近日，國(guó)際著名雜志PNAS在線(xiàn)刊登了國(guó)外研究人員的最新研究成果“Inoculation of bats with European Geomyces destructans supports the novel pathogen hypothesis for the origin of white-nose syndrome,，”,，文章中，研究者表示,，白鼻綜合征背后的真菌可能是來(lái)自歐洲的入侵者,。
從歐洲引入到北美的真菌病原體Geomyces destructans很可能是造成白鼻綜合征的原因，白鼻綜合征流行病已經(jīng)殺死了北美成千上萬(wàn)的蝙蝠,。盡管這種真菌已經(jīng)被證明能夠通過(guò)直接接觸而在蝙蝠之間傳播并引發(fā)這種疾病特定的癥狀,，它在這場(chǎng)疾病流行中的原因作用仍不十分清楚。Craig Willis及其同事們?yōu)楸泵莉鸾臃N了歐洲或北美分離出來(lái)的這種真菌,，然后在感染后的幾個(gè)月中監(jiān)測(cè)這種疾病的發(fā)病情況,。
盡管未感染的蝙蝠沒(méi)有出現(xiàn)癥狀，這兩種分離菌株都引發(fā)了白鼻綜合征的所有已知體征,，包括蝙蝠暴露的皮膚上生長(zhǎng)的粉狀白色真菌,，以及蝙蝠翼的損傷。被感染的蝙蝠在冬眠期間醒來(lái)的次數(shù)很可能是沒(méi)有感染的蝙蝠的3到4倍,，這導(dǎo)致了寶貴的皮下脂肪儲(chǔ)備的耗盡和身體消耗,。這組作者提出，這很可能是其死亡的原因,。由于歐洲蝙蝠可能通過(guò)免疫的進(jìn)化而在很大程度上從這種真菌的感染中存活了下來(lái),，這組作者提出從歐洲進(jìn)入北美洲的這種真菌很可能是造成北美蝙蝠的白鼻綜合征的原因。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1073/pnas.1200374109
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Inoculation of bats with European Geomyces destructans supports the novel pathogen hypothesis for the origin of white-nose syndrome
Lisa Warneckea,1, James M. Turnera,1, Trent K. Bollingerb, Jeffrey M. Lorchc,d, Vikram Misrae, Paul M. Cryanf, Gudrun Wibbeltg, David S. Blehertd, and Craig K. R. Willisa,2
White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emerging disease of hibernating bats associated with cutaneous infection by the fungus Geomyces destructans (Gd), and responsible for devastating declines of bat populations in eastern North America. Affected bats appear emaciated and one hypothesis is that they spend too much time out of torpor during hibernation, depleting vital fat reserves required to survive the winter. The fungus has also been found at low levels on bats throughout Europe but without mass mortality. This finding suggests that Gd is either native to both continents but has been rendered more pathogenic in North America by mutation or environmental change, or that it recently arrived in North America as an invader from Europe. Thus, a causal link between Gd and mortality has not been established and the reason for its high pathogenicity in North America is unknown. Here we show that experimental inoculation with either North American or European isolates of Gd causes WNS and mortality in the North American bat, Myotis lucifugus. In contrast to control bats, individuals inoculated with either isolate of Gd developed cutaneous infections diagnostic of WNS, exhibited a progressive increase in the frequency of arousals from torpor during hibernation, and were emaciated after 3–4 mo. Our results demonstrate that altered torpor-arousal cycles underlie mortality from WNS and provide direct evidence that Gd is a novel pathogen to North America from Europe.
