DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9zw3r22qn
title: Efficacy of prophylaxis dose and duration on host defense against the deadly chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

description: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), an aquatic pathogenic fungus, is
 responsible for the decline of hundreds of amphibian species worldwide and
 negatively impacts biodiversity globally. Prophylactic exposure to the
 metabolites produced by Bd can provide protection for naïve tree frogs and
 reduce subsequent Bd infection intensity. Here, we used a response surface
 design crossing Bd metabolite prophylaxis concentration and exposure
 duration to determine how these factors modulate prophylactic protection
 against Bd in Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) tadpoles (5x5
 surface design) and metamorphs (3x3 surface design). We exposed
 individuals every weekday to one of five Bd metabolite concentrations or a
 water control for one to five weeks, after which all animals were
 challenged with live Bd to evaluate their susceptibility. Exposure to the
 Bd metabolite prophylaxis reduced Bd load and prevalence compared to the
 control for both the tadpoles and metamorphs. Increasing Bd metabolite
 prophylaxis concentration did not confer additional protection for either
 life stage, but increasing duration of exposure did benefit metamorphs by
 decreasing Bd prevalence but not Bd load. On average, control tadpoles and
 metamorphs had 66.2% and 99.4% higher Bd loads, respectively, than
 tadpoles and metamorphs exposed to any Bd metabolite prophylaxis.
 Additionally, Bd metabolite prophylaxis reduced Bd prevalence relative to
 controls in both tadpoles (20.5 vs 56.3%, respectively) and metamorphs
 (21.9 vs 87.5%, respectively). The efficacy of short-term exposures of
 relatively low concentrations of Bd metabolites at reducing Bd infections
 suggests that this approach has the potential to be scaled up to field use
 to aid in disease mitigation and conservation. Our results, combined with
 additional research on Bd metabolite prophylaxis for other amphibian
 species, suggest that this strategy may represent a broadly useful tool to
 protect at-risk amphibian populations.
description: # **Efficacy of prophylaxis dose and duration on host defense against the
 deadly chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis** ## Description of
 the data and file structure **3x3_JAPPL-2024-00099.csv** This data sheet
 is associated with the Pacific chorus frog (*Pseudacris regilla*)
 metamorphs (3x3 surface design) experiment. The sheet shows: first column
 = frog identification number, vaccinated = exposed to Bd metabolite
 prophylaxis (vaccinated) or exposed to an artificial spring water control
 (Controls), conc = concentration of the Bd metabolite treatment exposure
 (Bd metabolites zoospores removed/ml), log.conc = log10 of the Bd
 metabolite treatment exposure (Bd metabolites zoospores removed/ml),
 duration = duration of exposure in weeks to the Bd metabolite treatment
 (controls coded as 0 week duration), mass = final mass in g, Bd = total
 quantity of Bd in each sample (genome equivalents), and prevalence = 1 =
 Bd was present in the sample and 0 = Bd was not present
 **3x3_Mortality__JAPPL-2024-00099.csv** This data sheet is associated with
 the Pacific chorus frog (*Pseudacris regilla*) metamorphs (3x3 surface
 design) experiment. The sheet shows: frog= frog identification number,
 conc = concentration of the Bd metabolite treatment exposure (Bd
 metabolites zoospores removed/ml), log.conc = log10 of the Bd metabolite
 treatment exposure (Bd metabolites zoospores removed/ml), duration =
 duration of exposure in weeks to the Bd metabolite treatment (controls
 coded as 5 week duration), status = 1 animal died, 0 animal did not die,
 death = experimental day of death (or end of experiment = day 46)
 **5x5__JAPPL-2024-00099.csv** This data sheet is associated with the
 Pacific chorus frog (*Pseudacris regilla*) tadpoles (5x5 surface design)
 experiment. The sheet shows: tadpole = tadpole identification number, conc
 = concentration of the Bd metabolite treatment exposure (Bd metabolites
 zoospores removed/ml), log.conc = log10 of the Bd metabolite treatment
 exposure (Bd metabolites zoospores removed/ml), vaccinated = exposed to Bd
 metabolite prophylaxis (vaccinated) or exposed to an artificial spring
 water control (Controls), duration = duration of exposure in weeks to the
 Bd metabolite treatment (controls coded as 5 week duration), duration2 =
 duration of exposure in weeks to the Bd metabolite treatment (controls
 coded as 0 week duration), total.Bd.GE = total quantity of Bd in each
 sample (genome equivalents), prevalence = 1 = Bd was present in the sample
 and 0 = Bd was not present, death.status = 1 tadpole died, 0 tadpole did
 not die, death.day = experimental day of death (or end of experiment = day
 50), Gosner stage = developmental Gosner stage of tadpole, Mass = final
 mass in g.