Isolation and molecular characterization of symbiotic fungus from Acromyrmex ambiguus and Acromyrmex heyeri ants of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Pereira, Daniela Isabel Brayer; Botton, Sônia de Ávila; Azevedo, María Isabel de; Monteiro, Danieli Urach; Weiblen, Carla; Machado, Vanessa S.; Donatti, Michele G.; Loeck, Alci Enimar

doi:10.1590/0103-8478cr20141064

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Trachymyrmex species (Table S1). Because of the minimal genetic diversity found so far among Clade-A fungi (Figure S1-S4; Bich, Castrillo, Villalba, & Zapata, 2016;Lugo, Crespo, Cafaro, & Jofre, 2013;Mikheyev et al, 2006Mikheyev et al, , 2007Pereira et al, 2015;Silva-Pinhati et al, 2004;Wallace, Asensio, & Tom as, 2014), Clade-A fungi are thought to represent a cohesively evolving lineage (i.e., a single fungal species), confirming the interpretation of Mikheyev et al (2006) that Clade-A fungiculture (i.e., L. gongylophorus fungiculture) is a one-tomany fungus-ant association. Across all higher-attine ants and their known fungi ( Figure S1; Mueller et al, in review), however, fungusant associations are many-to-many because higher-attine ant lineages switch between Clade-A and Clade-B over evolutionary and ecological time (see below), and long-term ant-fungus co-evolution is therefore less specific than currently believed.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…This lack of variation in Clade‐A fungi contrasts with the substantial generic and species diversity of the Clade‐A‐cultivating ant hosts, which includes at least seven Atta species, 22 Acromyrmex species and five Trachymyrmex species (Table ). Because of the minimal genetic diversity found so far among Clade‐A fungi (Figure –; Bich, Castrillo, Villalba, & Zapata, ; Lugo, Crespo, Cafaro, & Jofre, ; Mikheyev et al., , ; Pereira et al., ; Silva‐Pinhati et al., ; Wallace, Asensio, & Tomás, ), Clade‐A fungi are thought to represent a cohesively evolving lineage (i.e., a single fungal species), confirming the interpretation of Mikheyev et al. () that Clade‐A fungiculture (i.e., L. gongylophorus fungiculture) is a one‐to‐many fungus–ant association.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 56%

“…No comparable population‐genetic analyses involving multiple fungi per leafcutter species exist for South American leafcutter fungi, except for the study of Pereira et al. () who showed that three cultivars from Ac. heyeri and three from Ac.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…versicolor) share four genotype clusters of L. gongylophorus, with evidence of admixture between these distinct clusters. No comparable population-genetic analyses involving multiple fungi per leafcutter species exist for South American leafcutter fungi, except for the study ofPereira et al (2015) who showed that three cultivars from Ac. heyeri and three from Ac.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Biogeography of mutualistic fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Leafcutter ants propagate co-evolving fungi for food. The nearly 50 species of leafcutter ants (Atta, Acromyrmex) range from Argentina to the United States, with the greatest species diversity in southern South America. We elucidate the biogeography of fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants using DNA sequence and microsatellite-marker analyses of 474 cultivars collected across the leafcutter range. Fungal cultivars belong to two clades (Clade-A and Clade-B). The dominant and widespread Clade-A cultivars form three genotype clusters, with their relative prevalence corresponding to southern South America, northern South America, Central and North America. Admixture between Clade-A populations supports genetic exchange within a single species, Leucocoprinus gongylophorus. Some leafcutter species that cut grass as fungicultural substrate are specialized to cultivate Clade-B fungi, whereas leafcutters preferring dicot plants appear specialized on Clade-A fungi. Cultivar sharing between sympatric leafcutter species occurs frequently such that cultivars of Atta are not distinct from those of Acromyrmex. Leafcutters specialized on Clade-B fungi occur only in South America. Diversity of Clade-A fungi is greatest in South America, but minimal in Central and North America. Maximum cultivar diversity in South America is predicted by the Kusnezov-Fowler hypothesis that leafcutter ants originated in subtropical South America and only dicot-specialized leafcutter ants migrated out of South America, but the cultivar diversity becomes also compatible with a recently proposed hypothesis of a Central American origin by postulating that leafcutter ants acquired novel cultivars many times from other nonleafcutter fungus-growing ants during their migrations from Central America across South America. We evaluate these biogeographic hypotheses in the light of estimated dates for the origins of leafcutter ants and their cultivars.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 54%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 56%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Biogeography of mutualistic fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Research is ongoing to resolve the phylogeny of the Leucoagaricus genus, which appears to be polyphyletic (Johnson, 1999, Vellinga et al., 2003, Kooij et al., 2014b, Pereira et al., 2015), and to decipher the specific relationships of the leaf-cutter ant genera with their fungal symbiont, as there are some indications that Atta and Acromyrmex are cultivating different clades of L. gongylophorus (Mikheyev et al., 2010, Kooij et al., 2015a, Kooij et al., 2015b). …”

Section: Symbiotic Basidiomycetesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The good, the bad and the tasty: The many roles of mushrooms

Mattos-Shipley¹,

Ford²,

Alberti³

et al. 2016

Studies in Mycology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fungi are often inconspicuous in nature and this means it is all too easy to overlook their importance. Often referred to as the “Forgotten Kingdom”, fungi are key components of life on this planet. The phylum Basidiomycota, considered to contain the most complex and evolutionarily advanced members of this Kingdom, includes some of the most iconic fungal species such as the gilled mushrooms, puffballs and bracket fungi. Basidiomycetes inhabit a wide range of ecological niches, carrying out vital ecosystem roles, particularly in carbon cycling and as symbiotic partners with a range of other organisms. Specifically in the context of human use, the basidiomycetes are a highly valuable food source and are increasingly medicinally important. In this review, seven main categories, or ‘roles’, for basidiomycetes have been suggested by the authors: as model species, edible species, toxic species, medicinal basidiomycetes, symbionts, decomposers and pathogens, and two species have been chosen as representatives of each category. Although this is in no way an exhaustive discussion of the importance of basidiomycetes, this review aims to give a broad overview of the importance of these organisms, exploring the various ways they can be exploited to the benefit of human society.

show abstract

Isolation of the symbiotic fungus of Acromyrmex pubescens and phylogeny of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus from leaf-cutting ants

Bich

Castrillo

Villalba

et al. 2017

Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Leaf-cutting ants live in an obligate symbiosis with a species, a basidiomycete that serves as a food source to the larvae and queen. The aim of this work was to isolate, identify and complete the phylogenetic study of species of . Macroscopic and microscopic features were used to identify the fungal symbiont of the ants. The ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region was used as molecular marker for the molecular identification and to evaluate the phylogeny within the genus. One fungal symbiont associated with was isolated and identified as. The phylogeny of obtained using the ITS molecular marker revealed three well established monophyletic groups. It was possible to recognize one clade of associated with phylogenetically derived leaf-cutting ants ( and ). A second clade of free living forms of (non-cultivated), and a third clade of associated with phylogenetically basal genera of ants were also recognized. The clades corresponded to traditional taxonomic groups, and were differentiated by ecological habitats of different species.

show abstract

Isolation and molecular characterization of symbiotic fungus from Acromyrmex ambiguus and Acromyrmex heyeri ants of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Abstract: Leaf-cutting ants of the genera

Cited by 5 publications

References 19 publications

Biogeography of mutualistic fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants

Biogeography of mutualistic fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants

The good, the bad and the tasty: The many roles of mushrooms

Isolation of the symbiotic fungus of Acromyrmex pubescens and phylogeny of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus from leaf-cutting ants

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About