Amycolatopsis from Desert Specialist Fungus-Growing Ants Suppresses Contaminant Fungi Using the Antibiotic ECO-0501.

ABSTRACT: Symbiotic Actinobacteria help fungus-growing ants suppress fungal pathogens through the production of antifungal compounds. Trachymyrmex ants of the southwest desert of the United States inhabit a unique niche far from the tropical rainforests in which most fungus-growing ant species are found. These ants may not encounter the specialist fungal pathogen Escovopsis known to threaten colonies of other fungus-growing ants. It is unknown whether Actinobacteria associated with these ants antagonize contaminant fungi and, if so, what the chemical basis of such antagonism is. We find that Pseudonocardia and Amycolatopsis strains isolated from three desert specialist Trachymyrmex species do antagonize diverse contaminant fungi isolated from field-co

SUBMITTER: Kim JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9972958 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature