Antifungal Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Rickia wasmannii Cavara (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) Infecting Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander (Formicidae) Ants

Rickia wasmannii Cavara (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) is an ectoparasitic fungus infecting Myrmica ants. Ant-parasitic Laboulbeniales and their interactions with the hosts have been in the focus of several studies. To assess the effects of these fungi, comparison of infected and uninfected or completely treated ants are needed. So far, treating Laboulbeniales infection was only achieved with cockroaches, but not with ants. We present a simple, yet relatively long, AgNP topical treatment that reduces or eliminates Rickia infection from Myrmica scabrinodis ants without affecting their lifespan. We discuss the possibilities of the proposed treatment in the light of the biology of Rickia.

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Entomopathogenic Rickia wasmannii fungal infection generated colony-level stress effects cause size decline in Myrmica ants

10.21203/rs.3.rs-289400/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sándor Csősz ◽

Zoltán Rádai ◽

András Tartally ◽

Lilla Erika Ballai ◽

Ferenc Báthori

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Infection Level ◽

Stress Effects ◽

Myrmica Ants ◽

Body Sizes ◽

Myrmica Scabrinodis ◽

Rickia Wasmannii ◽

Colony Level

Abstract Parasitism-generated negative effects on ant societies are multifaceted, implying individual and colony-level responses. Though laboratory based evidence shows that the sublethal fungus Rickia wasmannii is responsible for physiological and behavioral responses that may negatively affect individual workers’ resilience and life expectancy in Myrmica ant workers, colony-level stress response to this parasite is largely unknown. Here, we focus on understanding of a long-term, colony-level effect of Rickia infection on Myrmica scabrinodis ant populations by tracking trait size-based changes. We collected worker specimens from infected and uninfected colonies from the same population in order to: (i) compare body size in response to parasitism, (ii) assess the extent to which possible changes in size are associated with the severity of infection, and (iii) investigate shifts in body size in response to infection over time by testing correlation of workers’ ages and sizes. We found that workers from infected colonies were significantly smaller than their healthy congeners, but neither infection level nor the age of the workers showed significant correlation with the size in infected colonies. Decreasing body sizes in infected colonies can be ascribed to workers’ mediated stress toward developing larvae, which are unable to attain the average body size before they pupate.

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Ectoparasitic fungi of Myrmica ants alter the success of parasitic butterflies

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-02800-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

András Tartally ◽

Norbert Szabó ◽

Anna Ágnes Somogyi ◽

Ferenc Báthori ◽

Danny Haelewaters ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parasite Species ◽

Joint Infection ◽

Laboratory Conditions ◽

Myrmica Ants ◽

Survival And Development ◽

Myrmica Scabrinodis ◽

Rickia Wasmannii

AbstractExploitation of organisms by multiple parasite species is common in nature, but interactions among parasites have rarely been studied. Myrmica ants are rich in parasites. Among others, the ectoparasitic Rickia wasmannii fungus and the parasitic caterpillars of myrmecophilous Phengaris butterflies often infect the same Myrmica colonies. In this study, we examined the effects of R. wasmannii on the adoption, long-term development, and survival of P. alcon. In laboratory conditions, caterpillars introduced into nests of Myrmica scabrinodis uninfected with R. wasmannii survived significantly longer compared to caterpillars introduced into infected nests. In the field, joint infection was less common than expected if both parasites exploited M. scabrinodis colonies independently. Pre-pupal caterpillars of P. alcon were somewhat larger in nests infected with R. wasmannii than those found in uninfected nests. Based on these results it seems that R. wasmannii infection of M. scabrinodis affects the survival and development of P. alcon caterpillars, suggesting competition between these two ant parasites.

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Ectoparasitic fungi Rickia wasmannii infection is associated with smaller body size in Myrmica ants

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-93583-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sándor Csősz ◽

Zoltán Rádai ◽

András Tartally ◽

Lilla Erika Ballai ◽

Ferenc Báthori

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Infection Level ◽

Myrmica Ants ◽

Body Sizes ◽

Myrmica Scabrinodis ◽

Rickia Wasmannii ◽

Average Body ◽

Colony Level

AbstractParasitism-generated negative effects on ant societies are multifaceted, implying individual and colony-level responses. Though laboratory based evidence shows that the sublethal fungus Rickia wasmannii is responsible for physiological and behavioral responses that may negatively affect individual workers’ resilience and life expectancy in Myrmica ant workers, colony-level stress response to this parasite is largely unknown. Here, we focus on understanding of a long-term, colony-level effect of Rickia infection on Myrmica scabrinodis ant populations by tracking trait size-based changes. We collected worker specimens from infected and uninfected colonies from the same population in order to: (1) compare body size in response to parasitism, (2) assess the extent to which possible changes in size are associated with the severity of infection, and (3) investigate shifts in body size in response to infection over time by testing correlation of workers’ ages and sizes. We found that workers from infected colonies were significantly smaller than their healthy congeners, but neither infection level nor the age of the workers showed significant correlation with the size in infected colonies. Decreasing body sizes in infected colonies can be ascribed to workers’ mediated effect toward developing larvae, which are unable to attain the average body size before they pupate.

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Biodirected Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Honey Solutions and Evaluation of Their Antifungal Activity against Pathogenic Candida Spp.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22147715 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (14) ◽

pp. 7715

Author(s):

Grzegorz Czernel ◽

Dominika Bloch ◽

Arkadiusz Matwijczuk ◽

Jolanta Cieśla ◽

Monika Kędzierska-Matysek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Silver Nanoparticles ◽

Antifungal Activity ◽

Fungal Pathogens ◽

Fungal Growth ◽

Disc Diffusion ◽

Candida Spp ◽

Antifungal Effect ◽

Synthesis Of Nanoparticles ◽

Honey Solution ◽

Diffusion Assay

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using aqueous honey solutions with a concentration of 2%, 10%, and 20%—AgNPs-H2, AgNPs-H10, and AgNPs-H20. The reaction was conducted at 35 °C and 70 °C. Additionally, nanoparticles obtained with the citrate method (AgNPs-C), while amphotericin B (AmB) and fluconazole were used as controls. The presence and physicochemical properties of AgNPs was affirmed by analyzing the sample with ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The 20% honey solution caused an inhibition of the synthesis of nanoparticles at 35 °C. The antifungal activity of the AgNPs was evaluated using opportunistic human fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis. The antifungal effect was determined by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and disc diffusion assay. The highest activity in the MIC tests was observed in the AgNPs-H2 variant. AgNPs-H10 and AgNPs-H20 showed no activity or even stimulated fungal growth. The results of the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion susceptibility test for C. parapsilosis strains indicated stronger antifungal activity of AgNPs-H than fluconazole. The study demonstrated that the antifungal activity of AgNPs is closely related to the concentration of honey used for the synthesis thereof.

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Distribution of the myrmecoparasitic fungus Rickia wasmannii (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) across colonies, individuals, and body parts of Myrmica scabrinodis

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology ◽

10.1016/j.jip.2016.03.008 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 136 ◽

pp. 74-80 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Bálint Markó ◽

Enikő Csata ◽

Katalin Erős ◽

Enikő Német ◽

Zsolt Czekes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Parts ◽

Myrmica Scabrinodis ◽

Rickia Wasmannii

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Synergistic antifungal effect of fungicide and chitosan-silver nanoparticles on Neoscytalidium dimidiatum

Green Processing and Synthesis ◽

10.1515/gps-2016-0206 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 132-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Uyen Thi Phan Ngoc ◽

Dai Hai Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Silver Nanoparticles ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Zone Of Inhibition ◽

Antifungal Effect ◽

Neoscytalidium Dimidiatum ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Dragon Fruit ◽

Potential Applications ◽

Novel Drug ◽

Better Than

AbstractChitosan-silver nanoparticles (Ag@CS) as a novel drug delivery system have been developed for fungicide drug. In this study, the synergistic effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), chitosan (CS), and fungicide zineb (Zi) was investigated as antifungal materials againstNeoscytalidium dimidiatumin dragon fruit. More specifically, Ag@CS were prepared by embedding of AgNPs in CS polymer and then combined with Zi. Transmission electron microscopy was used to confirm the morphology and size of Ag@CS. The diameter of spherical nanoparticles is around 4.11±0.37 nm. Furthermore, the formation of Ag@CS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction analysis. The thermostability properties of these nanoparticles were also determined by thermogravimetric analysis. Especially the antifungal activity of Ag@CS has shown antifungal ability better than each component alone, analyzed by zone of inhibition method againstN. dimidiatum. These results suggest the potential applications of Ag@CS in the development of nanomaterials for antibiotic application.

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