Beauveria bassiana

β-glucosidase hydrolyses the glycosidic bonds in cellobiose and cello-oligosaccharides, a critical step in the saccharification for biofuel production. Hence, the aim of this study was to gain insights into the biochemical and structural properties of a β-glucosidase from Beauveria bassiana , an entomopathogenic fungus. The β-glucosidase was purified to homogeneity using salt precipitation, ultrafiltration, and chromatographic techniques, attaining a specific activity of 496 U/mg. The molecular mass of the enzyme was then estimated via SDS-PAGE to be 116 kDa, while its activity pattern was confirmed by zymography using 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glucopyranoside...

Following blood meals or questing bouts, hard ticks (Ixodidae) must locate moist off-host microhabitats as refuge. Soil-dwelling fungi, including entomopathogenic Beauveria bassiana ( Bb ), thrive in moist microhabitats. Working with six species of ixodid ticks in olfactometer bioassays, we tested the hypothesis that ticks avoid Bb . Contrary to our prediction, nearly all ticks sought, rather than avoided, Bb -inoculated substrates. In further bioassays with female black-legged ticks, Ixodes scapularis , ticks oriented towards both harmful Bb and harmless soil-dwelling fungi, implying that fungi-regardless of their pathogenicity-signal habitat suitability to ticks...

Both palm weevils, the South American ( Rhynchophorus palmarum ) (SAPW) and the red palm weevil ( R. ferrugineus , RPW), are present in South America, affecting commercial, ornamental, and native palms. These pests oviposit and thrive on selected Arecaceae. R. palmarum mainly infests coconut ( Cocos nucifera ), oil palms ( Elaeis guineensis ), and other ornamental and native palms in America, causing a significant social impact on growers. The weevils fulfill a significant ectosymbiotic macro- and microorganism role in the first period of larval development, worsening the damage which, during this period, is not yet apparent...

In Korea, there are two maggot species in the Delia genus that commonly infest the roots and stems of the Welsh onion, thus causing serious economic damage on the crop at the seedling stage. In this study, the seedcorn maggot (Delia platura) was detected in onion fields in two different localities in Korea. After overwintering, maggot infestations occurred throughout the entire growing seasons from transplantation to harvest, but their specific patterns of occurrence varied in the two localities examined. Entomopathogenic fungi induced significant virulence against the maggot larvae, in which a strain of Beauveria bassiana was effective, though it exhibited limited mortality in its insecticidal activity...

In this work, a novel biofilm-based fermentation of Beauveria bassiana was employed to convert R-2- phenoxypropionic acid (R-PPA) to R-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy) propionic acid (R-HPPA). The biofilm culture model of Beauveria bassiana produced a significantly higher R-HPPA titer than the traditional submerged fermentation method. Mannitol dosage, tryptone dosage, and initial pH were the factors that played a significant role in biofilm formation and R-HPPA synthesis. Under the optimal conditions, the maximum R-HPPA titer and productivity approached 22...

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (FAW) is a cosmopolitan crop pest species that has recently become established in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Current FAW control is almost entirely dependent on synthetic pesticides. Biopesticides offer a more sustainable alternative but have limitations. For example, pyrethrum is an effective botanical insecticide with low mammalian toxicity but is highly UV labile, resulting in a rapid loss of efficacy in the field. Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that is more persistent, but there is a time lag of several days before it causes insect mortality and leads to effective control...

BACKGROUND: Myzus persicae, a serious sap-sucking pest of a large variety of host plants in agriculture, is traditionally controlled using chemical insecticides but there is interest in using biopesticides as restrictions are increasingly placed on the use of broad-spectrum pesticides. RESULTS: Here we show that in petri dish experiments high concentrations of the fungal entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana lead to rapid mortality of M. persicae but at a low concentration (1 × 104 conidia mL-1 ) there is a hormetic effect where survival and fecundity are enhanced...

The abilities to withstand oxidation and assimilate fatty acids are critical for successful infection by many pathogenic fungi. Here, we characterized a Zn(II)2 Cys6 transcription factor Bbotf1 in the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, which links oxidative response and fatty acid assimilation via regulating peroxisome proliferation. The null mutant ΔBbotf1 showed impaired resistance to oxidants, accompanied by decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes including CATs, PODs and SODs, and down-regulated expression of many antioxidation-associated genes under oxidative stress condition...

Mycotic lesions of the skin of snakes are often associated with the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, but other pathogens can cause similar signs. A skin sample from a wild Nikolsky's viper (Vipera berus nikolskii) with dermal lesions was collected in eastern Ukraine. A pure fungal culture was obtained and identified using nucleotide sequence analysis as the entomopathogenic species Beauveria bassiana sensu lato. Although Beauveria spp are considered to be non-pathogenic in vertebrates, sporadic infections have been reported...

The poultry red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Arachnida: Dermanyssidae) is a pest that causes significant economic loss in laying hens for which control methods are limited. In this study, the effects of 20 indigenous fungal strains on poultry red mites in chicken farms were investigated. All experiments were conducted under laboratory condition at 28 ± 1 °C and 80 ± 5% humidity. A screening test showed that Metharizium flavoviride strain As-2 and Beauveria bassiana strain Pa4 had the greatest measured effect on D...

The spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) is the predominant vector of Xylella fastidiosa (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae) in Apulia, Italy and the rest of Europe, Current control strategies of the insect vector rely on mechanical management of nymphal stages and insecticide application against adult populations, Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are biological control agents naturally attacking spittlebugs and may effectively reduce population levels of host species, Different experimental trials in controlled conditions have been performed to i) identify naturally occurring EPF on P, spumarius in Northwestern Italy, and ii) evaluate the potential for biocontrol of the isolated strains on both nymphal and adult stages of the spittlebug, Four EPF species were isolated from dead P, spumarius collected in semi-field conditions: Beauveria bassiana, Conidiobolus coronatus, Fusarium equiseti and Lecanicillium aphanocladii, All the fungal isolates showed entomopathogenic potential against nymphal stages of P, spumarius (≈ 45 % mortality), except for F, equiseti, in preliminary trials, No induced mortality was observed on adult stage, Lecanicillium aphanocladii was the most promising fungus and its pathogenicity against spittlebug nymphs was further tested in different formulations (conidia vs blastospores) and with natural adjuvants, Blastospore formulation was the most effective in killing nymphal instars and reducing the emergence rate of P, spumarius adults, reaching mortality levels (90%) similar to those of the commercial product Naturalis®, while no or adverse effect of natural adjuvants was recorded, The encouraging results of this study pave way for testing EPF isolates against P, spumarius in field conditions and find new environmentally friendly control strategies against insect vectors of X, fastidiosa...

In yeasts, ferric reductase catalyzes reduction of ferric ion to ferrous form, which is essential for the reductive iron assimilation system. However, the physiological roles of ferric reductases remain largely unknown in the filamentous fungi. In this study, genome-wide annotation revealed thirteen ferric reductase-like (Fre) proteins in the filamentous insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, and all their functions were genetically characterized. Ferric reductase family proteins exhibit different sub-cellular distributions (e...

Rhynchophorus palmarum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a significant agricultural pest in palm plantations across tropical America, playing a critical role as a vector of the fungus Thielaviopsis paradoxa, which is the causative agent of stem bleeding disease in coconut palms. This disease has raised concerns due to its rapid spread and subsequent reduction in coconut production in northeastern Brazil. Additionally, this insect can establish mutualistic interactions with various fungi, including saprophytic, phytopathogenic, and entomopathogenic fungi, underscoring the importance of identifying its external mycobiota...

In this study, we conducted tests on the isolation, identification, characterization, and extraction of chemical molecules from Beauveria bassiana against Tuta absoluta larvae. The enzyme responses of T. absoluta to the crude extract were examined 24 h after treatment, and the number of dead larvae was calculated 24 and 48 h after treatment. Molecular docking studies were conducted to assess the interaction of important molecules with the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. The larvicidal activity of crude chemicals from fungi was high 24 h after treatment, with LC50 and LC90 values of 25...

Mountain pine beetles (MPBs) pose a substantial threat to North American pine forests, causing extensive tree mortality over large areas. Their tree-killing ability is closely linked to mass aggregation on host trees triggered via pheromones and dependence on their symbiotic fungi. However, the influence of a changing climate on the biology of MPBs and their co-evolved interactions with their fungal symbionts remains uncertain. To investigate this, male and female pairs of beetles were introduced into freshly cut logs from lodgepole pine trees and placed in controlled climate chambers with manipulated environmental conditions, including two levels of CO2 (ambient vs...

BACKGROUND: Bacterial transfers from plants to insect herbivore guts have been well investigated. However, bacterial exchanges between plant phyllospheres and insect cuticles remain unclear, as does their related biological function. RESULTS: Here, we report that the cuticular bacterial loads of silkworm larvae quickly increased after molting and feeding on the white mulberry (Morus alba) leaves. The isolation and examination of silkworm cuticular bacteria identified one bacterium Mammaliicoccus sciuri that could completely inhibit the spore germination of fungal entomopathogens Metarhizium robertsii and Beauveria bassiana...

BACKGROUND: Flavokawain B is one of the naturally occurring chalcones in the kava plant (Piper methysticum). It exhibits anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimalarial properties. Due to its therapeutic potential, flavokawain B holds promise for the treatment of many diseases. However, due to its poor bioavailability and low aqueous solubility, its application remains limited. The attachment of a sugar unit impacts the stability and solubility of flavonoids and often determines their bioavailability and bioactivity...

Since Agostino Bassi first isolated the fungal pathogenic agent of the white muscardine in insects (later named Beauveria bassiana in his honor), and Ilya Mechnikov cultivated Metarhizium anisopliae as a first approach to use fungi as pest control agents, many other entomopathogenic fungi have been studied over the last two centuries [...].

Soybean ( Glycine max ) is one of the most important crops worldwide. This crop is prone to diseases caused by the phytopathogenic fungi Macrophomina phaseolina , Fusarium oxysporum, and the lepidopteran pest Rachiplusia nu . Biological control using entomopathogenic fungi is a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides. In this study, we assessed the antifungal activity of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae against phytopathogens and the pathogenicity of B. bassiana as an endophyte against R...

This study utilized Beauveria bassiana to infect Leguminivora glycinivorella , analyzed the effects on the transcriptome and metabolome, and further investigated the antibacterial function of L. glycinivorella . We performed transcriptome and metabolome sequencing on the L. glycinivorella infected with B. bassiana and its control groups, and performed a joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome results. Upon screening, 4560 differentially expressed genes were obtained in the transcriptome and 71 differentially expressed metabolites were obtained in the metabolome...