Abstract
Insect-killing fungi have high potential in pest management. A deeper insight into the fungal genes at the whole genome level is necessary to understand the inter-species or intra-species genetic diversity of fungal genes, and to select excellent isolates. In this work, we conducted a whole genome sequencing of Beauveria bassiana (Bb) JEF-007 and characterized pathogenesis-related features and compared with other isolates including Bb ARSEF2860. A large number of Bb JEF-007 genes showed high identity with Bb ARSEF2860, but some genes showed moderate or low identity. The two Bb isolates showed a significant difference in vegetative growth, antibiotic-susceptibility, and virulence against Tenebrio molitor larvae. When highly identical genes between the two Bb isolates were subjected to real-time PCR, their transcription levels were different, particularly in heat shock protein 30 (hsp30) gene which is related to conidial thermotolerance. In several B. bassiana isolates, chitinases and trypsin-like protease genes involved in pathogenesis were highly conserved, but other genes showed noticeable sequence variation within the same species. Given the transcriptional and genetic diversity in B. bassiana, a selection of virulent isolates with industrial advantages is a pre-requisite, and this genetic approach could support the development of excellent biopesticides with intellectual property protection.
Highlights
Insect-killing fungi have high potential in pest management
In the near future, unique biopesticides could be a major asset in pest management due to the development of faster technology
Many Ascomycota species such as Beauveria, Metarhizium, Lecanicillium, Isaria, and others have been studied, and some isolates have been developed for agriculture and forest pest management[4]
Summary
Insect-killing fungi have high potential in pest management. A deeper insight into the fungal genes at the whole genome level is necessary to understand the inter-species or intra-species genetic diversity of fungal genes, and to select excellent isolates. Insect-killing fungi (entomopathogenic) have high potential in reducing pest populations in agriculture and forests and even as medical vector controls[3]. Successful entomopathogenic fungi-mediated pest management has not been frequently reported, but in the near future, a well-controlled environmental system is going to enlarge the fungal insecticide market. Hyphal penetration of the insect cuticle occurs, where the physical forces of hyphae and enzymatic degradation of the exo- and endo-cuticles plays important roles in this pathogenesis process[12,13] Such fungal infection processes encounter insect immune responses, such as melanization and cellular pathway-mediated defense[14,15,16]. Entomopathogenic fungi have many advantages in pest management, such as a broad host spectrum, environmental soundness, and higher safety to non-target organisms including humans, but they have poor stability during storage and distribution, even after application in field conditions. Still more efforts are required to increase its potential from an industrialized standpoint
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
