Attine Fungus Gardens Contain Yeasts

Craven, S. E.; Dix, Michael W.; Michaels, Gene E.

doi:10.1126/science.169.3941.184

Cited by 47 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The yeast abundance in mature colonies of A. texana evaluated in this study was also variable (Table 3), ranging from no yeast to 80 9 10 2 CFUs per gram of fungus gardens. These figures are much lower compared to adult nests of A. sexdens rubropilosa from Brazil (average of 1.4 9 10 5 yeast CFUs per gram of old fungus garden; Pagnocca et al 1996) and lower than old fungus gardens from adults nests of Atta cephalotes and Acromyrmex octospinosus reared in the laboratory (average of 1.4 9 10 5 and 7.2 9 10 4 CFUs per gram, respectively, Craven et al 1970). These results suggest the following possible explanations for the observed differences in yeast abundances between A. texana gardens: (1) garden-yeast populations are dependent on the yeast influx with specific kinds of plant substrate during different periods of the year or in different habitats;…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Antagonistic interactions between garden yeasts and microfungal garden pathogens of leaf-cutting ants

Rodrigues

Cable

Mueller

et al. 2009

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

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We investigate the diversity of yeasts isolated in gardens of the leafcutter ant Atta texana. Repeated sampling of gardens from four nests over a 1-year time period showed that gardens contain a diverse assemblage of yeasts. The yeast community in gardens consisted mostly of yeasts associated with plants or soil, but community composition changed between sampling periods. In order to understand the potential disease-suppressing roles of the garden yeasts, we screened isolates for antagonistic effects against known microfungal garden contaminants. In vitro assays revealed that yeasts inhibited the mycelial growth of two strains of Escovopsis (a specialized attine garden parasite), Syncephalastrum racemosum (a fungus often growing in gardens of leafcutter lab nests), and the insect pathogen Beauveria bassiana. These garden yeasts add to the growing list of disease-suppressing microbes in attine nests that may contribute synergistically, together with actinomycetes and Burkholderia bacteria, to protect the gardens and the ants against diseases. Additionally, we suggest that garden immunity against problem fungi may therefore derive not only from the presence of disease-suppressing Pseudonocardia actinomycetes, but from an enrichment of multiple disease-suppressing microorganisms in the garden matrix.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Antagonistic interactions between garden yeasts and microfungal garden pathogens of leaf-cutting ants

Rodrigues

Cable

Mueller

et al. 2009

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

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“…The first attempt to empirically test for the possible presence of nonmutualistic fungi within gardens was made by Craven et al (19). They used dilution plating techniques and scanning electron microscopy to examine gardens for nonmutualistic microbes in colonies of Acromyrmex octospinosus and Atta cephalotes, two common leaf-cutter ant species.…”

Section: Pathogens Of Ant Fungus Gardensmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Community of Ants, Fungi, and Bacteria: A Multilateral Approach to Studying Symbiosis

Currie

2001

Annu. Rev. Microbiol.

281

219

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▪ Abstract The ancient and highly evolved mutualism between fungus-growing ants and their fungi is a textbook example of symbiosis. The ants carefully tend the fungus, which serves as their main food source, and traditionally are believed to be so successful at fungal cultivation that they are able to maintain the fungus free of microbial pathogens. This assumption is surprising in light of theories on the evolution of parasitism, especially for those species of ants that have been clonally propagating their cultivars for millions of years. Recent work has established that, as theoretically predicted, the gardens of fungus-growing ants are host to a specialized, virulent, and highly evolved fungal pathogen in the genus Escovopsis. In addition, the ants have evolved a mutualistic association with filamentous bacteria (actinomycetes) that produce antibiotics that suppress the growth of Escovopsis. Thus, the attine symbiosis appears to be a coevolutionary “arms race” between the garden parasite Escovopsis on the one hand and the ant-fungus-actinomycete tripartite mutualism on the other. These recent findings indicate that microbes may be key components in the regulation of other symbiotic associations between higher organisms.

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“…Leaf-cutting ant colonies have to deal with a large variety of potentially harmful micro-organisms, some of which may affect the ants (Hölldobler and Wilson, 1990;Kermarrec et al, 1986), while others occur in the fungus garden (Craven et al, 1970;Currie et al, 1999a;Fisher et al, 1996;Kreisel, 1972) and may significantly reduce its productivity (Currie et al, 1999a). A general chemical defence mechanism that inhibits the growth of many different types of micro-organisms is therefore beneficial for leaf-cutting ant colonies.…”

Section: Experimental Conditions and Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variable sensitivity of fungi and bacteria to compounds produced by the metapleural glands of leaf-cutting ants

Bot

Ortius-Lechner

Finster³

et al. 2002

Insectes soc.

129

131

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Attine Fungus Gardens Contain Yeasts

Abstract: Yeasts were detected in the fungus gardens of Atta cephalotes and Acromyrmex octospinosus by scanning electron microscopy and by microbiological techniques.

Cited by 47 publications

References 4 publications

Antagonistic interactions between garden yeasts and microfungal garden pathogens of leaf-cutting ants

Antagonistic interactions between garden yeasts and microfungal garden pathogens of leaf-cutting ants

A Community of Ants, Fungi, and Bacteria: A Multilateral Approach to Studying Symbiosis

Variable sensitivity of fungi and bacteria to compounds produced by the metapleural glands of leaf-cutting ants

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