近日，国际著名杂志PNAS在线刊登了国外研究人员的最新研究成果“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，白鼻综合征背后的真菌可能是来自欧洲的入侵者。
从欧洲引入到北美的真菌病原体Geomyces destructans很可能是造成白鼻综合征的原因，白鼻综合征流行病已经杀死了北美成千上万的蝙蝠。尽管这种真菌已经被证明能够通过直接接触而在蝙蝠之间传播并引发这种疾病特定的症状，它在这场疾病流行中的原因作用仍不十分清楚。Craig Willis及其同事们为北美蝙蝠接种了欧洲或北美分离出来的这种真菌，然后在感染后的几个月中监测这种疾病的发病情况。
尽管未感染的蝙蝠没有出现症状，这两种分离菌株都引发了白鼻综合征的所有已知体征，包括蝙蝠暴露的皮肤上生长的粉状白色真菌，以及蝙蝠翼的损伤。被感染的蝙蝠在冬眠期间醒来的次数很可能是没有感染的蝙蝠的3到4倍，这导致了宝贵的皮下脂肪储备的耗尽和身体消耗。这组作者提出，这很可能是其死亡的原因。由于欧洲蝙蝠可能通过免疫的进化而在很大程度上从这种真菌的感染中存活了下来，这组作者提出从欧洲进入北美洲的这种真菌很可能是造成北美蝙蝠的白鼻综合征的原因。（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.
