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

Cameron R Currie; Michael Poulsen; John Mendenhall; Jacobus J Boomsma; Johan Billen

doi:10.1126/science.1119744

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

Cameron R Currie, Michael Poulsen, John Mendenhall, Jacobus J Boomsma, Johan Billen

Ecology and Evolution

224 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Journal	Science
Volume	311
Issue number	5757
Pages (from-to)	81-83
Number of pages	3
ISSN	0036-8075
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1119744
Publication status	Published - 2006

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

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10.1126/science.1119744

Cite this

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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",

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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

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 311

SP - 81

EP - 83

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5757

ER -

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

Abstract

Keywords

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