Publication:
Diversity of Actinobacteria associated with common ant species in the Guánica Tropical Dry Forest, Puerto Rico

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Authors
Hernández-Reyes, Ruth D.
Embargoed Until
Advisor
Cafaro, Matías J.
College
College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences
Department
Department of Biology
Degree Level
M.S.
Publisher
Date
2012
Abstract
The diversity of Actinobacteria associated with ants that do not grow fungi was determined in the Guánica subtropical dry forest. Actinobacteria produces secondary metabolites used as antibiotics antifungals and antivirals. A preliminary survey of the abundance and diversity of Actinobacteria in common ants from two different environments in Puerto Rico was conducted. Cambalache rain forest and Guánica dry forest were the locations selected for this purpose. The preliminary results indicated that Guánica Dry Forest had the largest number of morphospecies of Actinobacteria. The diversity of Actinobacteria associated with three dominant species of ants (Dorymyrmex sp., Solenopsis sp. and Paratrechina sp.) in the Guánica dry forest was assessed using culture-dependent methods. Streptomyces, Actinomadura, Nocardia, Pseudonocardia were associated with Solenopsis sp. ants, while Streptomyces, Nocardia and Nocardiopsis were found in association with Dorymyrmex sp. ants. The diversity of Actinobacteria associated with the ant Paratrechina sp. and its nest surrounding soil were determined using cultureindependent methods. We integrated the results obtained with dependent and independent culture methods in Paratrechina sp. Streptomyces, Actinomadura, Nocardia, Ornithiniimicrobium, Tsuamurella, Brevibacterium, Saccharopolyspora, Nocardioides, Microbacterium, Leifsonia, Pseudonocardia, Corynebacterium, Geodermatophilus, Amycolaptosis and Microtetraspora were associated with this ant. Streptomyces and Actinomadura genera were the most abundant with both methodologies. We concluded that the diversity of Actinobacteria associated with ants that do not grow fungus (Solenopsis sp., Dorymyrmex sp. and Paratrechina sp.) in the subtropical Guánica Dry Forest was specific for each ant species. We compared the community of Actinobacteria associated with Paratrechina sp. ants and the soil. We established that the community associated to the ant is consistent and clearly different from the community found in the soil in which the ant lives.

La diversidad de Actinobacterias asociadas a las hormigas que no cultivan hongos fue determinada en el Bosque Seco de Guánica. Las Actinobacterias producen metabolitos secundarios que son utilizados como antibioticos, antifúngicos y antivirales. Se llevó a cabo un estudio preliminar de la abundancia y la riqueza de Actinobacterias en hormigas comunes de dos ambientes diferentes en Puerto Rico. El bosque húmedo de Cambalache y el bosque seco de Guánica fueron los lugares elegidos para este propósito. Los resultados preliminaries indicaron que el Bosque Seco de Guánica tuvo el mayor número de morfoespecies de Actinobacterias. La diversidad de Actinobacterias asociada con tres especies comunes de hormigas (Dorymyrmex sp., Solenopsis sp. y Paratrechina sp.) en el bosque seco de Guánica se evaluó utilizando métodos dependiente de cultivo. Los géneros Streptomyces, Actinomadura, Nocardia y Pseudonocardia se encontraron asociados con Solenopsis sp., mientras que Streptomyces, Nocardia y Nocardiopsis se encontraron en Dorymyrmex sp. La diversidad de Actinobacterias asociadas a la hormiga Paratrechina sp. y a su suelo circundante se determinó utilizando métodos independientes de cultivo. Streptomyces, Actinomadura, Nocardia, Ornithiniimicrobium, Tsuamurella, Brevibacterium, Saccharopolyspora, Nocardioides, Microbacterium, Leifsonia, Pseudonocardia, Corynebacterium, Geodermatophilus, Amycolaptosis y Microtetraspora fueron los géneros asociados con Paratrechina sp. al integrar los resultados obtenidos con los métodos de cultivo dependientes e independientes. Streptomyces y Actinomadura fueron los generos más abundantes en ambas metodologías. En base a los resultados, se concluye que la diversidad de Actinobacterias asociados a las hormigas (Solenopsis sp., Dorymyrmex sp. y Paratrechina sp.) fue específica para cada especie. Se comparo la comunidad de Actinobacterias asociada con la hormiga Paratrechina sp. y el suelo. Se estableció que la comunidad asociada a la Paratrechina sp. es consistente y claramente diferente de la comunidad se encuentra en el suelo en el que la hormiga vive.
Keywords
Actinobacteria,
Ants,
Guánica subtropical dry forest,
Cambalache rain forest,
Antibiotics antifungals and antivirals
Cite
Hernández-Reyes, R. D. (2012). Diversity of Actinobacteria associated with common ant species in the Guánica Tropical Dry Forest, Puerto Rico [Thesis]. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11801/358