Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Isolation, Behavioral Identification, and Pathogenicity Assessment of Entomopathogenic Fungi from a Forest Wood Borer
Published on: September 29, 2023
Bacterial protection of beetle-fungus mutualism
Jarrod J Scott1, Dong-Chan Oh, M Cetin Yuceer
1Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53706, USA.
Abstract:
Host-microbe symbioses play a critical role in the evolution of biological diversity and complexity. In a notably intricate system, southern pine beetles use symbiotic fungi to help overcome host-tree defenses and to provide nutrition for their larvae. We show that this beetle-fungal mutualism is chemically mediated by a bacterially produced polyunsaturated peroxide. The molecule's selective toxicity toward the beetle's fungal antagonist, combined with the prevalence and localization of its bacterial source, indicates an insect-microbe association that is both mutualistic and coevolved. This unexpected finding in a well-studied system indicates that mutualistic associations between insects and antibiotic-producing bacteria are more common than currently recognized and that identifying their small-molecule mediators can provide a powerful search strategy for therapeutically useful antimicrobial compounds.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Interactions: Cooperation
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Microbial Interactions: Mutualism
Microbe-Plant Interactions
Symbiosis
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores

