TY - JOUR AU - Schiøtt, Morten AU - Rogowska-Wrzesinska, Adelina AU - Roepstorff, Peter AU - Boomsma, Jacobus J. PY - 2010 DA - 2010/12/31 TI - Leaf-cutting ant fungi produce cell wall degrading pectinase complexes reminiscent of phytopathogenic fungi JO - BMC Biology SP - 156 VL - 8 IS - 1 AB - Leaf-cutting (attine) ants use their own fecal material to manure fungus gardens, which consist of leaf material overgrown by hyphal threads of the basidiomycete fungus Leucocoprinus gongylophorus that lives in symbiosis with the ants. Previous studies have suggested that the fecal droplets contain proteins that are produced by the fungal symbiont to pass unharmed through the digestive system of the ants, so they can enhance new fungus garden growth. SN - 1741-7007 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-8-156 DO - 10.1186/1741-7007-8-156 ID - Schiøtt2010 ER -