Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Joyce H. H. Kim, Georgia Scherer, Dellencia S. S. Lumpkin, Krithika Rao, Carmen D. D. Puentes Flores, Ethan B. B. Van Arnam
Summary: Animal hosts benefit from chemical defenses provided by microbes, which can be a potential source for novel antibiotics and help in understanding ecological contexts. In this study, Actinobacteria isolated from Trachymyrmex ants in the southwest desert of the US were found to suppress contaminant fungi. The antibiotic ECO-0501, previously known for antibacterial activity, exhibited strong antifungal properties and may also play a role in bacterial competition in this niche.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Charlotte B. Francoeur, Daniel S. May, Margaret W. Thairu, Don Q. Hoang, Olivia Panthofer, Tim S. Bugni, Monica T. Pupo, Jon Clardy, Adrian A. Pinto-Tomas, Cameron R. Currie
Summary: Research suggests that bacteria of the genus Burkholderia in ant fungus gardens may play a key role in inhibiting parasitic fungi.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kirsten Gotting, Daniel S. May, Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo, Lily Khadempour, Charlotte B. Francoeur, Aileen Berasategui, Margaret W. Thairu, Shelby Sandstrom, Caitlin M. Carlson, Marc G. Chevrette, Tim S. Bugni, Monica T. Pupo, Ted R. Schultz, J. Spencer Johnston, Nicole M. Gerardo, Cameron R. Currie
Summary: Fungi play a crucial role in shaping the diversity of life. This study investigates the genomic and metabolomic diversity of Escovopsis, a specialized parasite of fungus-growing ant gardens. The research reveals that Escovopsis evolved unique genomic repertoires to specialize in the symbiotic relationship between fungus-growing ants and microbes. Genome reduction, particularly in coding regions, was a consistent feature across the genus Escovopsis. Biosynthetic gene clusters contribute to phylogenetic differences among Escovopsis species and their sister taxa.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Gaspar Bruner-Montero, Matthew Wood, Heidi A. Horn, Erin Gemperline, Lingjun Li, Cameron R. Currie
Summary: The study demonstrates that fungus-growing ants engage in a defensive symbiosis with antibiotic-producing ectosymbiotic bacteria to protect their fungal mutualist from pathogens. Different Acromyrmex ant species derive varying degrees of immunity to fungal pathogens from their defensive symbionts, with some species more reliant on these symbionts for protection. The defensive symbiotic bacterium Pseudonocardia not only protects the ants' fungal crop but also provides increased immunity to fungal pathogens that infect the ant workers themselves.
Article
Entomology
Chu Wang, Ping-Jui Sung, Chung-Chi Lin, Fuminori Ito, Johan Billen
Summary: Similar to wasps and bees, ants can produce males through parthenogenesis. However, some ant species, including six species in the genus Strumigenys, can also produce females through parthenogenesis. These species retain a functional reproductive system and spermatheca, which allows them to mate with males when encountered, increasing the genetic variability of their offspring. This mode of reproduction gives a significant advantage to tramp species when establishing colonies in new environments.
Article
Microbiology
Farhan Ahmad, Guiying Yang, Yaning Zhu, Michael Poulsen, Wuhan Li, Ting Yu, Jianchu Mo
Summary: This study investigated the digestion of lignocellulose in the symbiotic system of fungus-growing termites. The results showed that young workers initiate the degradation of lignocellulose, while the majority of lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose enter the fresh fungus comb for decomposition. The decomposition of lignocellulose enriches the old comb with sugars that can be utilized by Termitomyces and termite workers. Additionally, clear differences in bacterial community composition were observed at different stages of plant biomass decomposition, which may interact synergistically with Termitomyces to shape the digestion process.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yuliana Christopher, William T. Wcislo, Sergio Martinez-Luis, William O. H. Hughes, Nicole M. Gerardo, Hermogenes Fernandez-Marin
Summary: Antagonistic interactions between host and parasites are often complex due to interactions within networks of multiple species. In this study, two sympatric species of fungus-growing ants and their symbiotic fungal cultivars were found to be attacked by multiple morphotypes of parasitic fungi. The results showed differences in the frequency of infection by pathogens between the two ant species, as well as variations in the ability of the host fungi to suppress Escovopsis growth and ant defensive responses toward the parasites.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Fangying Chen, Martijn Schenkel, Elzemiek Geuverink, Louis van de Zande, Leo W. Beukeboom
Summary: Complementary sex determination (CSD) is a common sex determination mechanism in haplodiploid Hymenoptera, while endosymbiont-induced thelytoky may be incompatible with CSD due to gamete duplication leading to complete homozygosity. The rejection of CSD in two cynipid wasp species, Leptopilina heterotoma and Leptopilina clavipes, sheds light on the sex determination mechanism and presumed incompatibility between CSD and endosymbiont-induced thelytoky in Hymenoptera.
Review
Entomology
Farhan Ahmad, Gui-Ying Yang, Shi-You Liang, Qi-Huan Zhou, Hassan Ahmed Gaal, Jian-Chu Mo
Summary: Fungus-growing termites utilize a multipartite symbiotic system to degrade lignocellulose, thereby increasing crop productivity, protecting their nests, and maintaining microenvironment stability inside the colony.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jules Rodrigues, Emilie Lefoulon, Laurent Gavotte, Marco Perillat-Sanguinet, Benjamin Makepeace, Coralie Martin, Cyrille A. D'Haese
Summary: Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacteria, infects diverse arthropods and nematode hosts and has various interactions. The taxonomy of Wolbachia is defined by supergroups, while its evolutionary history involves horizontal transfers and secondary losses. In this study, the diversity of Wolbachia infecting springtails was characterized, and new genotypes were identified. The phylogeny of Wolbachia was rooted using a different group infecting plant-parasitic nematodes. It is hypothesized that the ancestor of Wolbachia was consumed by soil-dwelling nematodes and was then transferred to aphids and subsequently infected edaphic arthropods before expanding to other terrestrial arthropods and filarial nematodes.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ewa Chrostek, Nelson Martins, Marta S. Marialva, Luis Teixeira
Summary: Temperature modulates the antiviral protection conferred by Wolbachia in Drosophila, with higher temperatures leading to more lethal viruses and reduced Wolbachia protection. Host developmental temperature is a determinant of the level of antiviral protection provided by Wolbachia.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhijun Zhang, Jiahui Zhang, Qizhang Chen, Jianyun He, Xiaowei Li, Yunsheng Wang, Yaobin Lu
Summary: In this study, a complete genome assembly of Wolbachia strain wFI in Thysanopteran insects was successfully obtained using Nanopore long reads and Illumina short reads. The assembled genome consisted of 1838 protein-coding genes and various other functional genes. The research revealed the nutritional mutualism between Wolbachia and flower thrips and provided a valuable resource for further studies on the interactions between Wolbachia and its host.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah Buettner, Sarah P. Niehs, Koen Vandelannoote, Zoltan Cseresnyes, Benjamin Dose, Ingrid Richter, Ruman Gerst, Marc Thilo Figge, Timothy P. Stinear, Sacha J. Pidot, Christian Hertweck
Summary: Fungi of the genus Mortierella are protected from nematode attacks by an endosymbiotic bacterium called Mycoavidus, which produces anthelmintic metabolites, highlighting the important role of endofungal bacteria in defending fungi against mycophagous nematodes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biology
Jan P. Dudzic, Caitlin I. Curtis, Brent E. Gowen, Steve J. Perlman
Summary: Wolbachia symbionts are successful host-associated microbes that infect arthropods and nematodes. This study discovered a highly divergent strain of Wolbachia in an insect-parasitic nematode, Howardula sp., which was not previously known to harbor Wolbachia. The genome of this Wolbachia strain is highly reduced and smaller than other known Wolbachia genomes, but it has retained genes related to haem biosynthesis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amy R. Luo, Madeline F. Hassler, Tappey H. Jones, Robert K. Vander Meer, Rachelle M. M. Adams
Summary: Male ants produce tyramides, which play a crucial role in reproductive development. However, the chemistry and ecology of male ants have been understudied. This study identifies new sources of tyramides in different ant species.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Julia Grassl, Yan Peng, Barbara Baer-Imhoof, Mat Welch, A. Harvey Millar, Boris Baer
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2017)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ellen Paynter, A. Harvey Millar, Mat Welch, Barbara Baer-Imhoof, Danyang Cao, Boris Baer
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2017)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Joanito Liberti, Boris Baer, Jacobus J. Boomsma
BMC EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biology
Sarah Cherasse, Boris Baer, Morten Schiott, Jacobus J. Boomsma
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeremy A. Shaw, Alastair Boyd, Michael House, Gary Cowin, Boris Baer
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2018)
Article
Zoology
Julia Grassl, Shannon Holt, Naomi Cremen, Marianne Peso, Dorothee Hahne, Boris Baer
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ryan Dosselli, Julia Grassl, Susanne P. A. den Boer, Madlen Kratz, Jessica M. Moran, Jacobus J. Boomsma, Boris Baer
MOLECULAR & CELLULAR PROTEOMICS
(2019)
Review
Entomology
Laura M. Brutscher, Boris Baer, Elina L. Nino
Article
Biology
Joanito Liberti, Julia Gorner, Mat Welch, Ryan Dosselli, Morten Schiott, Yuri Ogawa, Ian Castleden, Jan M. Hemmi, Barbara Baer-Imhoof, Jacobus J. Boomsma, Boris Baer
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yahya Al Naggar, Boris Baer
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2019)
Article
Oncology
Ciara Duffy, Anabel Sorolla, Edina Wang, Emily Golden, Eleanor Woodward, Kathleen Davern, Diwei Ho, Elizabeth Johnstone, Kevin Pfleger, Andrew Redfern, K. Swaminathan Iyer, Boris Baer, Pilar Blancafort
NPJ PRECISION ONCOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Alex de Mendoza, Daniel Poppe, Sam Buckberry, Jahnvi Pflueger, Caroline B. Albertin, Tasman Daish, Stephanie Bertrand, Elisa de la Calle-mustienes, Jose Luis Gomez-Skarmeta, Joseph R. Nery, Joseph R. Ecker, Boris Baer, Clifton W. Ragsdale, Frank Grutzner, Hector Escriva, Byrappa Venkatesh, Ozren Bogdanovic, Ryan Lister
Summary: The study reveals that non-CpG DNA methylation is restricted to vertebrates, particularly enriched within a highly conserved set of developmental genes in mammalian brains, indicating a deeply conserved regulatory program. These findings suggest that the emergence of non-CpG methylation may have fostered the evolution of sophisticated cognitive abilities found in the vertebrate lineage.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Shannon Holt, Naomi Cremen, Julia Grassl, Paul Schmid-Hempel, Boris Baer
Summary: The study reveals that honey bee seminal fluid contains antimicrobial molecules that can kill N. apis spores, suggesting a genetically driven interaction between honey bee genotype and different N. apis strains/ecotypes. Chitinases found in honey bee seminal fluid play a crucial role in killing N. apis, with activity varying significantly between genotypes. Host colony has a stronger effect on N. apis infections than seminal fluid treatment, indicating genotypic effects in N. apis-honey bee interactions that could be useful for breeding disease-resistant honey bee stock in the future.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Barbara Baer-Imhoof, Susanne P. A. den Boer, Jacobus J. Boomsma, Boris Baer
Summary: In leaf-cutting ants, queens incur significant physiological costs for maintaining and storing sperm shortly after mating, primarily due to investments in sperm maintenance and not conflicts between competing ejaculates. However, the presence of seminal fluid does not affect the survival or immunocompetence of the queens.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yu Fang, Abebe Jenberie Wubie, Mao Feng, Chuan Ma, Boris Baer, Jianke Li
Summary: There is variation in innate immune responses of insects in hosts that differ in their parasite susceptibility. Some honey bee genotypes and populations show stronger immune responses against Varroa infestations, which is important for future breeding purposes.
MOLECULAR & CELLULAR PROTEOMICS
(2022)
