Graduation Year
2020
Date of Submission
12-2019
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Biochemistry
Reader 1
Ethan Van Arnam
Reader 2
Babak Sanii
Terms of Use & License Information
Abstract
Defensive symbioses, in which microbes provide molecular defenses for an animal host, hold great potential as untapped sources of therapeutically useful antibiotics. Fungus-growing ants use antifungal defenses from bacterial symbionts to suppress pathogenic fungi in their nests. Preliminary chemical investigations of symbiotic bacteria from this large family of ants have uncovered novel antifungal molecules with therapeutic potential, such as dentigerumycin and selvamicin.
In this study, the bacterial symbionts of North American Trachymyrmex fungus-growing ants are investigated for antifungal molecules. Plate-based bioassays using ecologically-relevant fungal pathogens confirmed that these bacteria have antifungal activity. In order to purify and identify the antifungal molecules produced by a single strain we are using reversed-phase liquid chromatography for activity-guided fractionation. Preliminary mass spectrometry data suggests this is a novel compound. Identification of the antifungal molecules will allow us to assess their structural novelty, therapeutic potential, and to contextualize antifungal defense in nature.
Recommended Citation
Scherer, Georgia, "Antifungal defense molecules from bacterial symbionts of North American Trachymyrmex Ants" (2020). CMC Senior Theses. 2332.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2332
Included in
Bacteria Commons, Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons, Biochemistry Commons, Fungi Commons, Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons, Molecular Biology Commons, Other Chemicals and Drugs Commons, Other Chemistry Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Other Genetics and Genomics Commons, Other Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons
