Destructive disinfection of infected brood prevents systemic disease spread in ant colonies

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223728
  • In social groups, infections have the potential to spread rapidly and cause disease outbreaks. Here, we show that in a social insect, the ant Lasius neglectus, the negative consequences of fungal infections (Metarhizium brunneum) can be mitigated by employing an efficient multicomponent behaviour, termed destructive disinfection, which prevents further spread of the disease through the colony. Ants specifically target infected pupae during the pathogens non-contagious incubation period, utilising chemical 'sickness cues' emitted by pupae. TheyIn social groups, infections have the potential to spread rapidly and cause disease outbreaks. Here, we show that in a social insect, the ant Lasius neglectus, the negative consequences of fungal infections (Metarhizium brunneum) can be mitigated by employing an efficient multicomponent behaviour, termed destructive disinfection, which prevents further spread of the disease through the colony. Ants specifically target infected pupae during the pathogens non-contagious incubation period, utilising chemical 'sickness cues' emitted by pupae. They then remove the pupal cocoon, perforate its cuticle and administer antimicrobial poison, which enters the body and prevents pathogen replication from the inside out. Like the immune system of a metazoan body that specifically targets and eliminates infected cells, ants destroy infected brood to stop the pathogen completing its lifecycle, thus protecting the rest of the colony. Hence, in an analogous fashion, the same principles of disease defence apply at different levels of biological organisation.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Pull Christopher D., Line V. Ugelvig, Florian Wiesenhofer, Grasse Anna V., Simon Tragust, Thomas Schmitt, Mark JF Brown, Sylvia Cremer
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223728
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften
Language:English
Parent Title (English):eLIFE
Year of Completion:2018
Volume:7
Pagenumber:e 32073, 1-29
Source:eLife 2018;7:e32073.
DOI:https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.32073
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Tag:Beauveria bassiana; Fungal cell-walls; Leaf cutting ants; Metarhizium anisopliae; division of labor
Release Date:2021/12/10
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International