Fungal dimorphism in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium rileyi: Detection of an in vivo quorum-sensing system.

This investigation documents the expression of the in vivo dimorphic program exhibited by the insect mycopathogen Metarhizium rileyi. This insect mycopathogen represents the key mortality factor regulating various caterpillar populations in legumes, including subtropical and tropical soybeans. Using two hosts and M. rileyi isolates, we have measured M. rileyi growth rates under in vivo and in vitro conditions and have assessed the pathogen's impact on host fitness. Significantly, the hyphal bodies-to-mycelia transition that occurs at the late infection stage is regulated by a quorum-sensing molecule(s) (QSM) that triggers hyphal bodies (Hb) to synchronously switch to the tissue-invasive mycelia. Within hours of this transition, the host insect succumbs to mycosis. The production of the QS chemical(s) occurs when a quorum of Hb is produced in the hemolymph (late-stage infection). Furthermore, the QS activity detected in late-stage infected sera is unique and is unrelated to any known fungal QSM. The lack of similar QS activity from conditioned media of M. rileyi suggests that the chemical signal(s) that mediates the dimorphic switch is produced by host tissues in response to a quorum of hyphal bodies produced in the host hemolymph. The serum-based QS activity is retained after lyophilization, mild heat treatment, and proteinase digestion. However, attempts to extract/identify the QSM have been unsuccessful. Results suggest that the observed hyphal body-to-mycelia transition is a multi-step process involving more than one chemical signal.

Enhancement of the Musca domestica hytrosavirus infection with orally delivered reducing agents.

House flies (Musca domestica L.) throughout the world are infected with the salivary gland hypertrophy virus MdSGHV (Hytrosaviridae). Although the primary route of infection is thought to be via ingestion, flies that are old enough to feed normally are resistant to infection per os, suggesting that the peritrophic matrix (PM) is a barrier to virus transmission. Histological examination of the peritrophic matrix of healthy flies revealed a multilaminate structure produced by midgut cells located near the proventriculus. SEM revealed the PM to form a confluent sheet surrounding the food bolus with pores/openings less than 10nm in diameter. TEM revealed the PM to be multilayered, varying in width from 350 to 900 nm, and generally thinner in male than in female flies. When flies were fed on the reducing agents dithiothetriol (DTT) or tris (2-caboxyethyl)phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP) for 48 h before per os exposure to the virus, infection rates increased 10- to 20-fold compared with flies that did not receive the reducing agent treatments. PM's from flies treated with DTT and TCEP displayed varying degrees of disruption, particularly in the outer layer, and lacked the electron-dense inner layer facing the ectoperitrophic space. Both drugs were somewhat toxic to the flies, resulting in>40% mortality at doses greater than 10mM (DTT) or 5 mM (TCEP). DTT increased male fly susceptibility (55.1% infected) more than that of females (7.8%), whereas TCEP increased susceptibility of females (42.9%) more than that of males (26.2%). The cause for the sex differences in response to oral exposure the reducing agents is unclear. Exposing flies to food treated with virus and the reducing agents at the same time, rather than pretreating flies with the drugs, had no effect on susceptibility to the virus. Presumably, the reducing agent disrupted the enveloped virus and acted as a viricidal agent. In summary, it is proposed that the reducing agents influence integrity of the PM barrier and increase the susceptibility of flies to infection by MdSGHV.