In Cahoots: Fungi, Ants, And Bacteria

Chemical and Engineering News
April 13, 2009
Volume 87, Number 15
Web Exclusive
ACS MEETING NEWS

Symbiotic system could be a source of potential drug leads and enzymes for biofuel production
Elizabeth K. Wilson and Amanda Yarnell

FOR YEARS scientists have been scrutinizing an ancient symbiotic love triangle involving ants, fungi, and bacteria: Tropical leafcutter ants chew leaf beds, which promotes fungal growth and thus helps the fungus. The ants then turn on the symbiotic fungus and eat it. Meanwhile, bacteria that live on the ants produce antibiotics that keep predator fungi from attacking the symbiotic fungus and destroying the ants' food supply.

More than just of ecological interest, this interconnected system is now proving to be a rich source of new chemistry, including antibiotics and enzymes that could break down biomass for biofuels, researchers announced at two recent meetings.

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