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Dong AZ, Cokcetin N, Carter DA, Fernandes KE. Unique antimicrobial activity in honey from the Australian honeypot ant ( Camponotus inflatus). PeerJ 2023; 11:e15645. [PMID: 37520253 PMCID: PMC10386826 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Honey produced by the Australian honeypot ant (Camponotus inflatus) is valued nutritionally and medicinally by Indigenous peoples, but its antimicrobial activity has never been formally studied. Here, we determine the activity of honeypot ant honey (HPAH) against a panel of bacterial and fungal pathogens, investigate its chemical properties, and profile the bacterial and fungal microbiome of the honeypot ant for the first time. We found HPAH to have strong total activity against Staphylococcus aureus but not against other bacteria, and strong non-peroxide activity against Cryptococcus and Aspergillus sp. When compared with therapeutic-grade jarrah and manuka honey produced by honey bees, we found HPAH to have a markedly different antimicrobial activity and chemical properties, suggesting HPAH has a unique mode of antimicrobial action. We found the bacterial microbiome of honeypot ants to be dominated by the known endosymbiont genus Candidatus Blochmannia (99.75%), and the fungal microbiome to be dominated by the plant-associated genus Neocelosporium (92.77%). This study demonstrates that HPAH has unique antimicrobial characteristics that validate its therapeutic use by Indigenous peoples and may provide a lead for the discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Z. Dong
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Nural Cokcetin
- Australian Institute for Microbiology and Infection, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dee A. Carter
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
- Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Kenya E. Fernandes
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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Uesugi R, Konishi-Furihata R, Tabuchi K, Yoshimura H, Shimoda T. Predacious Natural Enemies Associated With Suppression of Onion Thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in Intercropped Onion-Barley Agroecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:183-196. [PMID: 36843392 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvad014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The effects of two possible factors, prevention of pest immigration and enhancement of natural enemies, in suppressing onion thrips, Thrips tabaci L., were estimated in a small-scale experimental system of spring-planted onions intercropped with barley. The population dynamics of the thrips and their potential predatory natural enemies were investigated in four treatments: control (bare ground), insect net barrier, and onion-barley intercropping with or without trimming. We found that intercropping significantly suppressed onion thrips. It is unlikely that this effect was due to the prevention of thrip immigration because they seemed to move over the camouflage and/or physical barriers of the barley and the net barrier surrounding the onions easily. Intercropping with barley significantly increased hoverfly (Syrphidae) larvae numbers on onion leaves, and that of some groups of ground-dwelling predators such as large carnivorous ground beetles (Carabidae), ants (Formicidae), and wolf spiders (Lycosidae). We conclude that the suppression of thrips in this system was associated with the enhancement of hoverfly larvae abundance, mainly Sphaerophoria macrogaster (Thomson) (Syrphidae: Diptera) because they were observed together with thrips on onions and have been reported to predate thrips as well as aphids. Some hoverfly larvae on barley might move to nearby onions to search for new food sources and attack thrips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuji Uesugi
- Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO, 4 Akahira, Shimo-kuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0198, Japan
| | - Ryoko Konishi-Furihata
- Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO, 4 Akahira, Shimo-kuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0198, Japan
| | - Ken Tabuchi
- Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO, 4 Akahira, Shimo-kuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0198, Japan
| | - Hideto Yoshimura
- Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO, 4 Akahira, Shimo-kuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0198, Japan
| | - Takeshi Shimoda
- Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, NARO, 4 Akahira, Shimo-kuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0198, Japan
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Masucci L, D’Ippolito S, De Maio F, Quaranta G, Mazzarella R, Bianco DM, Castellani R, Inversetti A, Sanguinetti M, Gasbarrini A, Scambia G, Di Simone N. Celiac Disease Predisposition and Genital Tract Microbiota in Women Affected by Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. Nutrients 2023; 15:221. [PMID: 36615877 PMCID: PMC9823693 DOI: 10.3390/nu15010221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of Idiopathic Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) is doubled in patients suffering from Celiac Disease (CD) compared to healthy populations. CD genetic components are HLA class II genes known as HLA-DQ2 and DQ8. Genetically susceptible women can remain asymptomatic even though they are exposed to a doubled risk of RPL compared to the general population. Furthermore, CD has been associated with microbiota alterations. The aim of this study is to evaluate endometrial and vaginal microbiota in HLA-DQ2/DQ8 positive and negative RPL patients compared to healthy pregnant women. Endometrial and vaginal microbiota of 3 subgroups were evaluated: 15 HLA-DQ2/DQ8 positive RPL women, 25 HLA DQ2/DQ8 negative RPL women (for a total of 40 RPL women) and 7 healthy fertile controls with previous uncomplicated pregnancies (all HLA-DQ2/DQ8 negative). The 2 RPL subgroups (HLA-DQ2/DQ8 positive and negative) showed a different endometrial and vaginal composition in the Lactobacillacae family compared to controls: Lactobacillus acidophilus was absent both in the vaginal and endometrial samples of RPL women, while Lactobaciluus iners, which can favor a less stable vaginal microbiota, was found only in RPL women (26.4% in HLA DQ2/DQ8 positive and 22.1% HLA DQ2/DQ8 negative) in both the vaginal and endometrial districts. In conclusion, both HLA DQ2/DQ8 positive-RPL and HLA DQ2/DQ8 negative-RPL women showed different endometrial and vaginal microbiota composition compared to healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Masucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche Di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia D’Ippolito
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio De Maio
- Dipartimento Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Quaranta
- Dipartimento Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Mazzarella
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Delia Mercedes Bianco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche Di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Castellani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Inversetti
- Humanitas University Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072 Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche Di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- CEMAD Digestive Diseases Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Scambia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (I.R.C.C.S.), 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Di Simone
- Humanitas University Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, 20072 Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
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Jackson R, Patapiou PA, Golding G, Helanterä H, Economou CK, Chapuisat M, Henry LM. Evidence of phylosymbiosis in Formica ants. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1044286. [PMID: 37213490 PMCID: PMC10196114 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1044286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Insects share intimate relationships with microbes that play important roles in their biology. Yet our understanding of how host-bound microbial communities assemble and perpetuate over evolutionary time is limited. Ants host a wide range of microbes with diverse functions and are an emerging model for studying the evolution of insect microbiomes. Here, we ask whether phylogenetically related ant species have formed distinct and stable microbiomes. Methods To answer this question, we investigated the microbial communities associated with queens of 14 Formica species from five clades, using deep coverage 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Results We reveal that Formica species and clades harbor highly defined microbial communities that are dominated by four bacteria genera: Wolbachia, Lactobacillus, Liliensternia, and Spiroplasma. Our analysis reveals that the composition of Formica microbiomes mirrors the phylogeny of the host, i.e., phylosymbiosis, in that related hosts harbor more similar microbial communities. In addition, we find there are significant correlations between microbe co-occurrences. Discussion Our results demonstrate Formica ants carry microbial communities that recapitulate the phylogeny of their hosts. Our data suggests that the co-occurrence of different bacteria genera may at least in part be due to synergistic and antagonistic interactions between microbes. Additional factors potentially contributing to the phylosymbiotic signal are discussed, including host phylogenetic relatedness, host-microbe genetic compatibility, modes of transmission, and similarities in host ecologies (e.g., diets). Overall, our results support the growing body of evidence that microbial community composition closely depends on the phylogeny of their hosts, despite bacteria having diverse modes of transmission and localization within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaella Jackson
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patapios A. Patapiou
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Golding
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Heikki Helanterä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, Hanko, Finland
| | - Chloe K. Economou
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michel Chapuisat
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lee M. Henry
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Lee M. Henry,
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Wang C, Cocco A, Lin CC, Billen J. Morphology and ultrastructure of the infrabuccal pocket in Strumigenys ants. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2022; 68:101154. [PMID: 35452912 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2022.101154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The morphology of the infrabuccal pocket has been studied with light and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) in 19 species of Strumigenys ants. The structural organization is similar in workers, queens and males, and supports the involvement of the pocket in the filtration of food particles before they can enter the digestive tract. A carpet of posteriorly oriented bristle hairs on the hypopharynx first guide ingested food into the pocket, where large solid particles are compacted into a pellet that will be regurgitated. The remaining products enter the digestive tract through a filtering wall of parallel hair combs lining the pharynx interior that are directed against the food flow. This mechanical filtering allows only liquids and sufficiently small food particles to enter the digestive system. The wall of the infrabuccal pocket is differentiated into a conspicuous glandular epithelium, of which the ultrastructural characteristics can be understood as an adaptation against the frequent shape changes of the pocket. The gland elaborates a non-proteinaceous secretion, although its functional significance still remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu Wang
- Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Alessio Cocco
- Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Chung-Chi Lin
- National Changhua University of Education, Department of Biology, Changhua 50007, Taiwan, R.O.C.
| | - Johan Billen
- Zoological Institute, KU Leuven, Naamsestraat 59, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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