The Fungicide Chlorothalonil Changes the Amphibian Skin Microbiome: A Potential Factor Disrupting a Host Disease-Protective Trait

Abstract

The skin microbiome is an important part of amphibian immune defenses and protects against pathogens such as the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the skin disease chytridiomycosis. Alteration of the microbiome by anthropogenic factors, like pesticides, can impact this protective trait, disrupting its functionality. Chlorothalonil is a widely used fungicide that has been recognized as having an impact on amphibians, but so far, no studies have investigated its effects on amphibian microbial communities. In the present study, we used the amphibian Lithobates vibicarius from the montane forest of Costa Rica, which now appears to persist despite ongoing Bd-exposure, as an experimental model organism. We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to investigate the effect of chlorothalonil on tadpoles’ skin microbiome. We found that exposure to chlorothalonil changes bacterial community composition, with more significant changes at a higher concentration. We also found that a larger number of bacteria were reduced on tadpoles’ skin when exposed to the higher concentration of chlorothalonil. We detected four presumed Bd-inhibitory bacteria being suppressed on tadpoles exposed to the fungicide. Our results suggest that exposure to a widely used fungicide could be impacting host-associated bacterial communities, potentially disrupting an amphibian protective trait against pathogens.