title: Fungus-growing Allomerus ants are associated with antibiotic-producing actinobacteria.
abstract: Fungus-growing attine ants use natural-product antibiotics produced by mutualist actinobacteria as 'weedkillers' in their fungal gardens. Here we report for the first time that fungus-growing Allomerus ants, which lie outside the tribe Attini, are associated with antifungal-producing actinobacteria, which offer them protection against non-cultivar fungi isolated from their ant-plants.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK.
authors: Ryan F
authors: RF
authors: Seipke
authors: Jörg
authors: J
authors: Barke
authors: Mario X
authors: MX
authors: Ruiz-Gonzalez
authors: Jérôme
authors: J
authors: Orivel
authors: Douglas W
authors: DW
authors: Yu
authors: Matthew I
authors: MI
authors: Hutchings
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001000:Ants / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents