specific alterations in complement protein activity of little brown myotis (myotis lucifugus) hibernating in white-nose syndrome affected sites具体修改补充蛋白质的活性小棕鼠耳蝠(鼠耳蝠lucifugus)冬眠在白鼻综合症影响网站.pdf

Specific Alterations in Complement Protein Activity of Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus) Hibernating in White-Nose Syndrome Affected Sites ¤ Marianne S. Moore* , Jonathan D. Reichard, Timothy D. Murtha, Bita Zahedi, Renee M. Fallier, Thomas H. Kunz Department of Biology, Center for Ecology and Conservation Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Abstract White-nose syndrome (WNS) is the most devastating condition ever reported for hibernating bats, causing widespread mortality in the northeastern United States. The syndrome is characterized by cutaneous lesions caused by a recently identified psychrophilic and keratinophylic fungus (Geomyces destructans), depleted fat reserves, atypical behavior, and damage to wings; however, the proximate cause of mortality is still uncertain. To assess relative levels of immunocompetence in bats hibernating in WNS-affected sites compared with levels in unaffected bats, we describe blood plasma complement protein activity in hibernating little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) based on microbicidal competence assays using Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. Blood plasma from bats collected during mid-hibernation at WNS-affected sites had higher bactericidal ability against E. coli and S. aureus, but lower fungicidal ability against C. albicans when compared with blood plasma from bats collected at unaffected sites. Within affected sites during mid-hibernation, we observed no difference in microbicidal ability between bats displaying obvious fungal infections compared to those without. Bactericidal ability against E. coli decreased significantly as hibernation progressed in bats collec