| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Barcoto, Mariana Oliveira
;
Silva, Raphael Affonso Pereira
;
Kitajima, Elliot Watanabe
;
Rodrigues, Andre
Total Authors: 4
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS; v. N/A, n. 212, p. 24-pg., 2024-10-01. |
| Abstract | |
In macroscale ecosystems, such as rainforests or coral reefs, the spatial localization of organisms is the basis of our understanding of community ecology. In the microbial world, likewise, microscale ecosystems are far from a random and homogeneous mixture of organisms and habitats. Accessing the spatial distribution of microbes is fundamental for understanding the functioning and ecology of the microbiota, as cohabiting species are more likely to interact and influence each other's physiology. An interkingdom microbial ecosystem is at the core of fungus-growing ant colonies, which cultivate basidiomycete fungi as a nutritional resource. Attine ants forage for diverse substrates (mostly plant-based), metabolized by the cultivated fungus while forming a spongy structure, a "microbial garden" that acts as an external gut. The garden is an intertwined mesh of fungal hyphae growing by metabolizing the substrate, opening niches for a characteristic and adapted microbiota to establish. The microbiota is thought to be a contributor to substrate degradation and fungal growth, though its spatial organization is yet to be determined. Here, we describe how we employ Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to investigate, with unprecedented detail, the microbiota and biofilm spatial organization across different fungiculture systems of fungus-growing ants. SEM imaging has provided a description of the microbiota spatial structure and organization. SEM revealed that microbiota commonly assemble in biofilms, a widespread structure of the microbial landscapes in fungiculture. We present the protocols employed to fix, dehydrate, dry, sputter coating, and image such a complex community. These protocols were optimized to deal with delicate and heterogeneous samples, comprising plant and fungal biomass, as well as the microbiota and the biofilm. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 21/08013-0 - Fungus gardens of leaf-cutting ants: Functional flexibility, metabolic complementarity, and biotechnological applications |
| Grantee: | Mariana de Oliveira Barcoto |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| FAPESP's process: | 19/03746-0 - Collaborative research: Dimensions US-São Paulo: integrating phylogeny, genetics, and chemical ecology to unravel the tangled bank of the multipartite fungus-farming ant symbiosis |
| Grantee: | André Rodrigues |
| Support Opportunities: | BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants |