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. 2022 Jan 28;22(3):1031.
doi: 10.3390/s22031031.

Biomarker Metabolites Discriminate between Physiological States of Field, Cave and White-nose Syndrome Diseased Bats

Anna C Doty  1   2 , A Dan Wilson  3 , Lisa B Forse  3 , Thomas S Risch  2   4
Affiliations

Biomarker Metabolites Discriminate between Physiological States of Field, Cave and White-nose Syndrome Diseased Bats

Anna C Doty et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Analysis of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions using electronic-nose (e-nose) devices has shown promise for early detection of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats. Tricolored bats, Perimyotis subflavus, from three separate sampling groups defined by environmental conditions, levels of physical activity, and WNS-disease status were captured temporarily for collection of VOC emissions to determine relationships between these combinations of factors and physiological states, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd)-infection status, and metabolic conditions. Physiologically active (non-torpid) healthy individuals were captured outside of caves in Arkansas and Louisiana. In addition, healthy and WNS-diseased torpid bats were sampled within caves in Arkansas. Whole-body VOC emissions from bats were collected using portable air-collection and sampling-chamber devices in tandem. Electronic aroma-detection data using three-dimensional Principal Component Analysis provided strong evidence that the three groups of bats had significantly different e-nose aroma signatures, indicative of different VOC profiles. This was confirmed by differences in peak numbers, peak areas, and tentative chemical identities indicated by chromatograms from dual-column GC-analyses. The numbers and quantities of VOCs present in whole-body emissions from physiologically active healthy field bats were significantly greater than those of torpid healthy and diseased cave bats. Specific VOCs were identified as chemical biomarkers of healthy and diseased states, environmental conditions (outside and inside of caves), and levels of physiological activity. These results suggest that GC/E-nose dual-technologies based on VOC-detection and analyses of physiological states, provide noninvasive alternative means for early assessments of Pd-infection, WNS-disease status, and other physiological states.

Keywords: VOCs; chiroptera; disease biomarkers; early disease detection; electronic nose; healthy biomarkers; metabolomics; volatile organic compounds; white-nose syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Bat VOC air-collection apparatus assembly. Xitech vacuum chamber (at right, containing PE-AL VOC air-sampling bag inside) with glass bat air-sampling chamber (at left) connected via two port valves to FEP tubing with Port 1 (receiving air inflow from pure zero-air replacement bag), and Port 2 (allowing outflow of bat sample air to input port of Xitech air-collection chamber and internal VOC air-collection bag).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Gas chromatograms, derived from DB-5 column, displaying numbered major peaks detected in whole-body VOC emissions from P. subflavus bats. (A) Pd-infected cave bats = Pd-infected, WNS-symptomatic torpid bats with reduced physiologically activity, but with more frequent arousal episodes due to dermatophytic, Pd-associated irritation (B) Healthy cave bat = physically inactive, Pd-uninfected, torpid bats with greatly reduced physiological activity; and (C) Healthy field bats = physically active foraging bats with full-range of metabolic activities.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Principal component analysis e-nose aroma-plot of P. subflavus bat whole-body air VOC profile.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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