Proposal Title
Impact of Intrinsic Physiological Factors in the Population Recovery of Myotis Lucifugus (Little Brown Myotis) From White-Nose Syndrome
Abstract
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has decimated populations of hibernating bats in the US. In particular, Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) has been one of the most affected. We investigated the energetic cost of innate immune response and Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) fungal activity on post-hibernating little brown myotis and the link with the recovery of local populations in New England from WNS. We captured bats at one of each of 4 colonies in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, consecutively, every 14 days to minimize disturbance to the colony. Blood samples were collected from each bat. Respirometry trials were performed on each bat the next day after capture. We examined basal metabolic rate (BMR), an important measure of energy expenditure, and bacterial killing ability of blood (BKA) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, an important measure of innate immune ability. Analysis of data is still in progress. We are focusing in particular on the analysis of data gathered in May and early June when fungal levels tend to be high. We will report on whether the relationship between fungal activity and energy use changes during female pregnancy. This will improve understanding on whether population recovery in some bat colonies is affected by cost of immune response and recovery to WNS. Our analysis will result in estimates of energy use rates and immune responses and fungal load of bats at different colonies with different demographic conditions. These results will be used in models to predict likelihood of colony recovery from WNS.
Start Date
27-3-2019 12:00 PM
End Date
27-3-2019 12:50 PM
Room Number
U-Hall Atrium
Presentation Type
Poster
Disciplines
Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology | Immunology of Infectious Disease | Integrative Biology | Zoology
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Included in
Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology Commons, Immunology of Infectious Disease Commons, Integrative Biology Commons, Zoology Commons
Impact of Intrinsic Physiological Factors in the Population Recovery of Myotis Lucifugus (Little Brown Myotis) From White-Nose Syndrome
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) has decimated populations of hibernating bats in the US. In particular, Myotis lucifugus (little brown myotis) has been one of the most affected. We investigated the energetic cost of innate immune response and Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) fungal activity on post-hibernating little brown myotis and the link with the recovery of local populations in New England from WNS. We captured bats at one of each of 4 colonies in Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, consecutively, every 14 days to minimize disturbance to the colony. Blood samples were collected from each bat. Respirometry trials were performed on each bat the next day after capture. We examined basal metabolic rate (BMR), an important measure of energy expenditure, and bacterial killing ability of blood (BKA) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, an important measure of innate immune ability. Analysis of data is still in progress. We are focusing in particular on the analysis of data gathered in May and early June when fungal levels tend to be high. We will report on whether the relationship between fungal activity and energy use changes during female pregnancy. This will improve understanding on whether population recovery in some bat colonies is affected by cost of immune response and recovery to WNS. Our analysis will result in estimates of energy use rates and immune responses and fungal load of bats at different colonies with different demographic conditions. These results will be used in models to predict likelihood of colony recovery from WNS.
