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Symbiont selection via alcohol benefits fungus farming by ambrosia beetles.
- Source :
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 4/24/2018, Vol. 115 Issue 17, p4447-4452, 6p
- Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Animal-microbe mutualisms are typically maintained by vertical symbiont transmission or partner choice. A thirdmechanism, screening of high-quality symbionts, has been predicted in theory, but empirical examples are rare. Here we demonstrate that ambrosia beetles rely on ethanol within host trees for promoting gardens of their fungal symbiont and producing offspring. Ethanol has long been known as themain attractant formany of these fungus-farming beetles as they select host trees in which they excavate tunnels and cultivate fungal gardens. More than 300 attacks by Xylosandrus germanus and other species were triggered by baiting trees with ethanol lures, but none of the foundresses established fungal gardens or produced broods unless tree tissues contained in vivo ethanol resulting from irrigation with ethanol solutions.More X. germanus brood were also produced in a rearing substrate containing ethanol. These benefits are a result of increased food supply via the positive effects of ethanol on foodfungus biomass. Selected Ambrosiella and Raffaelea fungal isolates from ethanol-responsive ambrosia beetles profited directly and indirectly by (i) a higher biomass on medium containing ethanol, (ii) strong alcohol dehydrogenase enzymatic activity, and (iii) a competitive advantage over weedy fungal garden competitors (Aspergillus, Penicillium) that are inhibited by ethanol. As ambrosia fungi both detoxify and produce ethanol, they may maintain the selectivity of their alcohol-rich habitat for their own purpose and that of other ethanol-resistant/producing microbes. This resembles biological screening of beneficial symbionts and a potentially widespread, unstudied benefit of alcohol-producing symbionts (e.g., yeasts) in other microbial symbioses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- AMBROSIA beetles
MUTUALISM (Biology)
ALCOHOL dehydrogenase
ETHANOL
PAECILOMYCES
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00278424
- Volume :
- 115
- Issue :
- 17
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 129331154
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1716852115