From the inside out: Were the cuticular Pseudonocardia bacteria of fungus-farming ants originally domesticated as gut symbionts?

ABSTRACT: The mutualistic interaction specificity between attine ants and antibiotic-producing Actinobacteria has been controversial because Pseudonocardia strains cannot always be isolated from worker cuticles across attine ant species, while other actinobacteria can apparently replace Pseudonocardia and also inhibit growth of Escovopsis mycopathogens. Here we report that across field samples of Panamanian species: (i) Cuticular Pseudonocardia were largely restricted to species in the crown of the attine phylogeny and their appearance likely coincided with the first attines colonizing Central/North America. (ii) The phylogenetically basal attines almost always had cuticular associations with other Actinobacteria than Pseudonocardia. (iii) The sub-cuticular glands

SUBMITTER: Innocent TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11474983 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature