New alkaloids from ants: Identification and synthesis of (3R,5S,9R)-3-butyl-5-(1-oxopropyl)indolizidine and (3R,5R,9R)-3-butyl-5-(1-oxopropyl)indolizidine, constituents of the poison gland secretion inMyrmicaria eumenoides (hymenoptera, formicidae)

AbstractAnimals continuously encounter microorganisms that are essential for health or cause disease. They are thus challenged to control harmful microbes while allowing acquisition of beneficial microbes. This challenge is likely especially important for social insects with respect to microbes in food, as they often store food and exchange food among colony members. Here we show that formicine ants actively swallow their antimicrobial, highly acidic poison gland secretion. The ensuing acidic environment in the stomach, the crop, limits establishment of pathogenic and opportunistic microbes ingested with food and improves survival of ants when faced with pathogen contaminated food. At the same time, crop acidity selectively allows acquisition and colonization by Acetobacteraceae, known bacterial gut associates of formicine ants. This suggests that swallowing of the poison gland secretion acts as a microbial filter in formicine ants and indicates a potentially widespread but so far underappreciated dual role of antimicrobials in host-microbe interactions.

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Monoterpene Hydrocarbons in the Poison Gland Secretion of the Ant Myrmicaria natalensis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Annals of the Entomological Society of America ◽

10.1093/aesa/67.3.525 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 67 (3) ◽

pp. 525-526 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J. M. Brand ◽

M. S. Blum ◽

Helen A. Lloyd ◽

D. J. C. Fletcher

Keyword(s):

Poison Gland ◽

Gland Secretion ◽

Monoterpene Hydrocarbons

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Adnexal Glands Chemistry of Messor ebeninus Forel (Formicidae: Myrmicinae)

Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C ◽

10.1515/znc-1987-9-1003 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 42 (9-10) ◽

pp. 1027-1029 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

M. Coll ◽

A . Hefetz ◽

H. A . Lloyd

Keyword(s):

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Poison Gland ◽

Aliphatic Hydrocarbons ◽

Gland Secretion ◽

Dufour's Gland ◽

Volatile Product ◽

Dufour’S Gland ◽

Alarm Behavior ◽

Dufour's Gland Secretion

Abstract Anabasine is the major volatile product in the poison gland exudate of Messor ebeninus, acting as a defensive compound. Exudates of the poison gland also contain minor, yet unidentified, components that are possibly responsible for the alarm behavior that is also elicited by the venom. Dufour’s gland secretion is characterized by aliphatic hydrocarbons of which 1-pentadecene predominates. Upon exposure to Dufour’s gland secretion the ants recruited to the emitting source, but did not exhibit any aggressive behavior. The possible concordant effects of both adnexal glands secretions is discussed.

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Dufour glands in the hymenopterans (Apidae, Formicidae, Vespidae): a review

Revista Brasileira de Biologia ◽

10.1590/s0034-71082001000100013 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 95-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

F. C. ABDALLA ◽

C. da CRUZ-LANDIM

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Kin Recognition ◽

Nest Building ◽

Dufour Gland ◽

Poison Gland ◽

Gland Secretion ◽

Original Function ◽

Social Bees ◽

Social Species ◽

The Social

Associated to the sting apparatus of the aculeate hymenopterans is found the poison gland, originated from the glands associated to the ovipositor of the non-aculeate hymenopterans and the less derived Dufour gland, homologue of the coletterial gland of other insects, and found in all hymenopteran females. The Dufour gland functions is mostly uncertain in hymenopterans but in ants it is involved with communication and defense and in non social bees with the nest building and protection. In wasps possibly with kin-recognition. Differences in morphology and chemical composition of the gland secretion were observed among species, in the same species, between the castes in the social species and among individual of the same caste playing different tasks or belonging to different nest. Its original function of egg-protective substance producing, or favoring the oviposition, appear to have been replaced or complemented in hymenopterans by the production of semiochemicals with function in communication.

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Formicine ants swallow their highly acidic poison for gut microbial selection and control

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.60287 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Simon Tragust ◽

Claudia Herrmann ◽

Jane Häfner ◽

Ronja Braasch ◽

Christina Tilgen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Insects ◽

Dual Role ◽

Poison Gland ◽

Gland Secretion ◽

Acidic Environment ◽

Beneficial Microbes ◽

Contaminated Food ◽

Microbe Interactions ◽

Host Microbe Interactions ◽

And Control

Animals continuously encounter microorganisms that are essential for health or cause disease. They are thus challenged to control harmful microbes while allowing the acquisition of beneficial microbes. This challenge is likely especially important for social insects with respect to microbes in food, as they often store food and exchange food among colony members. Here we show that formicine ants actively swallow their antimicrobial, highly acidic poison gland secretion. The ensuing acidic environment in the stomach, the crop, can limit the establishment of pathogenic and opportunistic microbes ingested with food and improve the survival of ants when faced with pathogen contaminated food. At the same time, crop acidity selectively allows acquisition and colonization by Acetobacteraceae, known bacterial gut associates of formicine ants. This suggests that swallowing of the poison in formicine ants acts as a microbial filter and that antimicrobials have a potentially widespread but so far underappreciated dual role in host-microbe interactions.

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