Variability of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae based on the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA technique

Abstract

It was analyzed the genetic variability of (1) three strains of a pathogenic fungi of the genus Metharhizium anisopliaevar anisopliae, named MA22, MA24 and MA25, brand spesifik®; (2) two strains of the product Metasaven®, named MA1A and MAII; one strain of the product Metatron®; and a native strain named MACN. This latter strain was directly isolated from the insect chapulin (Brachystola magna), from the farmer, corn plots in Durango, located in north central Mexico. Studies were conducted in the laboratory of molecular biology of the Technological Institute of the Valley of Guardiana in Durango, Mexico, from September 2008 to june 2011. The (1) genetic variability among strains after using the RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) technique using nine different oligonucleotides to observe DNA polimorphisms; (2) index of similarity among the strains and their phylogenetic relationship, and (3) percentage mortality of chapulin in a bioassay were determined. Polymorphism of the amplified bands varied between 300 and 2000 base pairs. The index of similarity was highest in the strains MAC25 and MAC24. In the bioassay, mortality of chapulin was 62.5% with MACN and 37.5% with Metratron®. Controls showed no significant differences (p>0.05) among them, with a mortality lower than 10%.