 |
|
Probiotic bacteria protect endangered frogs from lethal skin disease
June 05, 2008Laboratory tests and field studies conducted by James Madison University (JMU) researchers continue to show promise that probiotic bacteria can be used to help amphibian populations, including the endangered yellow-legged frog, fend off lethal skin diseases.
The latest research, funded by the National Science Foundation, will be presented June 4 by undergraduate biology major Brianna Lam at the 108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston. Other coauthors of the presentation are Drs. Doug Woodhams and Reid Harris from James Madison University and Vance Vredenburg from San Francisco State University (SFSU).
A year ago, JMU research showed that Pedobacter cryoconitis, a natural bacterial species on the skin of red-backed salamanders, wards off the deadly chytridiomycosis fungus. In late 2004, Australian researchers cited chytridiomycosis as one of the main factors imperiling up to one third of the world's amphibian populations.
Lam's research indicates that adding pedobacter to the skin of mountain yellow-legged frogs would lessen the effects of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a lethal skin pathogen that is threatening remaining populations of the frogs in their native Sierra Nevada habitats.
Lam first conducted petri dish experiments that clearly showed the skin bacteria repelling the deadly fungus. She then tested pedobacter on live infected frogs, bathing some of them in a pedobacter solution. The frogs bathed in pedobacter solution lost less weight than those in a control group of infected frogs that were not inoculated.
In addition to the lab experiments, the JMU and SFSU researchers have studied the yellow-legged frogs in their natural habitats and discovered that some populations with the lethal skin disease survive while others go extinct. The populations that survived had significantly higher proportions of individuals with anti-Bd bacteria. The results strongly suggest that a threshold frequency of individuals need to have anti-Bd bacteria to allow a population to persist with Bd.
"Taken together, the studies suggest that increasing the proportion of individuals with anti-Bd skin bacteria in at risk populations can halt the epidemic spread of the lethal pathogen," says Lam.
American Society for Microbiology
Lam's research indicates that adding pedobacter to the skin of mountain yellow-legged frogs would lessen the effects of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a lethal skin pathogen that is threatening remaining populations of the frogs in their native Sierra Nevada habitats.
Lam first conducted petri dish experiments that clearly showed the skin bacteria repelling the deadly fungus. She then tested pedobacter on live infected frogs, bathing some of them in a pedobacter solution. The frogs bathed in pedobacter solution lost less weight than those in a control group of infected frogs that were not inoculated.
In addition to the lab experiments, the JMU and SFSU researchers have studied the yellow-legged frogs in their natural habitats and discovered that some populations with the lethal skin disease survive while others go extinct. The populations that survived had significantly higher proportions of individuals with anti-Bd bacteria. The results strongly suggest that a threshold frequency of individuals need to have anti-Bd bacteria to allow a population to persist with Bd.
"Taken together, the studies suggest that increasing the proportion of individuals with anti-Bd skin bacteria in at risk populations can halt the epidemic spread of the lethal pathogen," says Lam.
American Society for Microbiology
Probiotic Bacteria News and Current Probiotic Bacteria Events RSSHayfever hope
With the peak grass pollen season approaching, scientists can reveal that a daily dose of probiotic can change the immune status of people with hay fever.
Do bacterial combinations result in enhanced cytokine production? No!
Probiotic bacteria, defined as living microorganisms that have beneficial effects on human health, have been used for the prevention and treatment of a diverse range of disorders.
Red Wine and Grape Juice Help Defend Against Food-Borne Diseases, according to MU Researchers
Red wine is known to have multiple health benefits. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may also protect humans from common food-borne diseases.
Bacteria show promise in fending off global amphibian killer
First in a petri dish and now on live salamanders, probiotic bacteria seem to repel a deadly fungus being blamed for worldwide amphibian deaths and even extinctions.
Report focuses on the role good microbes play in future medicine
Not all bacteria are bad. In fact, beneficial microbes could represent the future of medicine, with the potential to treat a variety of diseases in humans and animals from diarrhea and eczema to gum disease and autoimmune disorders.
Probiotics ease gut problems caused by long term stress
Probiotics may help to reduce gut symptoms caused by long term stress, indicates research published ahead of print in the journal Gut.
Workers on daily probiotics less likely to take time off sick
Workers who take probiotics daily are less likely to be off work with common illnesses, such as colds and gastroenteritis, than workers who don't.
Functional foods offer hope for fighting infections
Upset stomachs and gut diseases are a common problem amongst our increasingly elderly population, but now help may be on hand using friendly bacteria isolated from the intestines of healthy elderly individuals, according to scientists speaking today (Wednesday, 08 September 2004) at the Society for General Microbiology's 155th Meeting at Trinity College Dublin.
Poultry probiotics - Easter discovery for UK chicks
UK scientists have discovered a new way to combat food poisoning, by targeting it in living animals using beneficial bacteria. Probiotics provide fresh hope for destroying food poisoning bacteria in poultry before it enters the food chain. Scientists at the Institute of Food Research (IFR) have discovered that the probiotic Lactobacillus johnsonii clears the pathogenic bacterium Clostridium perfringens from the gut of chicks. This bacterium can cause lesions in chicks as well as causing food poisoning in humans. "Some poultry feed already contains probiotic bacteria, but an undefined mixture that gives inconsistent results. This research is exciting because we have used a single strain a
How to make sure that beneficial probiotic bacteria reach consumers in an active way?
Yoghurt is often used as a carrier product for beneficial probiotic bacteria. Yoghurt, as such, has a positive health image among consumers and is part of everyday diet in most European countries. However, making yoghurt a truly probiotic product is a challenging task. Firstly, the probiotic bacteria have to be viable in the product, so that the consumers can benefit from the health effects. These bacteria need to survive several steps, including processing treatments, storage conditions and finally having tolerance for the conditions in human body. The probiotic bacteria need to reach the right spot in human body, especially the gut, to be effective. The EU-funded PROTECH-project explores
More Probiotic Bacteria News Articles
 | Bacteria for Breakfast: Probiotics for Good Health by Kelly Dowhower Karpa, PhD, RPh Although in Western society the beneficial aspects of bacteria have been increasingly minimized, we actually need bacteria in our digestive tracts for good health. This resource explains, to laymen and physicians, how probiotics support immune function, prevent urogenital infections, and maintain good gastrintestinal... |
 | Basic Health Publications User's Guide to Probiotics: Learn How "Healthy Bacteria" Can Help You Fight Infections and Restore Your Health (Basic Health Publications User's Guide) by Earl Mindell To the surprise of many people, several pounds o "good" bacteria populate our digestive tract, help us maintain normal digestion, and protect us against stomach flus, candida overgrowth, and many other types of infection. In this concise book, Dr. Earl Mindell explains the many health benefits of probiotics-and how to use them to enhance... |
| Probiotics and Prebiotics: Where Are We Going? | |
 | Probiotics 3 - Immunomodulation by the Gut Microflora and Probiotics The two previous books Probiotics, The Scientific Basics and Probiotics 2, Applications and Practical Aspects covered the general area of probiotics and their uses. The present volume focuses on the important and rapidly expanding subject of immunomodulation by intestinal microorganisms and brings together the results and opinions of leading researchers from all over the world. >Roy Fuller... |
| Gut flora presents a novel IBS treatment target: modifying bacteria levels via antibiotics and probiotics may ease symptoms, but concerns persist.(Digestive ... An article from: Family Practice News by Bruce Jancin This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by Thomson Gale on April 15, 2006. The length of the article is 868 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.Citation DetailsTitle: Gut... | |
| PROBIOTICS: Good Germs Get Once Over.(scientists meet at Joint Genome Institute to analyze lactic acid bacteria DNA): An article from: Food Ingredient News This digital document is an article from Food Ingredient News, published by Business Communications Company, Inc. on November 1, 2002. The length of the article is 495 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web... | |
| The primary evaluation of commercially available probiotic bacteria and their subsequent application in pig production (Report / Silcock Fellowship for Livestock Research) by K. A McLean | |
| Gastroenterology Clinics of North America:(vol. 34, #3 Sept. 2005) (Probiotics, Prebiotics & Commensal Bacteria) by Gerald Friedman This issue discusses the applications of probiotics in gastroenterology and will focus on not only the clinical applications of the bacteria themselves but also the function of the bacteria on the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, attention is given to the application of probiotics in the pediatric population as well as to those with inflammatory bowel... | |
| AGRICULTURE/BIOTECHNOLOGY Bacteria Could Protect Food.(probiotics)(Brief Article): An article from: Food Ingredient News This digital document is an article from Food Ingredient News, published by Business Communications Company, Inc. on October 1, 2001. The length of the article is 440 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web... | |
| Application of probiotic bacteria to functional foods (Dairy Products Research Centre series) |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |