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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392339
Research Project: Management of Fire Ants and Other Invasive Ants

Location: Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research

Title: The evolution of tyramides in male fungus-growing ants

Author
item LUO, AMY - The Ohio State University
item HASSLER, MADELINE - Virginia Military Institute
item JONES, TAPPEY - Virginia Military Institute
item Vander Meer, Robert - Bob
item ADAMS, RACHELLE - The Ohio State University

Submitted to: Journal of Chemical Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/27/2022
Publication Date: 9/20/2022
Citation: Luo, A.R., Hassler, M.F., Jones, T.H., Vander Meer, R.K., Adams, R.M. 2022. The evolution of tyramides in male fungus-growing ants. Journal of Chemical Ecology. (2022), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-022-01382-2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-022-01382-2

Interpretive Summary: The class of compounds produced only be males, created tyramides, have recently been found to be critical to reproductive development in new queens immediately after mating. This paper expands our understanding of the possible complexity of tyramides produced by 16 ant species within the leaf-cutting/leaf/fungus growing ants. Thirteen tyramides were identified, including 5 tyramide structures that are reported for the first time. This work shows patterns of tyramide composition among the species of fungus-growing ants and creates a broader foundation for future research on the function of these compounds.

Technical Abstract: Ants are known to use a wide variety of chemicals that vary in ratios and quantities with considerable specificity. Thus, ants have been the source of many novel natural products, and many remain to be discovered. Tyramides are a class of compounds that have so far only been found in males in the subfamily Myrmicinae. In previously studied Myrmicines, they have been linked to reproductive development in gynes after mating. To understand of the evolution of tyramide production in male ants, we provide the chemical composition in 15 fungus-growing ant (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) species and a Megalomyrmex species (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Solenopsidini). We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of extracts of whole males and trisected male samples to describe the tyramides produced by each species. Thirteen tyramides—including four novel compounds—were identified and mapped to the fungus-growing ant phylogeny. This work elucidates patterns of tyramide composition among fungus-growing ants, creating a broader foundation for future research on the function of these compounds.