Nature Communications (Jan 2021)

Gut bacteria are essential for normal cuticle development in herbivorous turtle ants

  • Christophe Duplais,
  • Vincent Sarou-Kanian,
  • Dominique Massiot,
  • Alia Hassan,
  • Barbara Perrone,
  • Yannick Estevez,
  • John T. Wertz,
  • Estelle Martineau,
  • Jonathan Farjon,
  • Patrick Giraudeau,
  • Corrie S. Moreau

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21065-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 6

Abstract

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Microbial symbionts can help their hosts metabolise diverse diets. A study on herbivorous turtle ants identifies the cuticular components which are nitrogen-enriched by gut bacteria, highlighting the role of symbionts in insect evolution.