2024-01-23 04:57:00
Matabele ants, experts in hunting termites, demonstrate a unique ability to diagnose and treat wounds, highlighting their sophisticated medical system /ERIK FRANK / UNIVERSITÄT WÜRZBURG)
Infections represent a significant risk of mortality in animals. This has led to a number of pathogen-induced changes in social interactions, such as distancing, signs of illness, and medical care.
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In lesions, the main barrier to infection (the cuticle or epidermis) is damaged and therefore provides an easy entry point for life-threatening infections. Recently, several mammals have been shown to lick wounds to apply antiseptic saliva. However, the effectiveness of these behaviors remains largely unknown and occur regardless of wound status.
Now, new research carried out by scientists from Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) of Würzburg and the University of Lausanne has just been published in the journal Nature Communications, reports a surprising finding in this sense. Matabele ants (Megaponera analis), which are widespread south of the Sahara, have a limited diet: they only eat termites. These ants have developed a sophisticated health system: they can distinguish between infected and non-infected wounds, in order to treat the latter effectively with antibiotics that they themselves produce.
Scientists highlight the unique ability of matabele ants to treat wounds, underscoring the effectiveness of their internal antimicrobial therapy /Erik Frank / Universität Würzburg
Their hunting expeditions are dangerous because the group of termites destined to defend their fellow humans use their powerful jaws to do so. Therefore, it is common for ants to be injured while hunting. If the wounds become infected, there is a significant risk to your life.
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“Except for humans, I know of no other living being that can perform such sophisticated medical treatments for wounds,” Erik Frank said in a news release issued by the University of Würzburg. While Laurent Keller assured that these findings “have medical implications because the main pathogen of ant wounds, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is also one of the main causes of infection in humans, and several strains are resistant to antibiotics.”
Chemical analyzes have shown that the hydrocarbon profile of the ant cuticle changes due to wound infection. Precisely this modification is what allows them to recognize and, therefore, diagnose the infection status of their injured nestmates.
These species demonstrate exceptional behaviors in recognizing and treating wounds in their nestmates, reveals recent scientific study /Fumika Azuma / Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
For treatment, they then apply antimicrobial compounds and proteins to the infected wounds. They take these antibiotics from the metapleural gland, which is located on the side of the chest. Its secretion contains 112 components, half of which have an antimicrobial or healing effect.
The therapy is very effective: the mortality rate of infected individuals is reduced by 90 percent, as the research group discovered. Scientists plan to conduct an analysis of antibiotics for ants. Except for humans, no other living being is known to be able to perform such sophisticated medical treatments.
Scientists now want to explore wound care behaviors in other species of ants and other social animals. They also want to identify and analyze the antibiotics used by Matabele ants in collaboration with chemical research groups. This may lead to the discovery of new antibiotics that could also be used in humans.
Erik Frank with the team that filmed the documentary and some researchers /Erik Frank / Universität Würzburg
A few years ago, the team’s research on African ants caring for injured nestmates sparked the interest of a film production company. Netflix commissioned the company to find exciting stories for the eight-part documentary “Life on Our Planet,” which focuses on the evolution of life over the past 500 million years.
*Erick Frank led, is the first author and corresponding author of the research, is a specialist at the Department of Ecology and Biophore Evolution at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland; and is part of the Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Germany (Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU))
*Laurent Keller led, is co-author and corresponding author of the research, is a specialist at the Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
*The information contained in this journalistic article arises from the research called “Selective treatment of injured nestmates with antimicrobial compounds in an ant society”, whose conclusions were published in the journal Nature Communications. They are part of the team of scientists: Erik. T. Frank, Lucie Kesner, Joanito Liberti, Quentin Helleu, Adria C. LeBoeuf, Andrei Dascalu, Douglas B. Sponsler, Fumika Azuma, Evan P. Economo, Patrice Waridel, Philipp Engel, Thomas Schmitt and Laurent Keller. . In addition, there were statements disclosed in a press release issued by the University of Würzburg.
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