Defensive Symbioses in Social Insects Can Inform Human Health and Agriculture

Bratburd, Jennifer R.; Arango, Rachel A.; Horn, Heidemarie

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.00076

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 100 publications

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“…Insects are widely distributed in a variety of ecological niches, and their ability to live in unique habitats is often to promote symbiosis with their microbes. , There are 900,000 known species in the insect class and 2 to 30 million predicted species . It is estimated that at least 15–20% of insects coexist with microorganisms .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antibacterial Potential of Termite-Associated Streptomyces spp

Zhou

et al. 2021

ACS Omega

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Twenty-one strains of termite-associated actinomycetes were tested for their activities against three bacteria. The results showed that nine strains showed bacteriostatic activities against at least one tested bacterium, and the actinomycete YH01, which was isolated from the body surface of the queen of Odontotermes formosanus , had potent antibacterial activity. The YH01 was further identified as Streptomyces davaonensis . Two metabolites roseoflavin ( 1 ) and 8-methylamino-8-demethyl- d -riboflavin ( 2 ) were isolated and purified from S. davaonensis YH01. Their structures were determined by NMR, MS, and the related literature. The metabolite 1 showed strong inhibition activities against Bacillus subtilis (MIC = 1.56 μg/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 3.125 μg/mL), which were comparable to referenced gentamycin sulfate, with MIC values of 1.56 and 1.56 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the anti-MRSA potential of compound 1 was determined against nine kinds of MRSA strains, with inhibition zones in the ranges of 12.7–19.7 mm under a concentration of 15 μg/6 mm discs and 18.3–22.7 mm under a concentration of 30 μg/6 mm discs. However, metabolite 1 had no inhibitory effect on Gram-negative bacteria. These results suggested that roseoflavin produced by YH01 holds promise for use against Gram-positive bacteria, especially to MRSA.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antibacterial Potential of Termite-Associated Streptomyces spp

Zhou

et al. 2021

ACS Omega

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“…Symbiotic systems in which actinomycete-derived specialized metabolites are used for chemical defense may provide a blueprint for effectively leveraging antibiotics over long-term timescales. Important examples of such systems include the symbiotic relationships between insects and actinomycetes, in which the insects associate with actinomycetes to protect their food sources, communal nests, or developing larva against pathogenic invasion ( Bratburd et al, 2020 ; Chevrette et al, 2019 ; Li et al, 2018 ; Van Arnam et al, 2018 ). Among the most extensively characterized of these systems are the eusocial, neotropical leafcutter ants, who cultivate a food fungus on leaf tissue in their subterranean nests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple lineages of Streptomyces produce antimicrobials within passalid beetle galleries across eastern North America

Pessotti

Hansen

Reaso

et al. 2021

eLife

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Some insects form symbioses in which actinomycetes provide defense against pathogens by making antimicrobials. The range of chemical strategies employed across these associations, and how these strategies relate to insect lifestyle, remains underexplored. We assessed subsocial passalid beetles of the species Odontotaenius disjunctus, and their frass (fecal material), which is an important food resource within their galleries, as a model insect/actinomycete system. Through chemical and phylogenetic analyses, we found that O. disjunctus frass collected across eastern North America harbored multiple lineages of Streptomyces and diverse antimicrobials. Metabolites detected in frass displayed synergistic and antagonistic inhibition of a fungal entomopathogen, Metarhizium anisopliae, and multiple streptomycete isolates inhibited this pathogen when co-cultivated directly in frass. These findings support a model in which the lifestyle of O. disjunctus accommodates multiple Streptomyces lineages in their frass, resulting in a rich repertoire of antimicrobials that likely insulates their galleries against pathogenic invasion.

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“…They are able to inhabit extreme environments, use numerous resources, and finally often outcompete other arthropods ( Wilson, 1987 ; Hölldobler and Wilson, 1990 ; Fisher et al, 2019 ). However, a fundamental problem of social arthropods is the elevated risk of acquiring and transmitting pathogens, as their dense colony associations increase the risk of infections and pathogen transmission ( Bratburd et al, 2020 ). The risk of infections has led to a number of adaptations ranging from behaviors that reduce the risk of transmission ( Müller and Schmid-Hempel, 1993 ) to the use of antimicrobial compounds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Antimicrobial Compounds in the Volatilome of Social Spider Communities

et al. 2021

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Social arthropods such as termites, ants, and bees are among others the most successful animal groups on earth. However, social arthropods face an elevated risk of infections due to the dense colony structure, which facilitates pathogen transmission. An interesting hypothesis is that social arthropods are protected by chemical compounds produced by the arthropods themselves, microbial symbionts, or plants they associate with. Stegodyphus dumicola is an African social spider species, inhabiting communal silk nests. Because of the complex three-dimensional structure of the spider nest antimicrobial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a promising protection against pathogens, because of their ability to diffuse through air-filled pores. We analyzed the volatilomes of S. dumicola, their nests, and capture webs in three locations in Namibia and assessed their antimicrobial potential. Volatilomes were collected using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tubes and analyzed using GC/Q-TOF. We showed the presence of 199 VOCs and tentatively identified 53 VOCs. More than 40% of the tentatively identified VOCs are known for their antimicrobial activity. Here, six VOCs were confirmed by analyzing pure compounds namely acetophenone, 1,3-benzothiazole, 1-decanal, 2-decanone, 1-tetradecene, and docosane and for five of these compounds the antimicrobial activity were proven. The nest and web volatilomes had many VOCs in common, whereas the spider volatilomes were more differentiated. Clear differences were identified between the volatilomes from the different sampling sites which is likely justified by differences in the microbiomes of the spiders and nests, the plants, and the different climatic conditions. The results indicate the potential relevance of the volatilomes for the ecological success of S. dumicola.

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Defensive Symbioses in Social Insects Can Inform Human Health and Agriculture

Cited by 6 publications

References 100 publications

Antibacterial Potential of Termite-Associated Streptomyces spp

Antibacterial Potential of Termite-Associated Streptomyces spp

Multiple lineages of Streptomyces produce antimicrobials within passalid beetle galleries across eastern North America

Antimicrobial Compounds in the Volatilome of Social Spider Communities

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