Antimicrobial Activity of Microorganisms Isolated from Ant Nests of Lasius niger

In this study, the microbial communities of two nests of black garden ants (Lasius niger) in the hollows of stem branches of old apple trees were found to have similar species compositions: each community contained representatives of three species from the Bacillaceae family and one species of actinomycetes from the genus Streptomyces. In total, four types of bacilli and two actinomycetes were isolated. Actinomycetes were identified as Streptomyces antibioticus-like and Streptomyces sp. None of the bacilli had antibiotic activity, whereas both streptomycetes produced antibiotics that inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria in vitro, including isolates from their community. Antibiotic compounds of S. antibioticus-like strain INA 01148 (Institute of New Antibiotics) were identified as actinomycin D and its closest homologue, actinomycin A. Actinomycins presumably change the microbial community of the ant nest substrate as they act against Gram-positive bacteria and against fungi and Gram-negative bacteria. The antibiotic activity of the isolated Streptomyces sp. INA 01156 is of interest, since the substances produced by this strain inhibit the growth of drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus INA 00761 (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant strain Leuconostoc mesenteroides VKPM B-4177 (VR) (VKPM–National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (Russian acronym)).