Isolation of the symbiotic fungus of Acromyrmex pubescens and phylogeny of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus from leaf-cutting ants.

ABSTRACT: Leaf-cutting ants live in an obligate symbiosis with a Leucoagaricus species, a basidiomycete that serves as a food source to the larvae and queen. The aim of this work was to isolate, identify and complete the phylogenetic study of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus species of Acromyrmex pubescens. Macroscopic and microscopic features were used to identify the fungal symbiont of the ants. The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region was used as molecular marker for the molecular identification and to evaluate the phylogeny within the Leucoagaricus genus. One fungal symbiont associated with A. pubescens was isolated and identified as L. gongylophorus. The phylogeny of Leucoagaricus obtained using the ITS molecular marker revealed three well established monophyletic g

SUBMITTER: Bich GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5415117 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature