Biomineral armor in leaf-cutter ants.
Biomineral armor in leaf-cutter ants.
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DOI：
10.1038/s41467-020-19566-3
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发表时间：
2020-11-24
影响因子：
16.6
通讯作者：
Currie CR
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Li H;Sun CY;Fang Y;Carlson CM;Xu H;Ješovnik A;Sosa-Calvo J;Zarnowski R;Bechtel HA;Fournelle JH;Andes DR;Schultz TR;Gilbert PUPA;Currie CR
虽然钙质解剖结构已经在不同的动物群体中进化，但这种结构在昆虫中是未知的。在这里，我们报告发现高镁方解石[CaMg（CO3）2]装甲覆盖的主要工人的切叶蚁Acromyrmex echinatior的外骨骼。活体饲养和体外合成实验表明，蚂蚁工人成熟的生物矿物层迅速积累，该层是连续分布的，几乎覆盖整个珠被，蚂蚁上表皮催化生物矿物成核和生长。原位纳米压痕表明，生物矿物层显着硬化外骨骼。增加蚂蚁工人的生存与生物矿化的外骨骼在侵略性的遭遇与其他蚂蚁和减少感染的昆虫病原真菌证明了生物矿物层的保护作用。在相对较好研究的切叶蚁中发现的生物源高镁方解石表明，富含镁的钙质生物矿物在后生动物中可能比以前认识到的更常见。生物矿物甲在许多不同的生物中是已知的，但以前没有在昆虫中观察到。在这里，作者报告了高镁方解石盔甲的发现和特征，这种盔甲覆盖在切叶蚁的外骨骼上。
Although calcareous anatomical structures have evolved in diverse animal groups, such structures have been unknown in insects. Here, we report the discovery of high-magnesium calcite [CaMg(CO3)2] armor overlaying the exoskeletons of major workers of the leaf-cutter ant Acromyrmex echinatior. Live-rearing and in vitro synthesis experiments indicate that the biomineral layer accumulates rapidly as ant workers mature, that the layer is continuously distributed, covering nearly the entire integument, and that the ant epicuticle catalyzes biomineral nucleation and growth. In situ nanoindentation demonstrates that the biomineral layer significantly hardens the exoskeleton. Increased survival of ant workers with biomineralized exoskeletons during aggressive encounters with other ants and reduced infection by entomopathogenic fungi demonstrate the protective role of the biomineral layer. The discovery of biogenic high-magnesium calcite in the relatively well-studied leaf-cutting ants suggests that calcareous biominerals enriched in magnesium may be more common in metazoans than previously recognized. Biomineral armour is known in a number of diverse creatures but has not previously been observed in insects. Here, the authors report on the discovery and characterization of high-magnesium calcite armour which overlays the exoskeletons of leaf-cutter ants.