Scrutinizing the immune defence inventory of Camponotus floridanus applying total transcriptome sequencing.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Defence mechanisms of organisms are shaped by their lifestyle, environment and pathogen pressure. Carpenter ants are social insects which live in huge colonies comprising genetically closely related individuals in high densities within nests. This lifestyle potentially facilitates the rapid spread of pathogens between individuals. In concert with their innate immune system, social insects may apply external immune defences to manipulate the microbial community among individuals and within nests. Additionally, carpenter ants carry a mutualistic intracellular and obligate endosymbiotic bacterium, possibly maintained and regulated by the innate immune system. Thus, different selective forces could shape internal immune defences of Camponotus floridanus.

Results

The i

SUBMITTER: Gupta SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4508827 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature