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Sci Rep

Title:		Pyrazines from bacteria and ants: convergent chemistry within an ecological niche
Author(s):		Silva-Junior EA; Ruzzini AC; Paludo CR; Nascimento FS; Currie CR; Clardy J; Pupo MT;
Address:		"Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14040903, Brazil. Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14040901, Brazil. Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, United States of America. Faculdade de Ciencias Farmaceuticas de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14040903, Brazil. mtpupo@fcfrp.usp.br"
Journal Title:		Sci Rep
Year:		2018
Volume:		20180207
Issue:		1
Page Number:		2595 -
DOI:		10.1038/s41598-018-20953-6
ISSN/ISBN:		2045-2322 (Electronic) 2045-2322 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Ants use pheromones to coordinate their communal activity. Volatile pyrazines, for instance, mediate food resource gathering and alarm behaviors in different ant species. Here we report that leaf-cutter ant-associated bacteria produce a family of pyrazines that includes members previously identified as ant trail and alarm pheromones. We found that L-threonine induces the bacterial production of the trail pheromone pyrazines, which are common for the host leaf-cutter ants. Isotope feeding experiments revealed that L-threonine along with sodium acetate were the biosynthetic precursors of these natural products and a biosynthetic pathway was proposed"
Keywords:		Animals Ants/*metabolism Ecosystem Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods Pheromones/chemistry/*metabolism Pyrazines/chemistry/*metabolism Serratia marcescens/*metabolism Sodium Acetate/chemistry/metabolism Threonine/chemistry/metabolism;
Notes:		"MedlineSilva-Junior, Eduardo A Ruzzini, Antonio C Paludo, Camila R Nascimento, Fabio S Currie, Cameron R Clardy, Jon Pupo, Monica T eng U19 TW009872/TW/FIC NIH HHS/ CIHR/Canada Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2018/02/09 Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 7; 8(1):2595. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20953-6"