ANT-ibiotics! Ants protect plants from diseases by leaking infection-fighting chemicals out of their legs and bodies, study reveals
- Danish researchers reviewed previous studied in ant-plant-disease interactions
- They found that ant-derived antibiotics can reduce infections of 14 diseases
- The study shows that ants do more for plants than simply deterring herbivores
- Future work may reveal agriculturally-beneficial natural pesticides, experts said
Ants can protect plants from certain diseases thanks to the infection-fighting antibiotic chemicals they secrete from their legs and bodies, a study has found.
The findings suggest that the benefits of these antibiotics to plants may be as significant as the service ants provide in defending plants from herbivores.
Researchers reviewing the literature on interactions between ants and plant microorganisms found that the insects can reduce infections of 14 plant diseases.
As they live in close quarters in ant hills and colonies, they are at high risk in the event of a spreading infection.
To combat this, however, ants are very hygienic and produce antibiotics that can help to cure themselves. These are secreted by glands on their body.
In addition, the insects support colonies of bacteria on their legs that also produce antibiotics.
Researchers hope in the future that further work on ants will reveal natural pesticides that can be applied to fight resistant plant diseases.
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Ants can protect plants from certain diseases thanks to the infection-fighting antibiotic chemicals they secrete from their legs and bodies, a study has found
Bioscientists Joachim Offenberg and Christian Damgaard of Aarhus University, Denmark reviewed existing literature on interactions between ants, tropical plants and disease-caused microorganisms.
They wanted to find out if different ants' hygiene methods — which include the production of antibiotics — could have effects that extend to their host plants.
The duo had been inspired to investigate by previous research that had shown the introduction of wood ants to an apple plantation reduced the occurrence of the diseases apple rot and scab on the trees.
From 30 reported combinations of ants, plants and microorganisms, the researchers found that ants reduced pathogen levels in 18 cases, but increases in 6.
In total, the ants' secretions appear to inhibit at least 14 different plant diseases.
On average, this equated to a pathogen reduction of 59 per cent — similar to overall effect size estimated for ants' protection of plants from herbivores.
The duo had been inspired to investigate by previous research that had shown the introduction of wood ants to an apple plantation, pictured, reduced the occurrence of the diseases apple rot and scab on the trees
'We don't yet know how the ants cure the plants,' said Dr Offenberg.
'But we do know that the ants secrete pheromones on their trails on the plants to find their way. And we know that some of these have antibiotic properties.'
'The curing effect on plant diseases could be due to these pheromones.'
'We don't yet know how the ants cure the plants,' said Dr Offenberg. 'But we do know that the ants secrete pheromones on their trails on the plants to find their way. And we know that some of these have antibiotic properties.'
The duo are hopeful that ant-derived antibiotics may yield applications in agriculture.
'We hope that more research in the field will reveal new types of biological control agents that can be used in the fight against resistant plant diseases,' said Dr Offenberg.
This hope is not without precedent — past studies having discovered antibodies on African ants that are able to kill MRSA and other multi-resistant bacteria.
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Oikos.
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