An upsurge of research hints at the ability of entomopathogenic fungi, almost exclusively considered and used as insect pathogens, to endophytically colonize the internal tissues of a wide array of ...host plants and subsequently confer numerous benefits including enhancement of plant growth and suppression of disease pathogens. Such an ability has mainly been investigated for Beauveria bassiana. Fewer studies have demonstrated plant growth promotion by Metarhizium brunneum colonization, whereas no studies have reported on the potential of endophytic M. brunneum as a plant disease antagonist. The present study was, therefore, conducted to investigate whether seed treatment with B. bassiana (NATURALIS) and M. brunneum (BIPESCO5) could result in their endophytic establishment in wheat and promote plant growth. The study further examines the effect of the fungal strains as endophytes against Fusarium culmorum, one of the main causal agents of crown and root rot (CRR) in wheat. Both B. bassiana and M. brunneum were able to systemically colonize roots and shoots of wheat, and promote several plant growth parameters (shoot height, root length, and fresh root and shoot weights). Moreover, endophytic colonization of wheat with either fungal entomopathogen resulted in a significant reduction in disease incidence, development and severity. These results support the notion of the multiple ecological roles that could further be played by entomopathogenic fungi. Bearing such additional roles in mind while developing these fungi as microbial agents could improve the value of many commercially available mycoinsecticides.
During surveys in central Florida of the zombie-ant fungus Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani , which manipulates the behavior of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus , two distinct fungal ...morphotypes were discovered associated with and purportedly parasitic on O. camponoti-floridani . Based on a combination of unique morphology, ecology and phylogenetic placement, we discovered that these morphotypes comprise two novel lineages of fungi. Here, we propose two new genera, Niveomyces and Torrubiellomyces , each including a single species within the families Cordycipitaceae and Ophiocordycipitaceae , respectively. We generated de novo draft genomes for both new species and performed morphological and multi-loci phylogenetic analyses. The macromorphology and incidence of both new species, Niveomyces coronatus and Torrubiellomyces zombiae , suggest that these fungi are mycoparasites since their growth is observed exclusively on O. camponoti-floridani mycelium, stalks and ascomata, causing evident degradation of their fungal hosts. This work provides a starting point for more studies into fungal interactions between mycopathogens and entomopathogens, which have the potential to contribute towards efforts to battle the global rise of plant and animal mycoses.
Abstract Endophytic fungal-based biopesticides are sustainable and ecologically-friendly biocontrol agents of several pests and diseases. However, their potential in managing tomato fusarium wilt ...disease (FWD) remains unexploited. This study therefore evaluated effectiveness of nine fungal isolates against tomato fusarium wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp . lycopersici (FOL) in vitro using dual culture and co-culture assays. The efficacy of three potent endophytes that inhibited the pathogen in vitro was assessed against FWD incidence, severity, and ability to enhance growth and yield of tomatoes in planta. The ability of endophytically-colonized tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants to systemically defend themselves upon exposure to FOL were also assessed through defence genes expression using qPCR. In vitro assays showed that endophytes inhibited and suppressed FOL mycelial growth better than entomopathogenic fungi (EPF). Endophytes Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4, Hypocrea lixii F3ST1, Trichoderma harzianum KF2R41, and Trichoderma atroviride ICIPE 710 had the highest (68.84–99.61%) suppression and FOL radial growth inhibition rates compared to EPF which exhibited lowest (27.05–40.63%) inhibition rates. Endophytes T. asperellum M2RT4, H. lixii F3ST1 and T. harzianum KF2R41 colonized all tomato plant parts. During the in planta experiment, endophytically-colonized and FOL-infected tomato plants showed significant reduction of FWD incidence and severity compared to non-inoculated plants. In addition, these endophytes contributed to improved growth promotion parameters and yield. Moreover, there was significantly higher expression of tomato defence genes in T. asperellum M2RT4 colonized than in un-inoculated tomato plants. These findings demonstrated that H. lixii F3ST1 and T. asperellum M2RT4 are effective biocontrol agents against FWD and could sustainably mitigate tomato yield losses associated with fusarium wilt.
Entomopathogenic fungi play a pivotal role in the regulation of insect populations in nature, and representative species have been developed as promising environmentally friendly mycoinsecticides. ...Recent advances in the genome biology of insect pathogenic fungi have revealed genomic features associated with fungal adaptation to insect hosts and different host ranges, as well as the evolutionary relationships between insect and noninsect pathogens. By using species in the
Beauveria
and
Metarhizium
genera as models, molecular biology studies have revealed the genes that function in fungus-insect interactions and thereby contribute to fungal virulence. Taken together with efforts toward genetic improvement of fungal virulence and stress resistance, knowledge of entomopathogenic fungi will potentiate cost-effective applications of mycoinsecticides for pest control in the field. Relative to our advanced insights into the mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis in plants and humans, future studies will be necessary to unravel the gene-for-gene relationships in fungus-insect interactive models.
Four new species of the genus Niveomyces are described from Thailand. They were found as mycoparasites on: Ophiocordyceps infecting flies (Diptera) for Niveomyces albus; ants (Hymenoptera) for N. ...formicidarum; and leafhoppers (Hemiptera)
for N. hirsutellae and N. multisynnematus. A new genus, Pseudoniveomyces with two species: Pseudoniveo. blattae (type species), parasitic on Ophiocordyceps infecting cockroaches, and Pseudoniveo. arachnovorum, found on a spider egg sac, are also described.
These fungi share a common feature which is a sporothrix-like asexual morph. Based on our molecular data, Sporothrix insectorum is shown to be affiliated to the genus Niveomyces, and thus a new combination N. insectorum comb. nov. is proposed. Niveomyces coronatus,
N. formicidarum and N. insectorum formed the N. coronatus species complex found on ant-pathogenic Ophiocordyceps from different continents. Pseudoniveomyces species are distinguished from Niveomyces spp. based on the presence of fusoid macroconidia in
culture and a red pigment diffused in the medium, resembling to Gibellula and Hevansia. The molecular phylogenetic analyses also confirmed its generic status. The host/substrates associated with the genera within Cordycipitaceae were mapped onto the phylogeny to demonstrate
that mycoparasitism also evolved independently multiple times in this family.
The khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), is an important pest of stored wheat worldwide. This study assessed the efficacy of two isolates of M. anisoplae (commercial ...and local isolates). Different conidial concentrations (1×108, 1×106, 1×104) conidia/ml-1 and fungal filtrate (100, 75, 50) % of M. anisoplae were evaluated. In both fungal isolates, corrected mortality of T. granarium after exposure varied according to fungal concentrations conidial concentration of conidia/ml-1, and the fungal filtrate at a concentration of 75% caused the highest mortality rates. In addition, mortality rates were significantly varied according to the beetle's developmental stage. Both isolates of M. anisoplae caused between 41 and 67.6 % reduction in total fecundity of the female adults. The results demonstrate no significant differences between the local isolate of M. anisoplae and commercial formulation (Met 52 EC). Further studies under commercial storage conditions are required.
Keywords: Insects storage pests, biological control, Entomopathogenic fungi
Fungi are a significant part of the biopesticides market for the biological control of arthropods. Entomopathogenic fungi produce spores that can adhere to the cuticle of arthropods, germinate, ...penetrate the cuticle and cause infection. The process of penetration of the arthropod integument by the fungus occurs by the cuticle degradation due to the mechanical pressure of the hyphae associated with the action of several enzymes, mainly proteases and chitinases. The biocontrol activity of entomopathogenic fungi is widely known and studied, with several fungal isolates large-scale marketed for the control of arthropod pests. On the other hand, more recently a new approach to the use of entomopathogenic fungi is emerging: the study of the biocontrol potential of enzymes produced by these fungi. This article aims to discuss this new potential approach.
