Relatively little is known about the skin microbiome composition and function in bats in Western Canada, a region with a high diversity of bats, but where WNS has yet to be a major issue.
• This research revealed high diversity of bacteria and fungi on the skin of three common bat species in British Columbia, including several highly prevalent microbial species that have been rarely reported in other regions.
• Shedding light on the natural wing microbiome of Western Canadian bats may help in planning approaches to protect bats from WNS.

Abstract

Healthy wings are vital for the survival and reproduction of bats, and wing microbiome is a key component of bat wing health. However, relatively little is known about the wing microbiome of bats in western Canada where the white nose syndrome has become an increasing threat. Here, we used DNA metabarcoding to investigate the bacterial and fungal communities on the wings of three bat species: the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), the Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis), and the little brown myotis (M. lucifugus) from four field sites in Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada.

The bacterial 16S rRNA metabarcoding revealed a total of 4,167 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) belonging to 27 phyla, 639 genera, and 533 known and 2,423 unknown species. The wing bacteria were dominated by phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroides, and Actinobacteria, and the most common genera were Delftia, Bordetella, Sphingomonas, Phyllobacterium, Bradyrhizobium, Pseudomonas, and Corynebacterium. The fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) metabarcoding revealed a total of 11,722 ASVs belonging to 16 phyla, 806 genera, and 1,420 known and 10,302 unknown species. The wing fungi were dominated by phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Motierellomycota, and the most common genera were Cladosporium, Aspergillus, and Mycosphaerella.

Principal coordinates analysis showed that both bat species and field sites contributed variably to the diversity and distribution of bacterial and fungal communities on bat wings. Interestingly, both positive and negative correlations were found in their relative abundances among several groups of microbial taxa. We discuss the implications of our results for bat health, including the management of P. destructans infection and white-nose syndrome spread.

Recommended citation

Insuk, C., Cheeptham, N., Lausen, C. & Xu, J. (2024). DNA metabarcoding analyses reveal fine-scale microbiome structures on Western Canadian bat wings. Microbiology Spectrum. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00376-24