Pathogenic interaction between Escovopsis weberi and Leucoagaricus sp.: mechanisms involved and virulence levels |
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| Institution: | 1. Laboratorio de Hormigas, Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Roque Saenz Peña 352, Bernal, B1876BXD, Buenos Aires, Argentina;2. PROPLAME-PRHIDEB-CONICET, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón II, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428, Capital Federal, Argentina;2. National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Physics Department, Group Building Environmental Research, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece;1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom;2. Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Queen''s Building, Bristol BS8 1TR, United Kingdom;3. Ecosulis, The Rickyard, Newton St Loe, Bath BA2 9BT, United Kingdom;4. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA |
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| Abstract: | Attini are the only ants that use fresh plant material to cultivate species of Leucoagaricus, which are their source of nutrition. Escovopsis species are specialized mycoparasites of Leucoagaricus sp. and Escovopsis parasitism has a negative impact on the health of the ants' colonies. The goals of this work were: to test if the virulence of different isolates of Escovopsis weberi were the same across Leucoagaricus sp. and to analyze if structural mechanisms were related to variation in the virulence of E. weberi isolates. All E. weberi isolates were able to parasitize isolates of Leucoagaricus spp. but with striking differences in virulence, and it was shown that the contact between hyphae of both fungi was the main process that generates the degradation of Leucoagaricus isolates. Additionally, the two most virulent isolates produced hook-like protuberances, increasing the damage caused to its target. Finally, E. weberi was re-classified as a destructive biotrophic parasite. |
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| Keywords: | Ascomycota Hooks Leaf-cutters ants Mycoparasitism Pathogenic interaction Traps |
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