biostudies-literatureKooij PWDanmarks GrundforskningsfondEuropean Research Council10-17https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC4705864biostudies-literatureUnknown18Obligate mutualistic symbioses rely on mechanisms that secure host-symbiont commitments to maximize host benefits and prevent symbiont cheating. Previous studies showed that somatic incompatibilities correlate with neutral-marker-based genetic distances between fungal symbionts of Panamanian <i>Acromyrmex</i> leaf-cutting ants, but the extent to which this relationship applies more generally remained unclear. Here we showed that genetic distances accurately predicted somatic incompatibility for <i>Acromyrmex echinatior</i> symbionts irrespective of whether neutral microsatellites or AFLP markers were used, but that such correlations were weaker or absent in sympatric <i>Atta colombica</i> colonies. Further analysis showed that the symbiont clades maintained by <i>A. echinatior</i> and <i>AFungal ecologySomatic incompatibility and genetic structure of fungal crops in sympatric <i>Atta colombica</i> and <i>Acromyrmex echinatior</i> leaf-cutting ants.PMC4705864323085DNRF57Schiott MKooij PWBoomsma JJPoulsen MfalseSomatic incompatibility and genetic structure of fungal crops in sympatric <i>Atta colombica</i> and <i>Acromyrmex echinatior</i> leaf-cutting ants.Obligate mutualistic symbioses rely on mechanisms that secure host-symbiont commitments to maximize host benefits and prevent symbiont cheating. Previous studies showed that somatic incompatibilities correlate with neutral-marker-based genetic distances between fungal symbionts of Panamanian <i>Acromyrmex</i> leaf-cutting ants, but the extent to which this relationship applies more generally remained unclear. Here we showed that genetic distances accurately predicted somatic incompatibility for <i>Acromyrmex echinatior</i> symbionts irrespective of whether neutral microsatellites or AFLP markers were used, but that such correlations were weaker or absent in sympatric <i>Atta colombica</i> colonies. Further analysis showed that the symbiont clades maintained by <i>A. echinatior</i> and <i>A2015-01-01T00:00:00Z2015 Dec2025-04-18T16:27:27.706Z2019-03-27T02:06:33ZS-EPMC47058642686585910.1016/j.funeco.2015.08.003