The Evolutionary Innovation of Nutritional Symbioses in Leaf-Cutter Ants

摘要: Fungus-growing ants gain access to nutrients stored in plant biomass through their association with a mutualistic fungus they grow for food. This 50 million-year-old obligate mutualism likely facilitated some of these species becoming dominant Neotropical herbivores that can achieve immense colony sizes. Recent culture-independent investigations have shed light on the conversion into within ant gardens, revealing this process involves both fungal cultivar and symbiotic community bacteria including Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Pantoea species. Moreover, genome sequences leaf-cutter Atta cephalotes Acromyrmex echinatior provided key insights how symbiosis has shaped evolution at genetic level. Here we summarize findings recent research microbial dynamics fungus-growing gardens discuss implications ancient symbiosis.