Chemical Camouflage - A Frog's Strategy to Co-Exist with Aggressive Ants
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- Whereas interspecific associations receive considerable attention in evolutionary, behavioural and ecological literature, the proximate bases for these associations are usually unknown. This in particular applies to associations between vertebrates with invertebrates. The West-African savanna frog Phrynomantis microps lives in the underground nest of ponerine ants (Paltothyreus tarsatus). The ants usually react highly aggressively when disturbed by fiercely stinging, but the frog is not attacked and lives unharmed among the ants. Herein weWhereas interspecific associations receive considerable attention in evolutionary, behavioural and ecological literature, the proximate bases for these associations are usually unknown. This in particular applies to associations between vertebrates with invertebrates. The West-African savanna frog Phrynomantis microps lives in the underground nest of ponerine ants (Paltothyreus tarsatus). The ants usually react highly aggressively when disturbed by fiercely stinging, but the frog is not attacked and lives unharmed among the ants. Herein we examined the proximate mechanisms for this unusual association. Experiments with termites and mealworms covered with the skin secretion of the frog revealed that specific chemical compounds seem to prevent the ants from stinging. By HPLC-fractionation of an aqueous solution of the frogs' skin secretion, two peptides of 1,029 and 1,143 Da were isolated and found to inhibit the aggressive behaviour of the ants. By de novo sequencing using tandem mass spectrometry, the amino acid sequence of both peptides consisting of a chain of 9 and 11 residues, respectively, was elucidated. Both peptides were synthesized and tested, and exhibited the same inhibitory properties as the original frog secretions. These novel peptides most likely act as an appeasement allomone and may serve as models for taming insect aggression.…
Autor(en): | Mark-Oliver Rödel, Christian Brede, Mareike Hirschfeld, Thomas Schmitt, Philippe Favreau, Reto Stöcklin, Cora Wunder, Dietrich Mebs |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-128181 |
Dokumentart: | Artikel / Aufsatz in einer Zeitschrift |
Institute der Universität: | Medizinische Fakultät / Abteilung für Molekulare Innere Medizin (in der Medizinischen Klinik und Poliklinik II) |
Sprache der Veröffentlichung: | Englisch |
Titel des übergeordneten Werkes / der Zeitschrift (Englisch): | PLOS ONE |
ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
Erscheinungsjahr: | 2013 |
Band / Jahrgang: | 8 |
Heft / Ausgabe: | 12 |
Seitenangabe: | e81950 |
Originalveröffentlichung / Quelle: | PLoS ONE 8(12): e81950. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081950 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0081950 |
Allgemeine fachliche Zuordnung (DDC-Klassifikation): | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie |
Freie Schlagwort(e): | alkaloids; amphibian skin secretions; antimicrobial peptides; anurans; dendrobates pumilio; formicidae; hymenoptera; microhylidae; mutualisms; paltothyreus tarsatus |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 30.03.2016 |
Lizenz (Deutsch): | CC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung |