Small molecules frequently mediate symbiotic interactions between microorganisms and their hosts. Brazil harbors the highest diversity of insects in the world; however, just recently, efforts have been directed to deciphering the chemical signals involved in the symbioses of microorganisms and social insects. The current scenario of natural products research guided by chemical ecology is discussed in this review. Two groups of social insects have been prioritized in the studies, fungus-farming ants and stingless bees, leading to the identification of natural products involved in defensive and nutritional symbioses. Some of the compounds also present potential pharmaceutical applications as antimicrobials, and this is likely related to their ecological roles. Microbial symbioses in termites and wasps are suggested promising sources of biologically active small molecules. Aspects related to public policies for insect biodiversity preservation are also highlighted.

中文翻译：

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新热带地区昆虫-微生物相互作用的化学生态学

小分子经常介导微生物与其宿主之间的共生相互作用。巴西拥有世界上最多样化的昆虫；然而，就在最近，人们致力于破译微生物和群居昆虫共生中涉及的化学信号。本综述讨论了以化学生态学为指导的天然产物研究的现状。研究中优先考虑了两组社会昆虫，真菌农业蚂蚁和无刺蜜蜂，从而确定了参与防御和营养共生的天然产物。一些化合物还具有作为抗微生物剂的潜在药物应用，这可能与它们的生态作用有关。白蚁和黄蜂中的微生物共生被认为是具有生物活性的小分子的有希望的来源。还强调了与昆虫生物多样性保护公共政策相关的方面。