Biology subjects

Bruner-Montero, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Bruner-Montero, G..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

The Evolution of Biomineral Armor in Fungus-farming Ants

Biomineralization has enabled remarkable adaptations across the animal kingdom, including defensive structures and rock-grinding teeth. Although calcium carbonate is a common biogenically formed mineral found in all extant animal phyla, it is only recently known in insects and almost universally occurs with minimal magnesium content. A high-Mg calcite armor layer, covering most of the exoskeleton, was recently discovered in the fungus-farming ant Acromyrmex echinatior. Here, using a combination of scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, paired with genome-scale phylogenetic analysis based on ultraconserved elements (UCEs), we characterize the evolution of biomineralization in fungus-farming ants. We show the presence of high-Mg calcite biomineral in 35 of 50 fungus-farming ant species studied, including taxa that span all major agricultural lineages. The biomineral is absent in all 16 myrmicine outgroup ant species, indicating an origin of the biomineral within ant agriculture, with ancestral state reconstruction analysis slightly supporting multiple origins within the fungus-farming ant clade. We then show that the occurrence of the biomineral is closely associated with the ancient mutualism with antimicrobial-producing Pseudonocardia, finding biomineral presence to be significantly correlated with the Pseudonocardia symbiont and the cuticular symbiotic structures that maintain these bacteria. Furthermore, we reveal significant inter-species variation in mineral composition and coverage, as well as intra-colony caste-specific differences, highlighting its adaptive complexity. Collectively, this work demonstrates that the innovation of a high-Mg calcite armor is strongly associated with the evolution of ant agriculture, revealing a rare biomineral to be widespread in the fungus-farming ants.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Carbon dioxide sequestration into biomineral armor by ants

Over geologic time, Earths climate has been shaped by the capture and conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into stable carbonate minerals, including dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2]. Accelerating natural carbon mineralization offers significant potential for mitigating anthropogenic climate change. Using stable carbon isotope tracking, nano-scale secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and 13C SSNMR, we show that, paralleling global biosphere-level processes, Sericomyrmex amabilis fungus-farming ants rapidly convert CO2 in their nest chambers into a biomineral layer covering their exoskeletons. We further reveal that biogenic carbon mineralization by these ants produces partially ordered dolomite. This rapid sequestration of CO2 into defensive armor in ants provides a fascinating natural example of mediation of potentially toxic accumulation of atmospheric CO2 that could inform human efforts to mitigate climate change.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Hunting Drosophila viruses from wild populations: a novel isolation approach and characterisation of viruses

Metagenomic studies have demonstrated that viruses are extremely diverse and abundant in insects, but the difficulty of isolating them means little is known about the biology of these newly discovered viruses. To overcome this challenge in Drosophila, we created a cell line with increased susceptibility to infection and detected novel viruses by the presence of double-stranded RNA. We demonstrate the utility of these tools by isolating La Jolla virus (LJV) and Newfield virus (NFV) from several wild Drosophila populations. These viruses have different potential host ranges, with distinct abilities to replicate in five Drosophila species. Similarly, in some species they cause high mortality and in others they are comparatively benign. In three species, NFV but not LJV caused large declines in female fecundity. This sterilization effect was associated with differences in tissue tropism, as NFV but not LJV was able to infect Drosophila melanogaster ovaries. We saw a similar effect in the invasive pest of fruit crops Drosophila suzukii, where oral infection with NFV caused reductions in the fecundity, suggesting it has potential as a biocontrol agent. In conclusion, a simple protocol allowed us to isolate new viruses and demonstrate that viruses identified by metagenomics have a large effect on the fitness of the model organism D. melanogaster and related species.

evolutionary biology↗