---
_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:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc">10.5061/dryad.vm0vc</a>'
  apa: 'Konrad, M., Grasse, A. V., Tragust, S., &#38; Cremer, S. (2014). Data from:
    Anti-pathogen protection versus survival costs mediated by an ectosymbiont in
    an ant host. Dryad. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc">https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc</a>'
  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. <a href="https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc">https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc</a>.'
  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,
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc">10.5061/dryad.vm0vc</a>.'
  mla: 'Konrad, Matthias, et al. <i>Data from: Anti-Pathogen Protection versus Survival
    Costs Mediated by an Ectosymbiont in an Ant Host</i>. Dryad, 2014, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.vm0vc">10.5061/dryad.vm0vc</a>.'
  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'
...