Abstract
The attine fungus Tyridiomyces formicarum, the symbiont of the fungus-growing ant Cyphomyrmex minutus, produces several antifungal diketopiperazines. This represents the first identification of antifungal compounds from an attine symbiont and contradicts previous suggestions that attine fungi do not produce metabolites with antifungal activity. T. formicarum probably produces antifungal compounds in defense (1) against other fungi that invade the gardens and escape the weeding activity of the ants, or (2) against ant-pathogenic fungi that could harm the host ants. Fungi cultivated by fungus-growing ants may represent a rich source of additional bioactive metabolites.
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Wang, Y., Mueller, U.G. & Clardy, J. Antifungal Diketopiperazines from Symbiotic Fungus of Fungus-Growing Ant Cyphomyrmex minutus . J Chem Ecol 25, 935–941 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020861221126
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020861221126