Open AccessOcurrence of the antibiotic producing bacterium Burkholderia sp. in colonies of the leaf‐cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa
Author(s) -
Santos Adão Valmir,
Dillon Rod J.,
Dillon Viv M.,
Reynolds Stuart E.,
Samuels Richard I.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.09.005
Subject(s) - burkholderia , ant , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , atta , antibiotics , botany , hymenoptera , ecology , genetics
Fungus garden material from recently established Atta sexdens rubropilosa colonies (6–12 months old) was sampled to detect antibiotic producing microorganisms that inhibited the growth of pathogens of insects and of the fungus gardens but did not affect their mutualistic fungus. A bacterium with activity against the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana was isolated from 56% of the gardens tested ( n = 57 ) and identified from its biochemical profile and from 16S and 23S ribosomal DNA sequences as a member of the genus Burkholderia . The ant‐associated Burkholderia isolates secreted a potent, anti‐fungal agent that inhibited germination of conidia of the entomopathogenic fungi B. bassiana , Metarhizium anisopliae , of the saprophytic Verticillium lecanii , and also of a specialist fungus garden Escovopsis weberi . Growth of the ant's mutualist fungus was unaffected.