1. Symbiosis and coevolution in insect- microbe communities Nicole Gerardo Emory University, Department of Biology Nancy Lowe, Ben Parker

3. (Kolenbrander et al. Micro and Molec Biol Rev 2002)

4. The nature of parasite specialization in the fungus-growing ant symbiosis Dr. Nicole Gerardo Emory University, Department of Biology Nancy Lowe, Ben Parker

5. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars

6. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars Symbiosis close, long-term interactions between biological species Coevolution Interactions between species over time lead to adaptations by both species in response to one another

7. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars Lower Ants Leaf-Cutter Ants

8. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars Coevolution Interactions between species over time lead to adaptations by both species in response to one another

9. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars Coevolution Interactions between species over time lead to adaptations by both species in response to one another Escovopsis, a genus of parasitic fungus that attacks the ants’ fungal cultivars

10. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars Actinomycete bacteria that produce antibiotics that inhibit Escovopsis Escovopsis, a genus of parasitic fungus that attacks the ants’ fungal cultivars

11. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars

12. Healthy fungus-growing ant garden Garden devastated by Escovopsis

14. CultivarsAnts Escovopsis spp. specialize on host clades. (Currie et. al 2003 )

15. Escovopsis Pathogen Phylogeny yellow pink brown pink

16. Escovopsis Pathogen Phylogeny pink brown

17. Leaf-Cutter Brown Escovopsis Found only in colonies of leaf cutter ants and their close relatives These ants cultivate fungi in the family lepiotaceae. Apterostigma Brown Escovopsis Found only in colonies of Apterostigma spp. lower ants. These ants cultivate fungi in the family pterulaceae, which is distantly related to the fungi cultivated by leaf cutter ants.

18. Leaf-Cutter Brown Escovopsis Apterostigma Brown Escovopsis Partially excavated leaf cutter colony Apterostigma colony on a tree branch

19. pathogen - cultivar interactions cultivar pathogen

20. pathogen - cultivar interactions cultivar pathogen

21. pathogen - cultivar interactions cultivar pathogen

22. Interact… 12 pathogen isolates (6 Leaf cutter & 6 Apterostigma) With… 12 cultivar isolates (6 Leaf cutter & 6 Apterostigma) Total Bioassays: 144 pathogen – cultivar experimental design cultivar pathogen

23. Inhibition No Attraction Attraction No Inhibition

24. Inhibition Attraction Inhibition & AttractionNeither cultivar pathogen e1e2e3e4e5e6e1e2e3e4e5e6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 Leaf Cutter Apterostigma Leaf Cutter

25. Inhibition Attraction Inhibition & AttractionNeither cultivar e1e2e3e4e5e6e1e2e3e4e5e6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 Leaf Cutter Apterostigma Leaf Cutter pathogen

26. Inhibition Attraction Inhibition & AttractionNeither cultivar e1e2e3e4e5e6e1e2e3e4e5e6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 Leaf Cutter Apterostigma Leaf Cutter pathogen

27. Inhibition Attraction Inhibition & AttractionNeither cultivar e1e2e3e4e5e6e1e2e3e4e5e6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 c1 c2 c3 c4 c5 c6 Leaf Cutter Apterostigma Leaf Cutter pathogen

28. Escovopsis Phylogeny pink brown

29. Ants & their mutualistic fungal cultivars Actinomycete bacteria that produce antibiotics that inhibit Escovopsis Escovopsis, a genus of parasitic fungus that attacks the ants’ fungal cultivars