Can Ectoparasites Be Implicated in the Spread of Pseudogymnoascus destructans?

Real-time PCR detected Pseudogymnoascus destructans associated with ectoparasites collected from three mist-netted free-flying bats (two gray bats, Myotis grisescens; one Indiana bat, Myotis sodalis) in late August to early September 2016 from Kentucky, US, a state impacted by white-nose syndrome. Presence of viable conidia could implicate ectoparasites as possible vectors of white-nose syndrome.

Fungal endophyte diversity in Sarracenia.

Fungal endophytes were isolated from 4 species of the carnivorous pitcher plant genus Sarracenia: S. minor, S. oreophila, S. purpurea, and S. psittacina. Twelve taxa of fungi, 8 within the Ascomycota and 4 within the Basidiomycota, were identified based on PCR amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) with taxonomic identity assigned using the NCBI nucleotide megablast search tool. Endophytes are known to produce a large number of metabolites, some of which may contribute to the protection and survival of the host. We speculate that endophyte-infected Sarracenia may benefit from their fungal associates by their influence on nutrient availability from within pitchers and, possibly, by directly influencing the biota within pitchers.