Symbiont-Mediated Protection of
            <i>Acromyrmex</i>
            Leaf-Cutter Ants from the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

Bruner-Montero, Gaspar; Wood, M G; Horn, Heidemarie; Gemperline, Erin; Currie, Cameron R.

doi:10.1128/mbio.01885-21

Cited by 18 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…The defensive ectomicrobiome of leaf-cutting ants, especially the key bacterial members Pseudonocardia and Streptomyces , can produce antifungal compounds to inhibit fungal spore germination ( 25 , 26 , 28 ). Strains of L. plantarum have been developed as potential probiotics in the food industry ( 40 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to per os infections of insects by pathogenic bacteria and viruses, fungal pathogens infect insects through spore germination on host cuticles and the penetration of exoskeletons ( 20 , 21 ). Similar to the protective barrier functions of the human skin and plant phyllosphere microbiotas ( 22 – 24 ), diverse insects, such as ants, wasps, and beetles, have evolved the ability to assemble defensive ectosymbiotic bacteria on body surfaces to defend against fungal parasitic infections ( 25 – 28 ). We recently showed that the surface microbiotas assembled on Drosophila melanogaster are beneficial to hosts by inhibiting the spore germinations of entomopathogenic fungi on fly surfaces ( 29 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Production of Helvolic Acid in Metarhizium Contributes to Fungal Infection of Insects by Bacteriostatic Inhibition of the Host Cuticular Microbiomes

et al. 2022

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Emerging evidence has shown that the plant and animal surface microbiomes can defend hosts against fungal parasite infections. The strategies employed by fungal pathogens to combat the antagonistic inhibition of insect surface bacteria are still elusive. In this study, we found that the potent antibiotic helvolic acid (HA) produced by the insect pathogen Metarhizium robertsii contributes to natural fungal infection of insect hosts. Antibiotic and gnotobiotic infection assays confirmed that HA could facilitate fungal infection of insects by suppression of the host cuticular microbiomes through its bacteriostatic instead of bactericidal activities. The data from this study provide insights into the novel chemical biology of fungal secondary metabolisms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Production of Helvolic Acid in Metarhizium Contributes to Fungal Infection of Insects by Bacteriostatic Inhibition of the Host Cuticular Microbiomes

et al. 2022

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“…Nonetheless, several other rare genera of actinomycetes have been isolated from hymenopteran samples including Actinomadura ( Promnuan et al, 2009 , 2021 ), Actinoplanes ( Madden et al, 2013 ), Kitasatospora Microbacterium ( Wu et al, 2022 ), Nocardiopsis ( Promnuan et al, 2009 ; Kumar et al, 2012 ), Nocardioides ( Hanshew et al, 2015 ), Nonomuraea ( Promnuan et al, 2009 ), Phytohabitans ( Wang et al, 2020 ), Propionicimonas ( Zucchi et al, 2011 ), Pseudonocardia ( Cafaro et al, 2011 ; Meirelles et al, 2014 ; Bruner-Montero et al, 2021 ), Saccharopolyspora ( Kumar et al, 2012 ), Saccharothrix ( Matarrita-Carranza et al, 2017 ) , Streptosporangium ( Kumar et al, 2012 ; Matarrita-Carranza et al, 2017 ), Thermoactinomycetes ( Kumar et al, 2012 ), Tsukamurella ( Barke et al, 2010 ), Verrucosispora ( Wang et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Bioprospecting Hymenopteran-associated Actinomycetesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Actinomycetes associated with hymenopteran insects: a promising source of bioactive natural products

Diarra,

Osborne-Naikatini,

Subramani

2024

Front. Microbiol.

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In recent years, the insect microbiome has become the focus of many actinomycete researchers in their search for novel bioactive compounds with members of the order Hymenoptera at the forefront of the revolution. Hymenoptera encompasses all bees, wasps, ants, and sawflies and is the third largest insect order by species richness. Additionally, Hymenoptera is the most diverse insect order in terms of ecological roles, behaviors, and social systems, thus making it an ideal starting point in the search for symbiotic actinomycetes. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on hymenopteran associations with actinomycetes including information on interactions between actinomycetes and hymenopterans, isolation, and screening methodologies, as well as novel actinomycete species and natural products discovered between early 2013 and 2023. A total of 19 new species were discovered within this time period, with the genus Streptomyces being represented by 11 species while the remaining 8 belonged to rare actinomycetes genera. In addition, 35 novel compounds were reported from hymenopteran-associated actinomycetes within the same time period with the majority originating from Streptomyces strains. The reported novel compounds exhibit a range of biological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-enzymatic, and antiproliferative activity, as well as cytotoxicity.

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“…Among them, Pseudonocardia is first vertically transmitted by founding queens and then transferred from workers or even from the fungal cultivar to younger workers and new queens. Other actinomycetes, including Streptomyces spp., are horizontally acquired from the environment (Batey et al, 2020 ; Bruner‐Montero et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Attina Ants Using Fungi As Foodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mutualistic interactions between ants and fungi: A review

Déjean

Azémar

Naskrecki

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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The large amount of dead plant biomass caused by the final extinction events triggered a fungi proliferation that mostly differentiated into saprophytes degrading organic matter; others became parasites, predators, likely commensals, and mutualists. Among the last, many have relationships with ants, the most emblematic seen in the Neotropical myrmicine Attina that cultivate Basidiomycota for food. Among them, leaf‐cutting, fungus‐growing species illustrate an ecological innovation because they grow fungal gardens from fresh plant material rather than arthropod frass and plant debris. Myrmecophytes shelter “plant‐ants” in hollow structures, the domatia, whose inner walls are lined with thin‐walled Ascomycota hyphae that, in certain cases, are eaten by the ants, showing a form of convergence. Typically, these Ascomycota have antibacterial properties illustrating cases of farming for protection. Ant gardens, or mutualistic associations between certain ant species and epiphytes, shelter endophytic fungi that promote the growth of the epiphytes. Because the cell walls of certain Ascomycota hyphae remain sturdy after the death of the mycelium, they form resistant fibers used by ants to reinforce their constructions (e.g., galleries, shelters for tended hemipterans, and carton nests). Thus, we saw cases of “true” fungal agriculture involving planting, cultivating, and harvesting Basidiomycota for food with Attina. A convergence with “plant‐ants” feeding on Ascomycota whose antibacterial activity is generally exploited (i.e., farming for protection). The growth of epiphytes was promoted by endophytic fungi in ant gardens. Finally, farming for structural materials occurred with, in one case, a leaf‐cutting, fungus‐growing ant using Ascomycota fibers to reinforce its nests.

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Symbiont-Mediated Protection of Acromyrmex Leaf-Cutter Ants from the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

Cited by 18 publications

References 86 publications

Production of Helvolic Acid in Metarhizium Contributes to Fungal Infection of Insects by Bacteriostatic Inhibition of the Host Cuticular Microbiomes

Production of Helvolic Acid in Metarhizium Contributes to Fungal Infection of Insects by Bacteriostatic Inhibition of the Host Cuticular Microbiomes

Actinomycetes associated with hymenopteran insects: a promising source of bioactive natural products

Mutualistic interactions between ants and fungi: A review

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