Targeted treatment of injured nestmates with antimicrobial compounds in an ant society.
Erik T Frank, Lucie Kesner, Joanito Liberti, Quentin Helleu, Adria C LeBoeuf, Andrei Dascalu, Douglas B Sponsler, Fumika Azuma, Evan P Economo, Patrice Waridel, Philipp Engel, Thomas Schmitt, Laurent Keller
Author Information
Erik T Frank: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. erik.frank@uni-wuerzburg.de. ORCID
Lucie Kesner: Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. ORCID
Joanito Liberti: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. ORCID
Quentin Helleu: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. ORCID
Adria C LeBoeuf: Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland. ORCID
Andrei Dascalu: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Douglas B Sponsler: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of W��rzburg, D-97074, W��rzburg, Germany.
Fumika Azuma: Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, 904-0495, Japan.
Evan P Economo: Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, 904-0495, Japan.
Patrice Waridel: Protein Analysis Facility, G��nopode, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. ORCID
Philipp Engel: Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. ORCID
Thomas Schmitt: Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of W��rzburg, D-97074, W��rzburg, Germany. ORCID
Laurent Keller: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. laurentkeller01@gmail.com.
Infected wounds pose a major mortality risk in animals. Injuries are common in the ant Megaponera analis, which raids pugnacious prey. Here we show that M. analis can determine when wounds are infected and treat them accordingly. By applying a variety of antimicrobial compounds and proteins secreted from the metapleural gland to infected wounds, workers reduce the mortality of infected individuals by 90%. Chemical analyses showed that wound infection is associated with specific changes in the cuticular hydrocarbon profile, thereby likely allowing nestmates to diagnose the infection state of injured individuals and apply the appropriate antimicrobial treatment. This study demonstrates that M. analis ant societies use antimicrobial compounds produced in the metapleural glands to treat infected wounds and reduce nestmate mortality.
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Grants
511474012/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)
PR00P3_179776/Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur F��rderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation)
310030_156732/Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur F��rderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation)
741491/EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council)
