Dentigerumycin: a bacterial mediator of an ant-fungus symbiosis.

Fungus-growing ants engage in mutualistic associations with both the fungus they cultivate for food and actinobacteria (Pseudonocardia spp.) that produce selective antibiotics to defend that fungus from specialized fungal parasites. We have analyzed one such system at the molecular level and found that the bacterium associated with the ant Apterostigma dentigerum produces dentigerumycin, a cyclic depsipeptide with highly modified amino acids, to selectively inhibit the associated parasitic fungus (Escovopsis sp.).

Citation

Dong-Chan Oh, Michael Poulsen, Cameron R Currie, Jon Clardy. Dentigerumycin: a bacterial mediator of an ant-fungus symbiosis. Nature chemical biology. 2009 Jun;5(6):391-3

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PMID: 19330011

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