Effects of host sex and developmental stage on Acris blanchardi skin-associated bacterial communities

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a fungal pathogen that has caused the extinction of over 200 amphibian species worldwide. The amphibian skin-associated bacteria provide the first line of defense against pathogen invasion, including Bd. Acris blanchardi, the Blanchard’s cricket frog, is a species common in Western Ohio. Previous research has indicated land-use interacts with frog sex to influence A. blanchardi skin-associated bacterial composition. It is unknown however whether development (ontogeny) also influences skin-associated bacterial composition. We predicted that juvenile frogs have significantly different skin-associated bacterial microbiomes than adults however, this effect may be sex dependant. To examine these relationships, we collected skin swab samples from A. blanchardi located at Cricket Frog Cove (Wood Co.; N=73). We preserved swabs in 100% ethanol until processing. We assessed snout-vent length (SVL) as a proxy for development. Total DNA was extracted from the swabs utilizing a SoilPrep™ DNA Isolation Kit (Fisher). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the 16S rRNA gene region of bacterial DNA. Bacterial community composition will be observed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to determine if the skin-associated bacterial microbiome is influenced by interactions between host sex and ontogeny.