Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

the chytrid pathogen of amphibians

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Photographs© (please contact Joyce Longcore for permission to use photos)

• Unstained in amphibian skin
  • very light infection in skin of Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)
  • light infection in skin of Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens).
  • light to medium infection of Green Frog (Rana clamitans) higher magnification
  • heavy infection of Smooth-sided Toad (Bufo guttatus)
  • Infection in jaw sheath of larval Bullfrog 100X (infection in demelanized area of jaw sheath), 400X, 1000X.
• Isolation into pure culture
  • cleaned infected frog skin on isolation agar; arrows indicate released zoospores
  • successive stages of growth of a colony of Batrachochytrium on cleaned frog skin
    • thalli growing on cleaned frog skin
    • later stage
    • later stage
• Growth on 1% tryptone agar
• encysted zoospores form rhizoids
• enlarging zoosporangia
• zoosporangium with discharge papillae, other
• zoosporangium with long papillae
• zoospore discharge Note zoospores, each with a single flagellum (arrows).
• empty zoosporangium
• colonial thalli, other

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