Abstract
Fungus-growing ants have been found recently to be symbiotic with actinomycetes living on the ant’s cuticle; these bacteria are inhibitory to soil fungi that are detrimental to the ants’ fungus gardens. In order to investigate whether actinomycetes found on the cuticle of attine ants also had inhibitory properties against plant pathogenic fungi, we isolated 32 strains of actinomycetes from fungus-growing ants (Atta, Trachymyrmex, andCyphomyrmex), from the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Of the actinomycetes tested against selected plant pathogenic fungi (Alternaria solani, Aspergillus flavus, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium sp.) on Czapek-Dox agar medium, 13 isolates inhibited at least one of the fungi.C. lindemuthianum was inhibited by 11 actinomycetes, andRhizoctonia by three. An actinomycete strain isolated fromCyphomyrmex rimosus inhibited all five fungi tested.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.