Production of polysaccharidases in different carbon sources by Leucoagaricus gongylophorus Möller (Singer), the symbiotic fungus of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens Linnaeus - PubMed (original) (raw)

Production of polysaccharidases in different carbon sources by Leucoagaricus gongylophorus Möller (Singer), the symbiotic fungus of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens Linnaeus

Aline Silva et al. Curr Microbiol. 2006 Jul.

Abstract

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the fungus cultured by the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens, produces polysaccharidases that degrade leaf components by generating nutrients believed to be essential for ant nutrition. We evaluated pectinase, amylase, xylanase, and cellulase production by L. gongylophorus in laboratory cultures and found that polysaccharidases are produced during fungal growth on pectin, starch, cellulose, xylan, or glucose but not cellulase, whose production is inhibited during fungal growth on xylan. Pectin was the carbon source that best stimulated the production of enzymes, which showed that pectinase had the highest production activity of all of the carbon sources tested, indicating that the presence of pectin and the production of pectinase are key features for symbiotic nutrition on plant material. During growth on starch and cellulose, polysaccharidase production level was intermediate, although during growth on xylan and glucose, enzyme production was very low. We propose a possible profile of polysaccharide degradation inside the nest, where the fungus is cultured on the foliar substrate.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

• Starch metabolism in Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the symbiotic fungus of leaf-cutting ants.
  Silva A, Bacci M Jr, Pagnocca FC, Bueno OC, Hebling MJ. Silva A, et al. Microbiol Res. 2006;161(4):299-303. doi: 10.1016/j.micres.2005.11.001. Epub 2005 Dec 27. Microbiol Res. 2006. PMID: 16380244
• Growth and enzymatic activity of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, a mutualistic fungus isolated from the leaf-cutting ant Atta mexicana, on cellulose and lignocellulosic biomass.
  Vigueras G, Paredes-Hernández D, Revah S, Valenzuela J, Olivares-Hernández R, Le Borgne S. Vigueras G, et al. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2017 Aug;65(2):173-181. doi: 10.1111/lam.12759. Epub 2017 Jul 4. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2017. PMID: 28561311
• Survival of Atta sexdens workers on different food sources.
  Silva A, Bacci M Jr, Gomes de Siqueira C, Correa Bueno O, Pagnocca FC, Aparecida Hebling MJ. Silva A, et al. J Insect Physiol. 2003 Apr;49(4):307-13. doi: 10.1016/s0022-1910(03)00004-0. J Insect Physiol. 2003. PMID: 12769984
• The prominent role of fungi and fungal enzymes in the ant-fungus biomass conversion symbiosis.
  Lange L, Grell MN. Lange L, et al. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2014 Jun;98(11):4839-51. doi: 10.1007/s00253-014-5708-5. Epub 2014 Apr 15. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2014. PMID: 24728757 Review.
• The Symbiotic Fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus (Möller) Singer (Agaricales, Agaricaceae) as a Target Organism to Control Leaf-Cutting Ants.
  Araújo S, Seibert J, Ruani A, Alcántara-de la Cruz R, Cruz A, Pereira A, Zandonai D, Forim M, Silva MF, Bueno O, Fernandes J. Araújo S, et al. Insects. 2022 Apr 6;13(4):359. doi: 10.3390/insects13040359. Insects. 2022. PMID: 35447801 Free PMC article. Review.

Cited by

• The fungal symbiont of Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants expresses the full spectrum of genes to degrade cellulose and other plant cell wall polysaccharides.
  Grell MN, Linde T, Nygaard S, Nielsen KL, Boomsma JJ, Lange L. Grell MN, et al. BMC Genomics. 2013 Dec 28;14:928. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-928. BMC Genomics. 2013. PMID: 24373541 Free PMC article.
• Leucoagaricus gongylophorus produces diverse enzymes for the degradation of recalcitrant plant polymers in leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens.
  Aylward FO, Burnum-Johnson KE, Tringe SG, Teiling C, Tremmel DM, Moeller JA, Scott JJ, Barry KW, Piehowski PD, Nicora CD, Malfatti SA, Monroe ME, Purvine SO, Goodwin LA, Smith RD, Weinstock GM, Gerardo NM, Suen G, Lipton MS, Currie CR. Aylward FO, et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Jun;79(12):3770-8. doi: 10.1128/AEM.03833-12. Epub 2013 Apr 12. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013. PMID: 23584789 Free PMC article.
• Generation of Nutrients and Detoxification: Possible Roles of Yeasts in Leaf-Cutting Ant Nests.
  Mendes TD, Rodrigues A, Dayo-Owoyemi I, Marson FA, Pagnocca FC. Mendes TD, et al. Insects. 2012 Feb 17;3(1):228-45. doi: 10.3390/insects3010228. Insects. 2012. PMID: 26467957 Free PMC article.
• The dynamics of plant cell-wall polysaccharide decomposition in leaf-cutting ant fungus gardens.
  Moller IE, De Fine Licht HH, Harholt J, Willats WG, Boomsma JJ. Moller IE, et al. PLoS One. 2011 Mar 10;6(3):e17506. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017506. PLoS One. 2011. PMID: 21423735 Free PMC article.
• The fungal cultivar of leaf-cutter ants produces specific enzymes in response to different plant substrates.
  Khadempour L, Burnum-Johnson KE, Baker ES, Nicora CD, Webb-Robertson BM, White RA 3rd, Monroe ME, Huang EL, Smith RD, Currie CR. Khadempour L, et al. Mol Ecol. 2016 Nov;25(22):5795-5805. doi: 10.1111/mec.13872. Epub 2016 Oct 26. Mol Ecol. 2016. PMID: 27696597 Free PMC article.

References

1. 1. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680-5 - PubMed
2. 1. Ann Entomol Soc Am. 1969 Nov;62(6):1386-7 - PubMed
3. 1. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1998 Dec;64(12):4820-2 - PubMed
4. 1. J Insect Physiol. 2003 Apr;49(4):307-13 - PubMed
5. 1. Anal Biochem. 1976 May 7;72:248-54 - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Springer