Bioengineering Insecticidal Toxins into Entomopathogenic Fungi for Controlling the Spread of Malaria

Entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Lecanicillium lecanii are used in biological control of agricultural insect pests. Their specific mode of action makes them an effective alternative to the chemical Insecticides. Virulent strains of Entomopathogenic fungi are effectively formulated and used as bio-insecticides world-wide. Amenable and economical multiplication of a virulent strain in a large scale is important for them to be useful in the field. Culture media plays a major role in the large-scale multiplication of virulent strains of Entomopathogens. Different substrates and media components are being used for this purpose. Yet, each strain differs in its nutritional requirements for the maximum growth and hence it is necessary to standardize the right components and their optimum concentrations in the culture media for a given strain of Entomopathogen. In the current study, three different nitrogen sources and two different carbon sources were tried to standardize the mass multiplication media for seven test isolates of Entomopathogenic fungi. A study was also conducted to determine the ideal grain media for the optimum conidial yields of the test isolates. Yeast extract was found to be the best Nitrogen source for the isolates. The isolates tested, differed in their nutritional requirements and showed variation in the best nitrogen and carbon sources necessary for their growth. Variation was also found in the optimum concentration of both the ingredients for the growth and sporulation of the isolates. In the solid-state fermentation study, rice was found to be the best grain for the growth of most of the fungi followed by barley. The significance of such a study in the development of an effective Myco-insecticide is vital and can be successfully employed in agriculture is discussed.

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Lethal effect of isolates of entomopathogenic fungi on adult insects of Trogoderma Versicolor (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)

Agricultural sciences ◽

10.22620/agrisci.2016.19.004 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol VIII (19) ◽

pp. 25-30

Author(s):

Slavimira Draganova ◽

Evdokia Staneva

Keyword(s):

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Lethal Effect

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Cuticle degrading enzyme production by some isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.)

Journal of Bio-Science ◽

10.3329/jbs.v20i0.17648 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

pp. 25-32

Author(s):

N Sapna Bai ◽

OK Remadevi ◽

TO Sasidharan ◽

M Balachander ◽

Priyadarsanan Dharmarajan

Keyword(s):

Pest Control ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Enzyme Production ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Strong Relationship ◽

Control Agent ◽

Mechanical Pressure ◽

Degrading Enzyme ◽

Insect Pest Control ◽

Degrading Enzymes

Context: Entomopathogenic fungi have been recognized as viable alternate options to chemicals in insect pest control. Unlike other potential biocontrol agents, fungi do not have to be ingested to infect their hosts but invade directly through the cuticle. Entry into the host involves both enzymic degradation of the cuticle barrier and mechanical pressure. Production of a range of cuticle degrading enzymes is an important event in the interaction of entomopathogenic fungi and host. Enzyme secretion is believed to be a key contributor for the virulence of a fungal isolate. Objectives: The potentiality of nine isolates of M. anisopliae were tested to produce to produce three important cuticle degrading enzymes, viz., chitinase, protease and lipase. Materials and Methods: Nine isolates of M. anisopliae were evaluated for chitinase, protease and lipase enzyme production by determining the enzyme index and activities. Results: Chitinase index of these isolates were ranged from 1.5 to 2.2 and chitinolytic activity from 0.525 to 1.560 U/ml. The isolates showed protease index in the range of 1.2 to 3.3 and the activity ranged from 0.020 to 0.114 U/ml. Lipase index ranged from 1.15 to 7.0 and the enzyme activity ranged from 0.153 to 0.500 U/ml. A strong relationship was observed between virulence of the isolates and cuticle degrading enzyme production as increased enzyme production was observed for virulent isolates. Conclusion: In the present study three isolates as (MIS2, MIS7 and MIS13) demonstrated cuticle degrading enzyme (CDE) that indicate higher virulence based on the bioassay conducted earlier by the authors as strongly substantiating the role of CDEs is considered the virulence of Metarhizium isolates. So, these isolates may be as ecofriendly insect-pest control agent in future. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbs.v20i0.17648 J. bio-sci. 20: 25-32, 2012

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Phenotypic, molecular, and virulence characterization of entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana (Balsam) Vuillemin, and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokin from soil samples of Ethiopia for the development of mycoinsecticide

Heliyon ◽

10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07091 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. e07091

Author(s):

Amha Gebremariam ◽

Yonas Chekol ◽

Fassil Assefa

Keyword(s):

Beauveria Bassiana ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Metarhizium Anisopliae ◽

Soil Samples

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Effect of the native strain of the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter and the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium muscarium against Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) under greenhouse conditions in Tunisia

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control ◽

10.1186/s41938-021-00395-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Besma Hamrouni Assadi ◽

Sabrine Chouikhi ◽

Refki Ettaib ◽

Naima Boughalleb M’hamdi ◽

Mohamed Sadok Belkadhi

Keyword(s):

Beauveria Bassiana ◽

Bemisia Tabaci ◽

Entomopathogenic Fungi ◽

Tobacco Plant ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Native Strain ◽

Lecanicillium Muscarium ◽

Southern Tunisia ◽

Significant Efficacy ◽

Nesidiocoris Tenuis

Abstract Background The misuse of chemical insecticides has developed the phenomenon of habituation in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) causing enormous economic losses under geothermal greenhouses in southern Tunisia. Results In order to develop means of biological control appropriate to the conditions of southern Tunisia, the efficacy of the native strain of the predator Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) and two entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Beauveria bassiana and Lecanicillium muscarium was tested against Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Indeed, the introduction of N. tenuis in doses of 1, 2, 3, or 4 nymphs per tobacco plant infested by the whitefly led to highly significant reduction in the population of B. tabaci, than the control devoid of predator. The efficacy of N. tenuis was very high against nymphs and adults of B. tabaci at all doses per plant with a rate of 98%. Likewise, B. bassiana and L. muscarium, compared to an untreated control, showed a very significant efficacy against larvae and adults of B. tabaci. In addition, the number of live nymphs of N. tenuis treated directly or introduced on nymphs of B. tabaci treated with the EPF remained relatively high, exceeding 24.8 nymphs per cage compared to the control (28.6). Conclusions It can be concluded that the native strain of N. tenuis and the EPF tested separately were effective against B. tabaci. Their combined use appears to be possible.

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