---
_id: '413'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Being cared for when sick is a benefit of sociality that can reduce disease
and improve survival of group members. However, individuals providing care risk
contracting infectious diseases themselves. If they contract a low pathogen dose,
they may develop low-level infections that do not cause disease but still affect
host immunity by either decreasing or increasing the host’s vulnerability to subsequent
infections. Caring for contagious individuals can thus significantly alter the
future disease susceptibility of caregivers. Using ants and their fungal pathogens
as a model system, we tested if the altered disease susceptibility of experienced
caregivers, in turn, affects their expression of sanitary care behavior. We found
that low-level infections contracted during sanitary care had protective or neutral
effects on secondary exposure to the same (homologous) pathogen but consistently
caused high mortality on superinfection with a different (heterologous) pathogen.
In response to this risk, the ants selectively adjusted the expression of their
sanitary care. Specifically, the ants performed less grooming and more antimicrobial
disinfection when caring for nestmates contaminated with heterologous pathogens
compared with homologous ones. By modulating the components of sanitary care in
this way the ants acquired less infectious particles of the heterologous pathogens,
resulting in reduced superinfection. The performance of risk-adjusted sanitary
care reveals the remarkable capacity of ants to react to changes in their disease
susceptibility, according to their own infection history and to flexibly adjust
collective care to individual risk.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Christopher
full_name: Pull, Christopher
id: 3C7F4840-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Pull
orcid: 0000-0003-1122-3982
- first_name: Sina
full_name: Metzler, Sina
id: 48204546-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Metzler
orcid: 0000-0002-9547-2494
- first_name: Katharina
full_name: Seif, Katharina
id: 90F7894A-02CF-11E9-976E-E38CFE5CBC1D
last_name: Seif
- first_name: Elisabeth
full_name: Naderlinger, Elisabeth
id: 31757262-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Naderlinger
- first_name: Anna V
full_name: Grasse, Anna V
id: 406F989C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Grasse
- first_name: Sylvia
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
ama: Konrad M, Pull C, Metzler S, et al. Ants avoid superinfections by performing
risk-adjusted sanitary care. PNAS. 2018;115(11):2782-2787. doi:10.1073/pnas.1713501115
apa: Konrad, M., Pull, C., Metzler, S., Seif, K., Naderlinger, E., Grasse, A. V.,
& Cremer, S. (2018). Ants avoid superinfections by performing risk-adjusted
sanitary care. PNAS. National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713501115
chicago: Konrad, Matthias, Christopher Pull, Sina Metzler, Katharina Seif, Elisabeth
Naderlinger, Anna V Grasse, and Sylvia Cremer. “Ants Avoid Superinfections by
Performing Risk-Adjusted Sanitary Care.” PNAS. National Academy of Sciences,
2018. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713501115.
ieee: M. Konrad et al., “Ants avoid superinfections by performing risk-adjusted
sanitary care,” PNAS, vol. 115, no. 11. National Academy of Sciences, pp.
2782–2787, 2018.
ista: Konrad M, Pull C, Metzler S, Seif K, Naderlinger E, Grasse AV, Cremer S. 2018.
Ants avoid superinfections by performing risk-adjusted sanitary care. PNAS. 115(11),
2782–2787.
mla: Konrad, Matthias, et al. “Ants Avoid Superinfections by Performing Risk-Adjusted
Sanitary Care.” PNAS, vol. 115, no. 11, National Academy of Sciences, 2018,
pp. 2782–87, doi:10.1073/pnas.1713501115.
short: M. Konrad, C. Pull, S. Metzler, K. Seif, E. Naderlinger, A.V. Grasse, S.
Cremer, PNAS 115 (2018) 2782–2787.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2018-12-11T11:46:20Z
date_published: 2018-03-13T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-04-15T08:20:50Z
day: '13'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1713501115
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
isi:
- '000427245400069'
pmid:
- '29463746'
intvolume: ' 115'
isi: 1
issue: '11'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29463746
month: '03'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 2782 - 2787
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: 25DC711C-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FP7
grant_number: '243071'
name: 'Social Vaccination in Ant Colonies: from Individual Mechanisms to Society
Effects'
publication: PNAS
publication_status: published
publisher: National Academy of Sciences
publist_id: '7416'
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
link:
- description: News on IST Homepage
relation: press_release
url: https://ist.ac.at/en/news/helping-in-spite-of-risk-ants-perform-risk-averse-sanitary-care-of-infectious-nest-mates/
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Ants avoid superinfections by performing risk-adjusted sanitary care
type: journal_article
user_id: c635000d-4b10-11ee-a964-aac5a93f6ac1
volume: 115
year: '2018'
...
---
_id: '1993'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 'The fitness effects of symbionts on their hosts can be context-dependent,
with usually benign symbionts causing detrimental effects when their hosts are
stressed, or typically parasitic symbionts providing protection towards their
hosts (e.g. against pathogen infection). Here, we studied the novel association
between the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus and its fungal ectosymbiont Laboulbenia
formicarum for potential costs and benefits. We tested ants with different Laboulbenia
levels for their survival and immunity under resource limitation and exposure
to the obligate killing entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum. While survival of
L. neglectus workers under starvation was significantly decreased with increasing
Laboulbenia levels, host survival under Metarhizium exposure increased with higher
levels of the ectosymbiont, suggesting a symbiont-mediated anti-pathogen protection,
which seems to be driven mechanistically by both improved sanitary behaviours
and an upregulated immune system. Ants with high Laboulbenia levels showed significantly
longer self-grooming and elevated expression of immune genes relevant for wound
repair and antifungal responses (β-1,3-glucan binding protein, Prophenoloxidase),
compared with ants carrying low Laboulbenia levels. This suggests that the ectosymbiont
Laboulbenia formicarum weakens its ant host by either direct resource exploitation
or the costs of an upregulated behavioural and immunological response, which,
however, provides a prophylactic protection upon later exposure to pathogens. '
acknowledged_ssus:
- _id: EM-Fac
acknowledgement: "Funding was obtained by the German Research Foundation (CR 118–2)
and an ERC StG (243071) by the European Research Council (both to S.C.).\r\nWe thank
Line V. Ugelvig for help with ant collection and statistical discussion, Xavier
Espadaler for detailed information on the ant collection site, Birgit Lautenschläger
for the electron microscopy images and Eva Sixt for ant drawings. We further thank
Jørgen Eilenberg for the fungal strain, Meghan L. Vyleta for genetic strain characterization
and immune gene primer development, Paul Schmid-Hempel for discussion, and Line
V. Ugelvig, Xavier Espadaler and Christopher D. Pull for comments on the manuscript.
S.C., M.K. and S.T. conceived the study; M.K. and A.V.G. performed the experiments;
M.K. performed the statistical analysis; S.C. and M.K. wrote the manuscript with
intense contributions of A.V.G. and S.T.; all authors approved the manuscript."
article_number: '20141976'
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Anna V
full_name: Grasse, Anna V
id: 406F989C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Grasse
- first_name: Simon
full_name: Tragust, Simon
id: 35A7A418-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Tragust
- first_name: Sylvia
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
ama: Konrad M, Grasse AV, Tragust S, Cremer S. Anti-pathogen protection versus survival
costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host. Proceedings of the Royal
Society of London Series B Biological Sciences. 2015;282(1799). doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.1976
apa: Konrad, M., Grasse, A. V., Tragust, S., & Cremer, S. (2015). Anti-pathogen
protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host. Proceedings
of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences. The Royal Society.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1976
chicago: Konrad, Matthias, Anna V Grasse, Simon Tragust, and Sylvia Cremer. “Anti-Pathogen
Protection versus Survival Costs Mediated by an Ectosymbiont in an Ant Host.”
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences.
The Royal Society, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1976.
ieee: M. Konrad, A. V. Grasse, S. Tragust, and S. Cremer, “Anti-pathogen protection
versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host,” Proceedings
of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences, vol. 282, no.
1799. The Royal Society, 2015.
ista: Konrad M, Grasse AV, Tragust S, Cremer S. 2015. Anti-pathogen protection versus
survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host. Proceedings of the
Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences. 282(1799), 20141976.
mla: Konrad, Matthias, et al. “Anti-Pathogen Protection versus Survival Costs Mediated
by an Ectosymbiont in an Ant Host.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London
Series B Biological Sciences, vol. 282, no. 1799, 20141976, The Royal Society,
2015, doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.1976.
short: M. Konrad, A.V. Grasse, S. Tragust, S. Cremer, Proceedings of the Royal Society
of London Series B Biological Sciences 282 (2015).
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2018-12-11T11:55:06Z
date_published: 2015-01-22T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-09-23T07:55:03Z
day: '22'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1976
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
isi:
- '000345624600008'
pmid:
- '25473011'
intvolume: ' 282'
isi: 1
issue: '1799'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286035/
month: '01'
oa: 1
oa_version: Submitted Version
pmid: 1
project:
- _id: 25DC711C-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FP7
grant_number: '243071'
name: 'Social Vaccination in Ant Colonies: from Individual Mechanisms to Society
Effects'
- _id: 25DAF0B2-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
grant_number: CR-118/3-1
name: Host-Parasite Coevolution
publication: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B Biological Sciences
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1471-2954
issn:
- 0962-8452
publication_status: published
publisher: The Royal Society
publist_id: '5090'
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
record:
- id: '9740'
relation: research_data
status: public
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Anti-pathogen protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont
in an ant host
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 282
year: '2015'
...
---
_id: '9740'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: The fitness effects of symbionts on their hosts can be context-dependent,
with usually benign symbionts causing detrimental effects when their hosts are
stressed, or typically parasitic symbionts providing protection towards their
hosts (e.g. against pathogen infection). Here, we studied the novel association
between the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus and its fungal ectosymbiont Laboulbenia
formicarum for potential costs and benefits. We tested ants with different Laboulbenia
levels for their survival and immunity under resource limitation and exposure
to the obligate killing entomopathogen Metarhizium brunneum. While survival of
L. neglectus workers under starvation was significantly decreased with increasing
Laboulbenia levels, host survival under Metarhizium exposure increased with higher
levels of the ectosymbiont, suggesting a symbiont-mediated anti-pathogen protection,
which seems to be driven mechanistically by both improved sanitary behaviours
and an upregulated immune system. Ants with high Laboulbenia levels showed significantly
longer self-grooming and elevated expression of immune genes relevant for wound
repair and antifungal responses (β-1,3-glucan binding protein, Prophenoloxidase),
compared with ants carrying low Laboulbenia levels. This suggests that the ectosymbiont
Laboulbenia formicarum weakens its ant host by either direct resource exploitation
or the costs of an upregulated behavioural and immunological response, which,
however, provides a prophylactic protection upon later exposure to pathogens.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Anna V
full_name: Grasse, Anna V
id: 406F989C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Grasse
- first_name: Simon
full_name: Tragust, Simon
id: 35A7A418-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Tragust
- first_name: Sylvia
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
ama: 'Konrad M, Grasse AV, Tragust S, Cremer S. Data from: Anti-pathogen protection
versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host. 2014. doi:10.5061/dryad.vm0vc'
apa: 'Konrad, M., Grasse, A. V., Tragust, S., & Cremer, S. (2014). Data from:
Anti-pathogen protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in
an ant host. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc'
chicago: 'Konrad, Matthias, Anna V Grasse, Simon Tragust, and Sylvia Cremer. “Data
from: Anti-Pathogen Protection versus Survival Costs Mediated by an Ectosymbiont
in an Ant Host.” Dryad, 2014. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc.'
ieee: 'M. Konrad, A. V. Grasse, S. Tragust, and S. Cremer, “Data from: Anti-pathogen
protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host.”
Dryad, 2014.'
ista: 'Konrad M, Grasse AV, Tragust S, Cremer S. 2014. Data from: Anti-pathogen
protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in an ant host, Dryad,
10.5061/dryad.vm0vc.'
mla: 'Konrad, Matthias, et al. Data from: Anti-Pathogen Protection versus Survival
Costs Mediated by an Ectosymbiont in an Ant Host. Dryad, 2014, doi:10.5061/dryad.vm0vc.'
short: M. Konrad, A.V. Grasse, S. Tragust, S. Cremer, (2014).
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2021-07-28T08:38:40Z
date_published: 2014-11-13T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-09-23T07:55:02Z
day: '13'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.5061/dryad.vm0vc
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc
month: '11'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
publisher: Dryad
related_material:
record:
- id: '1993'
relation: used_in_publication
status: public
status: public
title: 'Data from: Anti-pathogen protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont
in an ant host'
type: research_data_reference
user_id: 6785fbc1-c503-11eb-8a32-93094b40e1cf
year: '2014'
...
---
OA_place: publisher
_id: '1395'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: In this thesis I studied various individual and social immune defences employed
by the invasive garden ant Lasius neglectus mostly against entomopathogenic fungi. The
first two chapters of this thesis address the phenomenon of 'social immunisation'.
Social immunisation, that is the immunological protection of group members due
to social contact to a pathogen-exposed nestmate, has been described in various
social insect species against different types of pathogens. However, in the case
of entomopathogenic fungi it has, so far, only been demonstrated that social immunisation
exists at all. Its underlying mechanisms r any other properties were, however,
unknown. In the first chapter of this thesis I identified the mechanistic basis
of social immunisation in L. neglectus against the entomopathogenous fungus Metarhizium.
I could show that nestmates of a pathogen-exposed individual contract low-level
infections due to social interactions. These low-level infections are, however,
non-lethal and cause an active stimulation of the immune system, which protects
the nestmates upon subsequent pathogen encounters. In the second chapter of this
thesis I investigated the specificity and colony level effects of social immunisation.
I demonstrated that the protection conferred by social immunisation is highly
specific, protecting ants only against the same pathogen strain. In addition,
depending on the respective context, social immunisation may even cause fitness
costs. I further showed that social immunisation crucially affects sanitary behaviour
and disease dynamics within ant groups. In the third chapter of this thesis I
studied the effects of the ectosymbiotic fungus Laboulbenia formicarum on its
host L. neglectus. Although Laboulbeniales are the largest order of insect-parasitic
fungi, research concerning host fitness consequence is sparse. I showed that highly
Laboulbenia-infected ants sustain fitness costs under resource limitation, however,
gain fitness benefits when exposed to an entomopathogenus fungus. These effects
are probably cause by a prophylactic upregulation of behavioural as well as physiological
immune defences in highly infected ants.
alternative_title:
- ISTA Thesis
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
citation:
ama: 'Konrad M. Immune defences in ants: Effects of social immunisation and a fungal
ectosymbiont in the ant Lasius neglectus. 2014.'
apa: 'Konrad, M. (2014). Immune defences in ants: Effects of social immunisation
and a fungal ectosymbiont in the ant Lasius neglectus. Institute of Science
and Technology Austria.'
chicago: 'Konrad, Matthias. “Immune Defences in Ants: Effects of Social Immunisation
and a Fungal Ectosymbiont in the Ant Lasius Neglectus.” Institute of Science and
Technology Austria, 2014.'
ieee: 'M. Konrad, “Immune defences in ants: Effects of social immunisation and a
fungal ectosymbiont in the ant Lasius neglectus,” Institute of Science and Technology
Austria, 2014.'
ista: 'Konrad M. 2014. Immune defences in ants: Effects of social immunisation and
a fungal ectosymbiont in the ant Lasius neglectus. Institute of Science and Technology
Austria.'
mla: 'Konrad, Matthias. Immune Defences in Ants: Effects of Social Immunisation
and a Fungal Ectosymbiont in the Ant Lasius Neglectus. Institute of Science
and Technology Austria, 2014.'
short: 'M. Konrad, Immune Defences in Ants: Effects of Social Immunisation and a
Fungal Ectosymbiont in the Ant Lasius Neglectus, Institute of Science and Technology
Austria, 2014.'
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2018-12-11T11:51:46Z
date_published: 2014-02-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-09T14:27:01Z
day: '01'
degree_awarded: PhD
department:
- _id: SyCr
language:
- iso: eng
month: '02'
oa_version: None
page: '131'
publication_identifier:
issn:
- 2663-337X
publication_status: published
publisher: Institute of Science and Technology Austria
publist_id: '5814'
status: public
supervisor:
- first_name: Sylvia M
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia M
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
title: 'Immune defences in ants: Effects of social immunisation and a fungal ectosymbiont
in the ant Lasius neglectus'
type: dissertation
user_id: ba8df636-2132-11f1-aed0-ed93e2281fdd
year: '2014'
...
---
_id: '2926'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: To fight infectious diseases, host immune defenses are employed at multiple
levels. Sanitary behavior, such as pathogen avoidance and removal, acts as a first
line of defense to prevent infection [1] before activation of the physiological
immune system. Insect societies have evolved a wide range of collective hygiene
measures and intensive health care toward pathogen-exposed group members [2].
One of the most common behaviors is allogrooming, in which nestmates remove infectious
particles from the body surfaces of exposed individuals [3]. Here we show that,
in invasive garden ants, grooming of fungus-exposed brood is effective beyond
the sheer mechanical removal of fungal conidiospores; it also includes chemical
disinfection through the application of poison produced by the ants themselves.
Formic acid is the main active component of the poison. It inhibits fungal growth
of conidiospores remaining on the brood surface after grooming and also those
collected in the mouth of the grooming ant. This dual function is achieved by
uptake of the poison droplet into the mouth through acidopore self-grooming and
subsequent application onto the infectious brood via brood grooming. This extraordinary
behavior extends the current understanding of grooming and the establishment of
social immunity in insect societies.
acknowledgement: "Funding for this project was obtained by the German Research Foundation
(DFG, to S.C.) and the European Research Council (ERC, through an ERC-Starting Grant
to S.C. and an Individual Marie Curie IEF fellowship to L.V.U.).\r\nWe thank Jørgen
Eilenberg, Bernhardt Steinwender, Miriam Stock, and Meghan L. Vyleta for the fungal
strain and its characterization; Volker Witte for chemical information; Eva Sixt
for ant drawings; and Robert Hauschild for help with image analysis. We further
thank Martin Kaltenpoth, Michael Sixt, Jürgen Heinze, and Joachim Ruther for discussion
and Daria Siekhaus, Sophie A.O. Armitage, and Leila Masri for comments on the manuscript.
\r\n"
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Simon
full_name: Tragust, Simon
id: 35A7A418-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Tragust
- first_name: Barbara
full_name: Mitteregger, Barbara
id: 479DDAAC-E9CD-11E9-9B5F-82450873F7A1
last_name: Mitteregger
- first_name: Vanessa
full_name: Barone, Vanessa
id: 419EECCC-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Barone
orcid: 0000-0003-2676-3367
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Line V
full_name: Ugelvig, Line V
id: 3DC97C8E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Ugelvig
orcid: 0000-0003-1832-8883
- first_name: Sylvia
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
ama: Tragust S, Mitteregger B, Barone V, Konrad M, Ugelvig LV, Cremer S. Ants disinfect
fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of their poison. Current Biology.
2013;23(1):76-82. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.034
apa: Tragust, S., Mitteregger, B., Barone, V., Konrad, M., Ugelvig, L. V., &
Cremer, S. (2013). Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread
of their poison. Current Biology. Cell Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.034
chicago: Tragust, Simon, Barbara Mitteregger, Vanessa Barone, Matthias Konrad, Line
V Ugelvig, and Sylvia Cremer. “Ants Disinfect Fungus-Exposed Brood by Oral Uptake
and Spread of Their Poison.” Current Biology. Cell Press, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.034.
ieee: S. Tragust, B. Mitteregger, V. Barone, M. Konrad, L. V. Ugelvig, and S. Cremer,
“Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of their poison,”
Current Biology, vol. 23, no. 1. Cell Press, pp. 76–82, 2013.
ista: Tragust S, Mitteregger B, Barone V, Konrad M, Ugelvig LV, Cremer S. 2013.
Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of their poison.
Current Biology. 23(1), 76–82.
mla: Tragust, Simon, et al. “Ants Disinfect Fungus-Exposed Brood by Oral Uptake
and Spread of Their Poison.” Current Biology, vol. 23, no. 1, Cell Press,
2013, pp. 76–82, doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.034.
short: S. Tragust, B. Mitteregger, V. Barone, M. Konrad, L.V. Ugelvig, S. Cremer,
Current Biology 23 (2013) 76–82.
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:00:23Z
date_published: 2013-01-07T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-04-08T14:22:39Z
day: '07'
department:
- _id: SyCr
- _id: CaHe
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.034
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
isi:
- '000313383700026'
intvolume: ' 23'
isi: 1
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '01'
oa_version: None
page: 76 - 82
project:
- _id: 25DAF0B2-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
grant_number: CR-118/3-1
name: Host-Parasite Coevolution
- _id: 25DC711C-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FP7
grant_number: '243071'
name: 'Social Vaccination in Ant Colonies: from Individual Mechanisms to Society
Effects'
- _id: 25DDF0F0-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FP7
grant_number: '302004'
name: 'Collective disease defence and pathogen detection abilities in ant societies:
a chemo-neuro-immunological approach'
publication: Current Biology
publication_status: published
publisher: Cell Press
publist_id: '3811'
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
record:
- id: '9757'
relation: research_data
status: public
- id: '961'
relation: dissertation_contains
status: public
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of their poison
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 23
year: '2013'
...
---
_id: '3132'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: 'Reproductive division of labour is a characteristic trait of social insects.
The dominant reproductive individual, often the queen, uses chemical communication
and/or behaviour to maintain her social status. Queens of many social insects
communicate their fertility status via cuticle-bound substances. As these substances
usually possess a low volatility, their range in queen–worker communication is
potentially limited. Here, we investigate the range and impact of behavioural
and chemical queen signals on workers of the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. We
compared the behaviour and ovary development of workers subjected to three different
treatments: workers with direct chemical and physical contact to the queen, those
solely under the influence of volatile queen substances and those entirely separated
from the queen. In addition to short-ranged queen signals preventing ovary development
in workers, we discovered a novel secondary pathway influencing worker behaviour.
Workers with no physical contact to the queen, but exposed to volatile substances,
started to develop their ovaries, but did not change their behaviour compared
to workers in direct contact to the queen. In contrast, workers in queen-separated
groups showed both increased ovary development and aggressive dominance interactions.
We conclude that T. longispinosus queens influence worker ovary development and
behaviour via two independent signals, both ensuring social harmony within the
colony.'
acknowledgement: We like to thank the editor and three anonymous reviewers for their
time and constructive criticism and Inon Scharf, Volker Witte and Andreas Modlmeier
for helpful comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. The first and second
authors appear in alphabetical order and contributed equally to this paper.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Tobias
full_name: Pamminger, Tobias
last_name: Pamminger
- first_name: Susanne
full_name: Foitzik, Susanne
last_name: Foitzik
citation:
ama: Konrad M, Pamminger T, Foitzik S. Two pathways ensuring social harmony. Naturwissenschaften.
2012;99(8):627-636. doi:10.1007/s00114-012-0943-z
apa: Konrad, M., Pamminger, T., & Foitzik, S. (2012). Two pathways ensuring
social harmony. Naturwissenschaften. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0943-z
chicago: Konrad, Matthias, Tobias Pamminger, and Susanne Foitzik. “Two Pathways
Ensuring Social Harmony.” Naturwissenschaften. Springer, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-012-0943-z.
ieee: M. Konrad, T. Pamminger, and S. Foitzik, “Two pathways ensuring social harmony,”
Naturwissenschaften, vol. 99, no. 8. Springer, pp. 627–636, 2012.
ista: Konrad M, Pamminger T, Foitzik S. 2012. Two pathways ensuring social harmony.
Naturwissenschaften. 99(8), 627–636.
mla: Konrad, Matthias, et al. “Two Pathways Ensuring Social Harmony.” Naturwissenschaften,
vol. 99, no. 8, Springer, 2012, pp. 627–36, doi:10.1007/s00114-012-0943-z.
short: M. Konrad, T. Pamminger, S. Foitzik, Naturwissenschaften 99 (2012) 627–636.
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:01:34Z
date_published: 2012-08-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-09-30T07:56:20Z
day: '01'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.1007/s00114-012-0943-z
external_id:
isi:
- '000307245100004'
intvolume: ' 99'
isi: 1
issue: '8'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '08'
oa_version: None
page: 627 - 636
publication: Naturwissenschaften
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer
publist_id: '3565'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Two pathways ensuring social harmony
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 99
year: '2012'
...
---
_id: '3242'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Due to the omnipresent risk of epidemics, insect societies have evolved sophisticated
disease defences at the individual and colony level. An intriguing yet little
understood phenomenon is that social contact to pathogen-exposed individuals reduces
susceptibility of previously naive nestmates to this pathogen. We tested whether
such social immunisation in Lasius ants against the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium
anisopliae is based on active upregulation of the immune system of nestmates following
contact to an infectious individual or passive protection via transfer of immune
effectors among group members—that is, active versus passive immunisation. We
found no evidence for involvement of passive immunisation via transfer of antimicrobials
among colony members. Instead, intensive allogrooming behaviour between naive
and pathogen-exposed ants before fungal conidia firmly attached to their cuticle
suggested passage of the pathogen from the exposed individuals to their nestmates.
By tracing fluorescence-labelled conidia we indeed detected frequent pathogen
transfer to the nestmates, where they caused low-level infections as revealed
by growth of small numbers of fungal colony forming units from their dissected
body content. These infections rarely led to death, but instead promoted an enhanced
ability to inhibit fungal growth and an active upregulation of immune genes involved
in antifungal defences (defensin and prophenoloxidase, PPO). Contrarily, there
was no upregulation of the gene cathepsin L, which is associated with antibacterial
and antiviral defences, and we found no increased antibacterial activity of nestmates
of fungus-exposed ants. This indicates that social immunisation after fungal exposure
is specific, similar to recent findings for individual-level immune priming in
invertebrates. Epidemiological modeling further suggests that active social immunisation
is adaptive, as it leads to faster elimination of the disease and lower death
rates than passive immunisation. Interestingly, humans have also utilised the
protective effect of low-level infections to fight smallpox by intentional transfer
of low pathogen doses (“variolation” or “inoculation”).
acknowledgement: Funding for this project was obtained by the German Research Foundation
DFG (http://www.dfg.de/en/index.jsp) as an Individual Research Grant (CR118/2-1
to SC) and the European Research Council (http://erc.europa.eu/) in form of two
ERC Starting Grants (ERC-2009-StG240371-SocialVaccines to SC and ERC-2010-StG259294-LatentCauses
to FJT). In addition, the Junge Akademie (Young Academy of the Berlin-Brandenburg
Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
(http://www.diejungeakademie.de/english/index.html) funded this joint Antnet project
of SC and FJT. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis,
decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
article_number: e1001300
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Meghan
full_name: Vyleta, Meghan
id: 418901AA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Vyleta
- first_name: Fabian
full_name: Theis, Fabian
last_name: Theis
- first_name: Miriam
full_name: Stock, Miriam
id: 42462816-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Stock
- first_name: Simon
full_name: Tragust, Simon
id: 35A7A418-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Tragust
- first_name: Martina
full_name: Klatt, Martina
id: E60F29C6-E9AE-11E9-AF6E-D190C7302F38
last_name: Klatt
- first_name: Verena
full_name: Drescher, Verena
last_name: Drescher
- first_name: Carsten
full_name: Marr, Carsten
last_name: Marr
- first_name: Line V
full_name: Ugelvig, Line V
id: 3DC97C8E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Ugelvig
orcid: 0000-0003-1832-8883
- first_name: Sylvia
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
ama: Konrad M, Vyleta M, Theis F, et al. Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes
active immunisation in ant colonies. PLoS Biology. 2012;10(4). doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001300
apa: Konrad, M., Vyleta, M., Theis, F., Stock, M., Tragust, S., Klatt, M., … Cremer,
S. (2012). Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes active immunisation in
ant colonies. PLoS Biology. Public Library of Science. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001300
chicago: Konrad, Matthias, Meghan Vyleta, Fabian Theis, Miriam Stock, Simon Tragust,
Martina Klatt, Verena Drescher, Carsten Marr, Line V Ugelvig, and Sylvia Cremer.
“Social Transfer of Pathogenic Fungus Promotes Active Immunisation in Ant Colonies.”
PLoS Biology. Public Library of Science, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001300.
ieee: M. Konrad et al., “Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes active
immunisation in ant colonies,” PLoS Biology, vol. 10, no. 4. Public Library
of Science, 2012.
ista: Konrad M, Vyleta M, Theis F, Stock M, Tragust S, Klatt M, Drescher V, Marr
C, Ugelvig LV, Cremer S. 2012. Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes active
immunisation in ant colonies. PLoS Biology. 10(4), e1001300.
mla: Konrad, Matthias, et al. “Social Transfer of Pathogenic Fungus Promotes Active
Immunisation in Ant Colonies.” PLoS Biology, vol. 10, no. 4, e1001300,
Public Library of Science, 2012, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001300.
short: M. Konrad, M. Vyleta, F. Theis, M. Stock, S. Tragust, M. Klatt, V. Drescher,
C. Marr, L.V. Ugelvig, S. Cremer, PLoS Biology 10 (2012).
corr_author: '1'
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:02:13Z
date_published: 2012-04-03T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-09-30T07:50:01Z
day: '03'
ddc:
- '570'
- '579'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001300
ec_funded: 1
external_id:
isi:
- '000303541800006'
file:
- access_level: open_access
checksum: 4ebacefd9fbab5c68adf829124115fd1
content_type: application/pdf
creator: system
date_created: 2018-12-12T10:08:28Z
date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:46:04Z
file_id: '4689'
file_name: IST-2012-96-v1+1_journal.pbio.1001300.pdf
file_size: 674228
relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:46:04Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: ' 10'
isi: 1
issue: '4'
language:
- iso: eng
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
month: '04'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
project:
- _id: 25DAF0B2-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
grant_number: CR-118/3-1
name: Host-Parasite Coevolution
- _id: 25DC711C-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
call_identifier: FP7
grant_number: '243071'
name: 'Social Vaccination in Ant Colonies: from Individual Mechanisms to Society
Effects'
- _id: 25E0E184-B435-11E9-9278-68D0E5697425
name: Schnellboot Antnet Junge Akademie
publication: PLoS Biology
publication_status: published
publisher: Public Library of Science
publist_id: '3434'
pubrep_id: '96'
quality_controlled: '1'
related_material:
record:
- id: '9755'
relation: research_data
status: public
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes active immunisation in ant colonies
tmp:
image: /images/cc_by.png
legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 10
year: '2012'
...
---
_id: '9755'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Due to the omnipresent risk of epidemics, insect societies have evolved sophisticated
disease defences at the individual and colony level. An intriguing yet little
understood phenomenon is that social contact to pathogen-exposed individuals reduces
susceptibility of previously naive nestmates to this pathogen. We tested whether
such social immunisation in Lasius ants against the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium
anisopliae is based on active upregulation of the immune system of nestmates following
contact to an infectious individual or passive protection via transfer of immune
effectors among group members—that is, active versus passive immunisation. We
found no evidence for involvement of passive immunisation via transfer of antimicrobials
among colony members. Instead, intensive allogrooming behaviour between naive
and pathogen-exposed ants before fungal conidia firmly attached to their cuticle
suggested passage of the pathogen from the exposed individuals to their nestmates.
By tracing fluorescence-labelled conidia we indeed detected frequent pathogen
transfer to the nestmates, where they caused low-level infections as revealed
by growth of small numbers of fungal colony forming units from their dissected
body content. These infections rarely led to death, but instead promoted an enhanced
ability to inhibit fungal growth and an active upregulation of immune genes involved
in antifungal defences (defensin and prophenoloxidase, PPO). Contrarily, there
was no upregulation of the gene cathepsin L, which is associated with antibacterial
and antiviral defences, and we found no increased antibacterial activity of nestmates
of fungus-exposed ants. This indicates that social immunisation after fungal exposure
is specific, similar to recent findings for individual-level immune priming in
invertebrates. Epidemiological modeling further suggests that active social immunisation
is adaptive, as it leads to faster elimination of the disease and lower death
rates than passive immunisation. Interestingly, humans have also utilised the
protective effect of low-level infections to fight smallpox by intentional transfer
of low pathogen doses (“variolation” or “inoculation”).
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Meghan
full_name: Vyleta, Meghan
id: 418901AA-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Vyleta
- first_name: Fabian
full_name: Theis, Fabian
last_name: Theis
- first_name: Miriam
full_name: Stock, Miriam
id: 42462816-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Stock
- first_name: Martina
full_name: Klatt, Martina
id: E60F29C6-E9AE-11E9-AF6E-D190C7302F38
last_name: Klatt
- first_name: Verena
full_name: Drescher, Verena
last_name: Drescher
- first_name: Carsten
full_name: Marr, Carsten
last_name: Marr
- first_name: Line V
full_name: Ugelvig, Line V
id: 3DC97C8E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Ugelvig
orcid: 0000-0003-1832-8883
- first_name: Sylvia
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
ama: 'Konrad M, Vyleta M, Theis F, et al. Data from: Social transfer of pathogenic
fungus promotes active immunisation in ant colonies. 2012. doi:10.5061/dryad.sv37s'
apa: 'Konrad, M., Vyleta, M., Theis, F., Stock, M., Klatt, M., Drescher, V., … Cremer,
S. (2012). Data from: Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes active immunisation
in ant colonies. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sv37s'
chicago: 'Konrad, Matthias, Meghan Vyleta, Fabian Theis, Miriam Stock, Martina Klatt,
Verena Drescher, Carsten Marr, Line V Ugelvig, and Sylvia Cremer. “Data from:
Social Transfer of Pathogenic Fungus Promotes Active Immunisation in Ant Colonies.”
Dryad, 2012. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sv37s.'
ieee: 'M. Konrad et al., “Data from: Social transfer of pathogenic fungus
promotes active immunisation in ant colonies.” Dryad, 2012.'
ista: 'Konrad M, Vyleta M, Theis F, Stock M, Klatt M, Drescher V, Marr C, Ugelvig
LV, Cremer S. 2012. Data from: Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes active
immunisation in ant colonies, Dryad, 10.5061/dryad.sv37s.'
mla: 'Konrad, Matthias, et al. Data from: Social Transfer of Pathogenic Fungus
Promotes Active Immunisation in Ant Colonies. Dryad, 2012, doi:10.5061/dryad.sv37s.'
short: M. Konrad, M. Vyleta, F. Theis, M. Stock, M. Klatt, V. Drescher, C. Marr,
L.V. Ugelvig, S. Cremer, (2012).
date_created: 2021-07-30T08:39:13Z
date_published: 2012-09-27T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-09-30T07:50:00Z
day: '27'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.5061/dryad.sv37s
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sv37s
month: '09'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
publisher: Dryad
related_material:
record:
- id: '3242'
relation: used_in_publication
status: public
status: public
title: 'Data from: Social transfer of pathogenic fungus promotes active immunisation
in ant colonies'
type: research_data_reference
user_id: 6785fbc1-c503-11eb-8a32-93094b40e1cf
year: '2012'
...
---
_id: '9757'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: To fight infectious diseases, host immune defences are employed at multiple
levels. Sanitary behaviour, such as pathogen avoidance and removal, acts as a
first line of defence to prevent infection [1] before activation of the physiological
immune system. Insect societies have evolved a wide range of collective hygiene
measures and intensive health care towards pathogen-exposed group members [2].
One of the most common behaviours is allogrooming, in which nestmates remove infectious
particles from the body surfaces of exposed individuals [3]. Here we show that,
in invasive garden ants, grooming of fungus-exposed brood is effective beyond
the sheer mechanical removal of fungal conidiospores as it also includes chemical
disinfection through the application of poison produced by the ants themselves.
Formic acid is the main active component of the poison. It inhibits fungal growth
of conidiospores remaining on the brood surface after grooming and also those
collected in the mouth of the grooming ant. This dual function is achieved by
uptake of the poison droplet into the mouth through acidopore self-grooming and
subsequent application onto the infectious brood via brood grooming. This extraordinary
behaviour extends current understanding of grooming and the establishment of social
immunity in insect societies.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Simon
full_name: Tragust, Simon
id: 35A7A418-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Tragust
- first_name: Barbara
full_name: Mitteregger, Barbara
id: 479DDAAC-E9CD-11E9-9B5F-82450873F7A1
last_name: Mitteregger
- first_name: Vanessa
full_name: Barone, Vanessa
id: 419EECCC-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Barone
orcid: 0000-0003-2676-3367
- first_name: Matthias
full_name: Konrad, Matthias
id: 46528076-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Konrad
- first_name: Line V
full_name: Ugelvig, Line V
id: 3DC97C8E-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Ugelvig
orcid: 0000-0003-1832-8883
- first_name: Sylvia
full_name: Cremer, Sylvia
id: 2F64EC8C-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Cremer
orcid: 0000-0002-2193-3868
citation:
ama: 'Tragust S, Mitteregger B, Barone V, Konrad M, Ugelvig LV, Cremer S. Data from:
Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of their poison.
2012. doi:10.5061/dryad.61649'
apa: 'Tragust, S., Mitteregger, B., Barone, V., Konrad, M., Ugelvig, L. V., &
Cremer, S. (2012). Data from: Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake
and spread of their poison. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.61649'
chicago: 'Tragust, Simon, Barbara Mitteregger, Vanessa Barone, Matthias Konrad,
Line V Ugelvig, and Sylvia Cremer. “Data from: Ants Disinfect Fungus-Exposed Brood
by Oral Uptake and Spread of Their Poison.” Dryad, 2012. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.61649.'
ieee: 'S. Tragust, B. Mitteregger, V. Barone, M. Konrad, L. V. Ugelvig, and S. Cremer,
“Data from: Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of their
poison.” Dryad, 2012.'
ista: 'Tragust S, Mitteregger B, Barone V, Konrad M, Ugelvig LV, Cremer S. 2012.
Data from: Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of their
poison, Dryad, 10.5061/dryad.61649.'
mla: 'Tragust, Simon, et al. Data from: Ants Disinfect Fungus-Exposed Brood by
Oral Uptake and Spread of Their Poison. Dryad, 2012, doi:10.5061/dryad.61649.'
short: S. Tragust, B. Mitteregger, V. Barone, M. Konrad, L.V. Ugelvig, S. Cremer,
(2012).
date_created: 2021-07-30T12:31:31Z
date_published: 2012-12-14T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2025-09-30T08:15:49Z
day: '14'
department:
- _id: SyCr
doi: 10.5061/dryad.61649
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
url: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.61649
month: '12'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
publisher: Dryad
related_material:
record:
- id: '2926'
relation: used_in_publication
status: public
status: public
title: 'Data from: Ants disinfect fungus-exposed brood by oral uptake and spread of
their poison'
type: research_data_reference
user_id: 6785fbc1-c503-11eb-8a32-93094b40e1cf
year: '2012'
...