Leaf-cutting ant fungi produce cell wall degrading pectinase complexes reminiscent of phytopathogenic fungi

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Documents

Leaf-cutting (attine) ants use their own fecal material to manure fungus gardens, which consist of leaf material overgrown by hyphal threads of the basidiomycete fungus Leucocoprinus gongylophorus that lives in symbiosis with the ants. Previous studies have suggested that the fecal droplets contain proteins that are produced by the fungal symbiont to pass unharmed through the digestive system of the ants, so they can enhance new fungus garden growth.
Original languageEnglish
JournalB M C Biology
Volume8
Pages (from-to)156
ISSN1741-7007
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2010

    Research areas

  • Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Ants, Cell Wall, Cloning, Molecular, Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel, Feces, Fungi, Genes, Fungal, Mass Spectrometry, Models, Biological, Multienzyme Complexes, Plant Leaves, Polygalacturonase, Symbiosis

Number of downloads are based on statistics from Google Scholar and www.ku.dk


No data available

ID: 33517951