Regulation and specificity of antifungal metapleural gland secretion in leaf-cutting ants.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_3E94E49D2D34
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Regulation and specificity of antifungal metapleural gland secretion in leaf-cutting ants.
Journal
Proceedings. Biological sciences
Author(s)
Yek S.H., Nash D.R., Jensen A.B., Boomsma J.J.
ISSN
1471-2954 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0962-8452
Publication state
Published
Issued date
22/10/2012
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
279
Number
1745
Pages
4215-4222
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Ants have paired metapleural glands (MGs) to produce secretions for prophylactic hygiene. These exocrine glands are particularly well developed in leaf-cutting ants, but whether the ants can actively regulate MG secretion is unknown. In a set of controlled experiments using conidia of five fungi, we show that the ants adjust the amount of MG secretion to the virulence of the fungus with which they are infected. We further applied fixed volumes of MG secretion of ants challenged with constant conidia doses to agar mats of the same fungal species. This showed that inhibition halos were significantly larger for ants challenged with virulent and mild pathogens/weeds than for controls and Escovopsis-challenged ants. We conclude that the MG defence system of leaf-cutting ants has characteristics reminiscent of an additional cuticular immune system, with specific and non-specific components, of which some are constitutive and others induced.
Keywords
Animals, Antifungal Agents/metabolism, Ants/immunology, Ants/microbiology, Ants/physiology, Exocrine Glands/immunology, Exocrine Glands/metabolism, Fungi/pathogenicity, Virulence
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
07/07/2015 13:33
Last modification date
27/07/2023 14:42
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