Correction to: You don’t have the guts: a diverse set of fungi survive passage through Macrotermes bellicosus termite guts

Bos, Nick; Guimarães, Leandro; Palenzuela, Romen; Renelies‐Hamilton, Justinn; Maccario, Lorrie; Silue, Simon Kolotchèlèma; Koné, N’golo Abdoulaye; Poulsen, Michael K.

doi:10.1186/s12862-021-01744-6

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“…Elevated CO 2 suppressed the growth of several of the entomopathogens and generalist contaminants that may enter mounds with the plant substrates (Bos et al, 2021) and persist in trace amounts within fungus combs (Otani et al, 2019). Aspergillus spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Monoculture farming should attract antagonists that could spread fast in the genetically homogeneous crop, but individual colonies can persist for decades (Wisselink et al, 2020) and do not appear to be challenged with diseases (Otani et al, 2019). Furthermore, non-Termitomyces fungi comprise only a minute proportion of the comb biomass (Moriya et al, 2015;Otani et al, 2019), and weeds are most likely accidentally brought in by foraging termite workers (Thomas, 1987;Guedegbe et al, 2009;Bos et al, 2021). It is only when the termites are removed or the colony is dying, that antagonists and stowaway fungi, such as members of the subgenus Pseudoxylaria (Ascomycota; Xylariaceae), appear (Visser et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Make the environment protect you from disease: elevated CO2 inhibits antagonists of the fungus-farming termite symbiosis

et al. 2023

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Fungus-farming termite colonies maintain monoculture fungus combs in underground chambers without apparent problems with diseases. Multiple lines of defense contribute to the suppression or removal of antagonists of the symbiosis, but the role of the termite-manipulated environment within mounds has yet to be tested. Specifically, termite mounds have extremely high levels of CO2 compared to atmospheric levels. We tested the effect of 5% CO2 on the growth of fungal crops from Macrotermes bellicosus colonies, generalist fungi that could challenge the symbiosis, as well as a specialist stowaway fungus, Pseudoxylaria. For sporulating fungi, we also quantified the effects on conidia production. We found that elevated CO2 significantly reduces mycelial growth and conidia production of the generalist fungi Aspergillus sp., Beauveria bassiana, and Metarhizium brunneum, whereas it overall had a net positive effect on the growth of the fungal crop Termitomyces and Pseudoxylaria; albeit, with variation between fungal strains within genera. Our findings point to elevated CO2 being of adaptive significance to the fungus-farming termite symbiosis as an additional layer of defense that helps keep termite fungus gardens free from fungal infections. The mound-building activities that make termites ecosystem engineers may thus also generate environmental conditions that impact the fate of fungi inhabiting the extended phenotypes that massive termite mounds represent.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Make the environment protect you from disease: elevated CO2 inhibits antagonists of the fungus-farming termite symbiosis

et al. 2023

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Correction to: You don’t have the guts: a diverse set of fungi survive passage through Macrotermes bellicosus termite guts

Abstract: An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Cited by 1 publication

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Make the environment protect you from disease: elevated CO2 inhibits antagonists of the fungus-farming termite symbiosis

Make the environment protect you from disease: elevated CO2 inhibits antagonists of the fungus-farming termite symbiosis

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