Pseudogymnoascus destructans is an ascomycetous fungus responsible for the disease dubbed white-nose syndrome (WNS) and massive mortalities of cave-dwelling bats. The fungus infects bat epidermal tissue, causing damage to integumentary cells and pilosebaceous units. Differences in epidermal
lipid composition caused by P. destructans
infection could have drastic consequences for a variety of physiological functions, including innate immune efficiency and water retention. While bat surface
lipid and stratum corneum
lipid composition have been described, the differences in epidermal
lipid content between healthy tissue and P. destructans-infected tissue have not been documented. In this study, we analyzed the effect of wing damage from P. destructans
infection on the epidermal polar
lipid composition (
glycerophospholipids [GPs] and
sphingomyelin) of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus). We hypothesized that
infection would lead to lower levels of total
lipid or higher oxidized
lipid product proportions. Polar
lipids from three damaged and three healthy wing samples were profiled by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. We found lower total broad
lipid levels in damaged tissue, specifically
ether-linked
phospholipids,
lysophospholipids,
phosphatidylcholine, and
phosphatidylethanolamine. Thirteen individual GP species from four broad GP classes were present in higher amounts in healthy tissue. Six unsaturated GP species were absent in damaged tissue. Our results confirm that P. destructans
infection leads to altered
lipid profiles. Clinical signs of WNS may include lower
lipid levels and lower proportions of unsaturated
lipids due to cellular and glandular damage.