{
  "abstract": "Epizootic outbreaks of invasive pathogens, such as the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), are increasingly recognized as a global threat to biodiversity. However, not all susceptible host populations are equally impacted by these disease outbreaks. While some populations persist despite intense infections and high mortality rates, others can transition to enzootic coexistence with the pathogen. Here, we use comparative peptidomics to identify differences in antimicrobial peptide (AMP) maturation in Bd-susceptible common midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans) through metamorphosis. Here, we show that animals that metamorphose before AMP immune maturation display a low-diversity AMP phenotype deficient in anti-Bd AMPs. Where a high incidence of postmetamorphic animals occur with immature AMPs, populations are associated with epizootic disease dynamics. Conversely, populations associated with mature AMPs are stable following invasion of the pathogen. Our results show that even intrinsically susceptible amphibian species can possess the tools that allow populations to recover following a severe Bd epizootic.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK",
    "MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK",
    "Department of Chemistry, UCL, London, UK",
    "IMIB Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-Oviedo University-Principality of Asturias), Mieres, Spain",
    "Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) and Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal",
    "Blizard Institute, The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK",
    "Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Québec Canada",
    "Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Heath Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Québec Canada",
    "Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark",
    "Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK",
    "Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands",
    "Zoological Society of London, London, UK",
    "Centre for Biomolecular Spectroscopy and Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, New Hunt’s House, London, UK",
    "Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK",
    "Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Medical Microbiology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands",
    "School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK",
    "Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Northwest University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, South Africa"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 24,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Phillip A. Jervis",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0542-7439"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Gonçalo M. Rosa",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8658-8436"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Kieran A. Bates"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Kersti Karu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Aamina Murtza"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Thomas Defuentes"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6,
        7
      ],
      "name": "David Firer",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-1901-4540"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8,
        9,
        10
      ],
      "name": "Sam Edwards",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2796-8527"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kevin Hopkins"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6,
        7
      ],
      "name": "François Le Mauff"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Christopher J. Michaels"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tresai Jordine-Morgan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Christina Nylander"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Christopher Sergeant"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Emily J. Skelly"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12
      ],
      "name": "Tam T. Bui",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8074-4928"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Donald Sheppard"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        13
      ],
      "name": "Xavier A. Harrison"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        14,
        15
      ],
      "name": "Johanna Rhodes"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Benjamin Tapley",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9787-3793"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jaime Bosch"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        16
      ],
      "name": "Trenton W. J. Garner"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Matthew C. Fisher"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Alethea B. Tabor",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8216-0347"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/156k2sj10tjtp.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41589-026-02254-6",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13710165/",
  "id": "156k2sj10tjtp",
  "issns": [
    "1552-4450",
    "1552-4469"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-026-02254-6",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2404|Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7168258465",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41589-026-02254-6.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13710165",
  "pmid": "42448897",
  "published": "2026-07-15",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/156k2sj10tjtp.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:11Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13710165",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-026-02254-6"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2404|Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Early maturation of host antimicrobial peptide defences is associated with host–pathogen coexistence",
  "title_text": "Early maturation of host antimicrobial peptide defences is associated with host–pathogen coexistence",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:21:11Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/156k2sj10tjtp",
  "venue": "Nature Chemical Biology",
  "versions": []
}