Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a fungal pathogen that has led to catastrophic declines in amphibian populations worldwide. Bd zoospores infect amphibian skin, disrupting its function and ultimately leading to death. Iron competition is a well-defined battleground in host-pathogen interactions across diverse systems, ranging from the human gut to aquatic vertebrates. However, its role in amphibian skin defense remains unexplored. In parallel, we know that commensal bacteria can produce iron-chelating molecules, called siderophores. We hypothesized that the skin microbiome may drive this iron competition, through siderophores, acting in synchrony with the host to restrict metal availability to Bd. We used a combination of culture-dependent assays and LC-MS to screen and identify siderophores produced by skin bacterial isolates from Alytes obstetricans. To evaluate the anti-fungal potential, we challenged Bd with these siderophores in in vitro growth assays. Our research suggests that siderophore production is prevalent within A.obstetricans skin microbiome. These secondary metabolites displayed potent anti-fungal activity against Bd, in an iron-dependent manner. Consequently, we are currently designing siderophore producing synthetic communities (SynComs) of native skin bacteria to screen in vivo as probiotics. Our findings suggest that microbiome-derived siderophores may provide a critical layer of colonization resistance against Bd though iron limitation.

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