Disruption of an adenylate-forming reductase required for conidiation, increases virulence of the insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum by enhancing cuticle invasion.

BACKGROUND: Metarhizium acridum, is a specific acridid pathogen developed for use against the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria manilensis). Adenylate-forming reductases (AFRs) include enzymes that are involved in natural product biosynthesis. Here, we genetically characterize the functions of a class IV AFR in M. acridum (MaAfrIV ) on fungal development and virulence. RESULTS: Gene expression analyses indicated MaAfrIV was induced on locust wings early during the infection process. Surprisingly, loss of MaAfrIV increased virulence (25.20% decrease in the median lethal time) against the locust in topical bioassays but was no different than the wild type when the cuticle was bypassed by direct infection of conidia into the insect hemocoel. Virulence markers including protease (Pr1) expression and appressorial turgor pressure were higher in the mutant than the parent strain. No difference was seen in the expression of host immune genes (Toll pathway) or in polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in locusts infected by the ΔMaAfrIV or wild type strains. However, the ΔMaAfrIV strain was unable to successfully sporulate on dead cadavers. CONCLUSION: Disruption of MaAfrIV increased fungal virulence by promoting insect cuticle invasion without altering host immune response or fungal immune evasion. Although loss of MaAfrIV conferred an apparent benefit to the fungus in terms of enhanced virulence, a significant trade-off was seen in the inability of the fungus to sporulate on the cadaver. As conidiation on the cadaver is essential for subsequent propagation in the environment, loss of MaAfrIV can reduce the engineering strains survivability in the field and improve the safety. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

An ENA ATPase, MaENA1, of Metarhizium acridum influences the Na(+)-, thermo- and UV-tolerances of conidia and is involved in multiple mechanisms of stress tolerance.

In fungi, ENA ATPases play key roles in osmotic and alkaline pH tolerance, although their functions in thermo- and UV-tolerances have not been explored. Entomopathogenic fungi are naturally widespread and have considerable potential in pest control. An ENA ATPase gene, MaENA1, from the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum was functionally analyzed by deletion. MaENA1-disruption strain (ΔMaENA1) was less tolerant to NaCl, heat, and UV radiation than a wild-type strain (WT). Digital Gene Expression profiling of conidial RNAs resulted in 281 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the WT and ΔMaENA1 strains. Eighty-five DEGs, 56 of which were down-regulated in the ΔMaENA1 strain, were shown to be associated with heat/UV tolerance, including six cytochrome P450 superfamily genes, 35 oxidoreductase genes, 24 ion-binding genes, seven DNA repair genes, and five other genes. In addition, eight genes were components of stress responsive pathways, including the Ras-cAMP PKA pathway, the RIM101 pathway, the Ca(2+)/calmodulin pathway, the TOR pathway, and the HOG/Spc1/Sty1/JNK pathway. These results demonstrated that MaENA1 influences fungal tolerances to Na(+), heat, and UV radiation in M. acridum, and is involved in multiple mechanisms of stress tolerance. Therefore, MaENA1 is required for the adaptation and survival of entomopathogenic fungi in stressful conditions in the environment and in their hosts.

Genome sequencing and comparative transcriptomics of the model entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and M. acridum.

Metarhizium spp. are being used as environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical insecticides, as model systems for studying insect-fungus interactions, and as a resource of genes for biotechnology. We present a comparative analysis of the genome sequences of the broad-spectrum insect pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae and the acridid-specific M. acridum. Whole-genome analyses indicate that the genome structures of these two species are highly syntenic and suggest that the genus Metarhizium evolved from plant endophytes or pathogens. Both M. anisopliae and M. acridum have a strikingly larger proportion of genes encoding secreted proteins than other fungi, while ~30% of these have no functionally characterized homologs, suggesting hitherto unsuspected interactions between fungal pathogens and insects. The analysis of transposase genes provided evidence of repeat-induced point mutations occurring in M. acridum but not in M. anisopliae. With the help of pathogen-host interaction gene database, ~16% of Metarhizium genes were identified that are similar to experimentally verified genes involved in pathogenicity in other fungi, particularly plant pathogens. However, relative to M. acridum, M. anisopliae has evolved with many expanded gene families of proteases, chitinases, cytochrome P450s, polyketide synthases, and nonribosomal peptide synthetases for cuticle-degradation, detoxification, and toxin biosynthesis that may facilitate its ability to adapt to heterogeneous environments. Transcriptional analysis of both fungi during early infection processes provided further insights into the genes and pathways involved in infectivity and specificity. Of particular note, M. acridum transcribed distinct G-protein coupled receptors on cuticles from locusts (the natural hosts) and cockroaches, whereas M. anisopliae transcribed the same receptor on both hosts. This study will facilitate the identification of virulence genes and the development of improved biocontrol strains with customized properties.

[Cloning and characterization of the neutral trehalase gene in Metarhizium anisopliae CQMa102].

The partial fragment of the neutral trehalase (NTL) in Metarhizium anisopliae CQMa102 was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers designed according to the sequences of the NTL in GenBank. The amplified fragment was cloned and sequenced. Based on the known sequence of NTL gene, the 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) were used to amplify the 5' and 3'regions of the NTL cDNA, then the whole cDNA sequence of NTL gene in M. anisopliae CQMa102 was obtained by combining the above sequences and its whole genomic DNA was amplified by PCR. In order to obtain more regulatory information of the NTL, panhandle polymerase chain reaction strategy was used to amplify the 5' flanking sequences adjacent to the known sequence of the neutral trehalase gene. The sequence analysis shows that the DNA sequence is 3484bp in size, includes three introns, and the cDNA sequence is 2385 bp in size, encodes a protein of 737 amino acid residues with a calculated Mr of 83.1kD, in which there is a cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate-dependent phosphorylation consensus site and a putative calcium binding site, which is consistent with a regulatory enzyme. Comparison of this sequence with the NTL of M. anisopliae ME1 in GenBank (GenBank Accession: AJ298019, AJ298020) shows that the nucleotide homology is as high as 93%, and the amino acid homology comes up to 99%. Southern analysis indicated that NTL gene was present as a single copy in this M. anisopliae strain. A single transcript of approximately 2.5 kb was detected by Northern blot analysis. The NTL mRNA was present throughout spore germination in rich medium, but accumulated to its highest level at the early stage of exponential growth. Thereafter, the mRNA level declined at the late stage of exponential growth, but began to show an increase during the stationary phase of growth. A 982bp upstream sequence of NTL was amplified using panhandle PCR method, which contains one stress response element (STRE). The NTL nucleotide sequence and its amino acid sequence have been accessed by GenBank (Accession: AY557613, AY557612).