Digestive enzymes of leaf-cutting ants, Acromyrmex subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini): distribution in the gut of adult workers and partial characterization.

Enzyme activities associated with the labial glands, midgut and rectum of adult Acromyrmex subterraneus were investigated in order to understand their role in digestion of plant and fungal material. High chitinolytic activity was detected in the labial glands, indicating a possible role in the degradation of fungus ingested by the ants. Chitinolytic activity seen in other compartments of the alimentary canal probably originated in the labial glands. The highest activity detected in the midgut was for alpha-glucosidase, which was considered to be of insect origin due to its association with midgut epithelium and it is probably involved in glucose assimilation from nutrient sources such as maltose and sucrose present in plant material. A large range of enzyme activities were detected in the rectal lumen contents, and as in the midgut the highest values were for alpha-glucosidase activity. The absence of activity associated with the epithelium, in the particulate fraction, indicates that the rectal epithelium does not have a secretory function. The detection of enzymes in the rectal lumen contents, which were not detected in the midgut lumen contents, indicates that the rectum acts as a reservoir, accumulating enzymes. The major digestive enzymes were partially characterized using hydrophobic interaction chromatography, gel filtration and SDS-PAGE. The pH of the adult intestinal tract and flow rate of dye through the tract was investigated. A gradual acidification of the intestinal tract was noted commencing with the crop (pH 6-8.2) and terminating with the rectum (pH 3-5). The flow of dye through the different compartments of the tract showed a rapid fill time for all the gut compartments and a short residence time in the crop. In all other compartments, the dye remained detectable for 10 days or longer.