Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants. / Currie, Cameron R; Poulsen, Michael; Mendenhall, John; Boomsma, Jacobus J; Billen, Johan.

In: Science, Vol. 311, No. 5757, 2006, p. 81-83.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Currie, CR, Poulsen, M, Mendenhall, J, Boomsma, JJ & Billen, J 2006, 'Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants', Science, vol. 311, no. 5757, pp. 81-83. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1119744

APA

Currie, C. R., Poulsen, M., Mendenhall, J., Boomsma, J. J., & Billen, J. (2006). Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants. Science, 311(5757), 81-83. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1119744

Vancouver

Currie CR, Poulsen M, Mendenhall J, Boomsma JJ, Billen J. Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants. Science. 2006;311(5757):81-83. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1119744

Author

Currie, Cameron R ; Poulsen, Michael ; Mendenhall, John ; Boomsma, Jacobus J ; Billen, Johan. / Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants. In: Science. 2006 ; Vol. 311, No. 5757. pp. 81-83.

Bibtex

@article{b41564e074c211dbbee902004c4f4f50,
title = "Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants",
abstract = "Attine ants engage in a quadripartite symbiosis with fungi they cultivate for food, specialized garden parasites, and parasite-inhibiting bacteria. Molecular phylogenetic evidence supports an ancient host-pathogen association between the ant-cultivar mutualism and the garden parasite. Here we show that ants rear the antibiotic-producing bacteria in elaborate cuticular crypts, supported by unique exocrine glands, and that these structures have been highly modified across the ants' evolutionary history. This specialized structural evolution, together with the absence of these bacteria and modifications in other ant genera that do not grow fungus, indicate that the bacteria have an ancient and coevolved association with the ants, their fungal cultivar, and the garden parasite.",
keywords = "Actinomycetales, Animals, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Antibiosis, Ants, Biological Evolution, Exocrine Glands, Female, Fungi, Hypocreales, Microscopy, Electron, Scanning, Microscopy, Electron, Transmission, Phylogeny, Species Specificity, Symbiosis",
author = "Currie, {Cameron R} and Michael Poulsen and John Mendenhall and Boomsma, {Jacobus J} and Johan Billen",
year = "2006",
doi = "10.1126/science.1119744",
language = "English",
volume = "311",
pages = "81--83",
journal = "Science",
issn = "0036-8075",
publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",
number = "5757",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Coevolved crypts and exocrine glands support mutualistic bacteria in fungus-growing ants

AU - Currie, Cameron R

AU - Poulsen, Michael

AU - Mendenhall, John

AU - Boomsma, Jacobus J

AU - Billen, Johan

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - Attine ants engage in a quadripartite symbiosis with fungi they cultivate for food, specialized garden parasites, and parasite-inhibiting bacteria. Molecular phylogenetic evidence supports an ancient host-pathogen association between the ant-cultivar mutualism and the garden parasite. Here we show that ants rear the antibiotic-producing bacteria in elaborate cuticular crypts, supported by unique exocrine glands, and that these structures have been highly modified across the ants' evolutionary history. This specialized structural evolution, together with the absence of these bacteria and modifications in other ant genera that do not grow fungus, indicate that the bacteria have an ancient and coevolved association with the ants, their fungal cultivar, and the garden parasite.

AB - Attine ants engage in a quadripartite symbiosis with fungi they cultivate for food, specialized garden parasites, and parasite-inhibiting bacteria. Molecular phylogenetic evidence supports an ancient host-pathogen association between the ant-cultivar mutualism and the garden parasite. Here we show that ants rear the antibiotic-producing bacteria in elaborate cuticular crypts, supported by unique exocrine glands, and that these structures have been highly modified across the ants' evolutionary history. This specialized structural evolution, together with the absence of these bacteria and modifications in other ant genera that do not grow fungus, indicate that the bacteria have an ancient and coevolved association with the ants, their fungal cultivar, and the garden parasite.

KW - Actinomycetales

KW - Animals

KW - Anti-Bacterial Agents

KW - Antibiosis

KW - Ants

KW - Biological Evolution

KW - Exocrine Glands

KW - Female

KW - Fungi

KW - Hypocreales

KW - Microscopy, Electron, Scanning

KW - Microscopy, Electron, Transmission

KW - Phylogeny

KW - Species Specificity

KW - Symbiosis

U2 - 10.1126/science.1119744

DO - 10.1126/science.1119744

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 16400148

VL - 311

SP - 81

EP - 83

JO - Science

JF - Science

SN - 0036-8075

IS - 5757

ER -

ID: 81052