Genomic evolution underlying the nutritional dependence between ants and fungi

• Grant number: 14/17950-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2015
• End date: April 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio Bacci Junior
• Grantee: Milene Ferro
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/05718-0 - Differential gene expression profile analysis among fungus-farming and non-fungus-farming ant species, BE.EP.PD 16/17395-6 - Generation of gene expression profiles of nutrition genes using transcriptomic data for Attini ants, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Attini ants are dependent upon cultivation of fungi for food and grouped into different types according to the cultivated fungus. All species of the basal group and the majority of the derived group use dead organic material as well as leaves, flowers, seeds and feces of arthropods to cultivate their mutualistic fungi as pest leaf-cutter ants cut and use fresh leaves. It was proposed that the coevolution between ants and fungi led to reductions in the ant genome. Ants are highly dependent on fungal enzymes to feed on plant carbohydrates, so modifications in ant gene expression or even deletion of carbohydrate catabolic pathways are predicted to have underlined the Attini ant evolution. In order to test this hypothesis, in the current post-doctoral proposal we intend to: (1) collect and extract RNA from Attini species in different phylogenetic positions, i. e. derived Acromyrmex balzani, intermediate Trachymyrmex fuscus and basal Mycocepurus goeldii); (2) collect and extract RNA from the non-Attini ant Wasmannia sp, which is closely related to attines; (3) generate transcriptomes for these ants using the Illumina sequencing platform; (4) procedure the de novo assembly and to annotate transcripts; (5) identify genes related to ant nutrition; (6) calculate the expression profile of these genes; and (7) perform differential expression analysis of candidate genes by comparing the expression profiles between ant species. With this procedure, we intend to characterize gene deletions and changes in gene expression linked to the evolution of nutritional dependence between Attini ants and mutualistic fungi. In addition to reconstruct ant evolution, we hope to expose molecular targets useful for the control of pest leaf-cutter ants. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RAMOS OTERO, IGOR VINICIUS; FERRO, MILENE; BACCI, JR., MAURICIO; FERREIRA, HENRIQUE; SETTE, LARA DURAES. De novo transcriptome assembly: a new laccase multigene family from the marine-derived basidiomycete Peniophora sp CBMAI 1063. AMB EXPRESS, v. 7, DEC 20 2017. (14/17950-4, 13/19486-0, 16/07957-7)