Metabolism of plant polysaccharides by Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the symbiotic fungus of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens L.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Volumn 64, Issue 12, 1998, Pages 4820-4822

  Gomes De Siqueira, Célia ^a   Bacci Jr , Maurício ^a   Pagnocca, Fernando Carlos ^a   Bueno, Odair Correa ^a   Hebling, Maria José Aparecida ^a  

^a SÃO PAULO STATE UNIVERSITY UNESP   (Brazil)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CELLULOSE; PECTIN; POLYSACCHARIDE; STARCH; XYLAN;

ANT; FUNGUS; METABOLISM; POLYSACCHARIDE; SYMBIOSIS;

ANT; ARTICLE; CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM; ENZYME ACTIVITY; FUNGUS; FUNGUS GROWTH; NONHUMAN; NUTRITION; PLANT; PROTEIN DEGRADATION; SYMBIOSIS;

ARACHNIDA; ATTA SEXDENS; FORMICIDAE; FUNGI; HEXAPODA; HYMENOPTERA; LEUCOAGARICUS GONGYLOPHORUS;

EID: 0344836005     PISSN: 00992240     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1128/aem.64.12.4820-4822.1998     Document Type: Article

References (30)

1. Bacci, M., Jr., M. M. Anversa, and F. C. Pagnocca. 1995. Cellulose degradation by Leucocoprinus gongylophorus, the fungus cultured by the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Antonie Leeuwenhoek Int. J. Gen. Mol. Microbiol. 67:385-386.
2. Bacci, M., Jr., S. B. Ribeiro, M. E. F. Casarotto, and F. C. Pagnocca. 1995. Biopolymer-degrading bacteria from nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 28:79-82.
3. Bass, M., and J. M. Cherrett. 1994. The role of leaf-cutting ant workers (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) in fungus garden maintenance. Ecol. Entomol. 19:215-220.
4. Bass, M., and J. M. Cherrett. 1995. Fungal hyphae as a source of nutrients for the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens. Physiol. Entomol. 20:1-6.
5. Bateman, D. F. 1968. The enzymatic maceration of plant tissue. Neth. J. Plant Pathol. 74:67-80.
6. Bernays, E. A., and R. F. Chapman. 1994. Host-plant selection by phytophagous insects. Chapman & Hall, New York, N.Y.
7. Carreiro, S. C., F. C. Pagnocca, O. C. Bueno, M. Bacci, Jr., M. J. A. Hebling, and O. A. Silva. 1997. Yeasts associated with nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908. Antonie Leeuwenhoek Int. J. Gen. Mol. Microbiol. 71:243-248.
8. Cherrett, J. M., R. J. Powell, and D. J. Stradling. 1989. The mutualism between leaf-cutting ants and their fungus. In N. Wilding, N. M. Collins, and J. F. Webber (ed.), Insect fungus interactions. Academic Press, London, United Kingdom.
9. Collmer, A., and N. T. Keen. 1986. The role of pectic enzymes in plant pathogenesis. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol. 24:383-409.
10. Collmer, A., J. L. Ried, and M. S. Mount. 1988. Assay methods for pectic enzymes. Methods Enzymol. 161:329-335.
11. Fisher, P. J., D. J. Stradling, B. Sutton, and L. E. Petrini. 1996. Microfungi in the fungus gardens of the leaf-cutting ant Atta cephalotes: a preliminary study. Mycol. Res. 100:541-546.
12. Goldstein, I. S. 1981. Organic chemicals from biomass. CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla.
13. Hölldobler, B., and E. O. Wilson. 1990. The ants. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass.
14. Littledyke, M., and J. M. Cherrett. 1976. Direct ingestion of plant sap from cut leaves by the leaf-cutting ants Atta cephalotes (L.) and Acromyrmex octospinosus Reich (Formicidae: Attini). Bull. Entomol. Res. 66:205-217.
15. Martin, M. M., and N. A. Weber. 1969. The cellulose-utilizing capability of the fungus cultured by the Attine ant Atta colombica tonsipes. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 62:1386-1387.
16. Martin, M. M., N. D. Boyd, M. J. Giselmann, and R. J. Silver. 1975. Activity of faecal fluid of leaf-cutting ant towards plant cell wall polysaccharides. J. Insect Physiol. 21:1887-1892.
17. Miller, G. L. 1959. Use of dinitrosalicylic acid reagent for determination of reducing sugars. Anal. Chem. 31:426-428.
18. Pagnocca, F. C., O. A. Silva, M. J. A. Hebling, O. C. Bueno, J. B. Fernandes, and P. C. Vieira. 1990. Toxicity of sesame extracts to the symbiotic fungus of leaf-cutting ants. Bull. Entomol. Res. 80:349-352.
19. Pagnocca, F. C., S. C. Carreiro, O. C. Bueno, M. J. A. Hebling, and O. A. Silva. 1996. Microbiological changes in the nests of the leaf-cutting ants fed on sesame leaves. J. Appl. Entomol. 120:317-320.
20. Quinlan, R. J., and J. M. Cherrett. 1978. Aspects of the symbiosis of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex octospinosus (Reich) and its food fungus. Ecol. Entomol. 3:221-230.
21. Quinlan, R. J., and J. M. Cherrett. 1979. The role of the fungus in the diet of the leaf-cutting ant Atta cephalotes (L.). Ecol. Entomol. 4:151-160.
22. Ribeiro, S. B., S. C. Carreiro, F. C. Pagnocca, and M. Bacci, Jr. Starch degrading bacteria and yeast isolated from ants nests, abstr. MA-040, p. 20. In Abstracts of the 19th Brazilian Congress of Microbiology 1997. Brazilian Society for Microbiology, São Paulo, Brazil.
23. Ribeiro, S. B., F. C. Pagnocca, M. Bacci, Jr., O. C. Bueno, and M. J. A. Hebling. Vegetal polysaccharides degraded by bacteria isolated from nests of Atta sexdens L., abstr. MA-041, p. 21. In Abstracts of the 19th Brazilian Congress of Microbiology 1997. Brazilian Society for Microbiology, São Paulo, Brazil.
24. Stradling, D. J., and R. J. Powell. 1986. The cloning of more highly productive fungal strains: a factor in the speciation of fungus-growing ants. Experientia 42:962-964.
25. Tomme, P., R. A. J. Warren, and N. R. Gilkes. 1995. Cellulose hydrolysis by bacteria and fungi. Adv. Microb. Physiol. 37:1-81.
26. Weber, N. A. 1972. Gardening ants, the Attines. Mem. Am. Philos. Soc. 92:44.
27. Weber, N. A. 1979. Fungus culturing by ants, p. 77-116. In L. R. Batra (ed.), Insect-fungus symbiosis: mutualism and commensalism. Second International Mycological Congress. Halsted Press, New York, N.Y.
28. Wood, T. M. 1988. Preparation of crystalline, amorphous, and dyed cellulase substrates. Methods Enzymol. 160:19-25.
29. Zaitlin, M., and D. Coltrin. 1964. Use of pectic enzymes in a study of the nature of the intracellular cement of tobacco leaf cells. Plant. Physiol. 39: 91-95.
30. Zar, J. H. 1996. Bioestatistical analysis, 3rd ed. Prentice-Hall do Brasil, Ltda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.