Symbiotic Streptomycetes provide antibiotic combination prophylaxis for wasp offspring

  • Nat Chem Biol. 2010 Apr;6(4):261-3. doi: 10.1038/nchembio.331.
Johannes Kroiss  1 ,  Martin Kaltenpoth ,  Bernd Schneider ,  Maria-Gabriele Schwinger ,  Christian Hertweck ,  Ravi Kumar Maddula ,  Erhard Strohm ,  Ales Svatos
Affiliations
  • 1. Research Group Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
PMID: 20190763 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.331
Abstract

Beewolf digger wasps cultivate specific symbiotic bacteria (Streptomyces spp.) that are incorporated into the larval cocoon for protection against pathogens. We identified the molecular basis of this protective symbiosis in the natural context and demonstrate that the bacteria produce a 'cocktail' of nine Antibiotic substances. The complementary action of all symbiont-produced Antibiotics confers a potent antimicrobial defense for the wasp larvae that parallels the 'combination prophylaxis' known from human medicine.

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