Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. Photo: Frank O. Aylward

The genome sequence and gene prediction of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus were not determined by the JGI, but were provided by Frank O. Aylward ([email protected]) and have been published (Frank O. Aylward, 2013). Please note that this copy of the genome is not maintained by the author and is therefore not automatically updated.

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus is the obligate fungal cultivar of leaf-cutter ants. This genome was sequenced from a strain isolated from an Atta cephalotes leaf-cutter ant colony in Gamboa, Panama. Leaf-cutter ants are dominant herbivores in ecosystems across the Americas, and the genome of L. gongylophorus is of interest for discovering how plant biomass is degraded in the fungus gardens of these ants and converted into more accessible nutrients. The genome will help efforts to characterize the full extent of the lignocellulolytic potential of this fungus and uncover the molecular details that underlie the ant-fungus symbiosis.

Reference
Aylward et al. Leucoagaricus gongylophorus produces diverse enzymes for the degradation of recalcitrant plant polymers in leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2013 Jun;79(12):3770-8.