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Microbial Communities in Different Tissues of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Leaf-cutting Ants.
Vieira, Alexsandro S; Ramalho, Manuela O; Martins, Cintia; Martins, Vanderlei G; Bueno, Odair C.
Afiliação
  • Vieira AS; Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus Rio Claro, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil. alexsvieira@yahoo.com.br.
  • Ramalho MO; Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus Rio Claro, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil.
  • Martins C; Universidade Federal do Piauí - Campus Ministro Reis Velloso, Av. São Sebastião, 2819, Parnaíba, Piauí, 64.202-020, Brazil.
  • Martins VG; Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus Rio Claro, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil.
  • Bueno OC; Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista, Campus Rio Claro, Av. 24A, 1515, Bela Vista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil.
Curr Microbiol ; 74(10): 1216-1225, 2017 Oct.
Article em En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28721658
Bacterial endosymbionts are common in all insects, and symbiosis has played an integral role in ant evolution. Atta sexdens rubropilosa leaf-cutting ants cultivate their symbiotic fungus using fresh leaves. They need to defend themselves and their brood against diseases, but they also need to defend their obligate fungus gardens, their primary food source, from infection, parasitism, and usurpation by competitors. This study aimed to characterize the microbial communities in whole workers and different tissues of A. sexdens rubropilosa queens using Ion Torrent NGS. Our results showed that the microbial community in the midgut differs in abundance and diversity from the communities in the postpharyngeal gland of the queen and in whole workers. The main microbial orders in whole workers were Lactobacillales, Clostridiales, Enterobacteriales, Actinomycetales, Burkholderiales, and Bacillales. In the tissues of the queens, the main orders were Burkholderiales, Clostridiales, Syntrophobacterales, Lactobacillales, Bacillales, and Actinomycetales (midgut) and Entomoplasmatales, unclassified γ-proteobacteria, and Actinomycetales (postpharyngeal glands). The high abundance of Entomoplasmatales in the postpharyngeal glands (77%) of the queens was an unprecedented finding. We discuss the role of microbial communities in different tissues and castes. Bacteria are likely to play a role in nutrition and immune defense as well as helping antimicrobial defense in this ant species.
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Texto completo: 1 Coleções: 01-internacional Base de dados: MEDLINE Assunto principal: Formigas / Microbiota Limite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: Curr Microbiol Ano de publicação: 2017 Tipo de documento: Article País de afiliação: Brasil País de publicação: Estados Unidos

Texto completo: 1 Coleções: 01-internacional Base de dados: MEDLINE Assunto principal: Formigas / Microbiota Limite: Animals Idioma: En Revista: Curr Microbiol Ano de publicação: 2017 Tipo de documento: Article País de afiliação: Brasil País de publicação: Estados Unidos