Fungus-growing attine ants are under constant threat from fungal pathogens such as the specialized mycoparasite Escovopsis, which uses combined physical and chemical attack strategies to prey on the fungal gardens of the ants. In defence, some species assemble protective microbiomes on their exoskeletons that contain antimicrobial-producing Actinobacteria. Underlying this network of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions are an array of chemical signals. Escovopsis weberi produces the shearinine terpene-indole alkaloids, which affect ant behaviour, diketopiperazines to combat defensive bacteria, and other small molecules that inhibit the fungal cultivar. Pseudonocardia and Streptomyces mutualist bacteria produce depsipeptide and polyene macrolide antifungals active against Escovopsis spp. The ant nest metabolome is further complicated by competition between defensive bacteria, which produce antibacterials active against even closely related species.

中文翻译：

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真菌生长的蚂蚁与其病原体之间的化学战。

真菌生长的蚂蚁一直受到真菌病原体的威胁，例如专门的支原体 Escovopsis，它使用组合物理和化学攻击策略来捕食蚂蚁的真菌花园。在防御方面，一些物种在它们的外骨骼上组装了保护性微生物组，这些微生物组含有产生抗菌素的放线菌。在这种互惠和对抗性相互作用网络的基础上，是一系列化学信号。Escovopsis weberi 产生剪切素萜烯-吲哚生物碱，影响蚂蚁的行为，二酮哌嗪对抗防御性细菌，以及抑制真菌栽培品种的其他小分子。Pseudonocardia 和 Streptomyces 共生细菌产生对 Escovopsis spp 有活性的缩肽和多烯大环内酯抗真菌剂。