@phdthesis{Lehenberger2022,
  author    = {Lehenberger, Maximilian},
  title     = {Ecology and Evolution of symbiotic microbial communities in fungus farming ambrosia beetles},
  publisher = {Fungal Ecology, Frontiers in Microbiology, Deutsche Gesellschaft f{\"u}r allgemeine und angewandte Entomologie},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-24154},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241546},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Within my PhD project I gained several novel insights into the poorly investigated symbiotic world of fungus farming ambrosia beetles and their bark beetle ancestors, where I especially focused on physiological interactions and capabilities of associated fungal symbionts. Here, (i) I could confirm the association of mutualistic Phialophoropsis fungi with the ambrosia beetle genus Trypodendron and found hints for a possible new Phialophoropsis species in T. signatum and T. domesticum. Moreover, I could show that mutualistic fungi of Trypodendron ambrosia beetles are able to decompose major woody polysaccharides such as cellulose and xylan. Additionally, (ii) I provided the first images using micro-computed tomography (µCT) of the formerly unknown structure of the mycetangium of Trypodendron leave. (iii) I could confirm a general tolerance towards ethanol in mutualistic ambrosia beetle fungi, while antagonistic fungi as well as most examined fungal bark beetle associates (e.g. possibly tree-defense detoxifying species) were highly sensitive to even low concentrations of ethanol. Further, (iv) I found that natural galleries of ambrosia beetles are highly enriched with several biologically important elements (such as N, P, S, K, Mg) compared to the surrounding woody tissue and suggest that mutualistic fungi are translocating and concentrating elements from the immediate surrounding xylem to the beetles galleries. Furthermore, (v) I could show that various fungi associated with bark and ambrosia beetles (mutualists, possibly beneficial symbionts) are emitting several volatile organic compounds mostly within aliphatic and aromatic alcohols and esters, while non-mutualistic and free living species were generally emitting a lower number and amount of volatiles. Finally, especially bark and ambrosia beetle fungi were found to incorporate several amino acids, from which some are especially important for the production of certain volatile organic compounds. Amino acid content also indicated a higher nutritional value for certain species. Here, I propose that especially volatile organic compounds are widespread key players in maintaining various symbioses between fungi and beetles, as already proven by a recent study on the bark beetle Ips typographus (as well as for some other bark beetle-fungus symbioses, see summary in Kandasamy et al. 2016) and also suggested for ambrosia beetles.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Angermeier2011,
  author    = {Angermeier, Hilde Gabriele},
  title     = {Molecular and ecological investigations of Caribbean sponge diseases},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-56855},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {W{\"a}hrend gewinnbringende Assoziationen von Schw{\"a}mmen mit Mikroorganismen in den letzten Jahren viel Aufmerksamkeit erhalten haben, wurde weit weniger in die Interaktion von Schw{\"a}mmen mit m{\"o}glicherweise pathogenen Mikroben investiert. Somit war es das Ziel dieser Studie zwei ausgew{\"a}hlte Karibische Schwammkrankheiten namens „Sponge Orange Band" und „Sponge White Patch" mittels {\"o}kologischer und molekularer Methoden zu untersuchen. Die Sponge Orange Band (SOB) Erkrankung bef{\"a}llt den bedeutenden karibischen Fass-Schwamm Xestospongia muta, der zu den bakterienhaltigen (HMA) Schw{\"a}mmen gez{\"a}hlt wird, w{\"a}hrend die Sponge White Patch (SWP) Erkrankung den h{\"a}ufig vorkommenden Seil-Schwamm Amphimedon compressa betrifft, der zu den bakterienarmen (LMA) Schw{\"a}mmen geh{\"o}rt. F{\"u}r beide Karibischen Schwammkrankheiten konnte ich einen Krankheitsverlauf beschreiben, der mit massiver Gewebszerst{\"o}rung und dem Verlust charakteristischer mikrobieller Signaturen einhergeht. Obwohl ich zeigen konnte, dass zus{\"a}tzliche Bakterienarten die gebleichten Schwammbereiche kolonisieren, lieferten meine Infektionsversuche in beiden F{\"a}llen keinen Beweis f{\"u}r die Beteiligung eines mikrobiellen Pathogens als Krankheitserreger. Somit liegen die eigentlichen Ausl{\"o}ser der Erkrankungen Sponge Orange Band als auch Sponge White Patch noch immer im Dunkeln.},
  subject      = {Meeresschw{\"a}mme},
  language  = {en}
}