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Summary: Leaf-cutting ants in the genus Acromyrmex are obligately dependent upon a mutualistic fungus as their primary food source. One mechanism employed by fungus-growing ants to control general infections of the fungus garden is through secretions of the metapleural glands, which produce a broad spectrum of antibiotics. In addition, the ants carry a mutualistic filamentous bacterium (an actinomycete)...
Summary: Ants are the only group of insects that have metapleural glands. Secretions of these exocrine glands are known to have antibiotic properties and have been hypothesised to function as a general defence against microbial and fungal infections. Such defences are likely to be particularly important in leaf-cutting ants that need to protect both themselves and their clonal mutualistic fungus against...
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