Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
4.7
Journals
JoF
Special Issues
Biological, Biochemical and Molecular Interactions between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their...
share announcement

Biological, Biochemical and Molecular Interactions between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their Hosts

A special issue of Journal of Fungi (ISSN 2309-608X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 3545

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nicolás Pedrini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), National University of La Plata (UNLP), La Plata 1900, Argentina
Interests: entomopathogenic fungi; insect immunity; fungus–insect interaction; gene expression; fungal secondary metabolites; virulence factors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Entomopathogenic fungi find their hosts mostly among insects. Fungus–insect interactions are known to drive pathogenic cycles that usually culminate in the death of the hosts, and so these fungi are a useful tool in biological-based pest-management strategies. The general mechanisms of this interaction have been known for many years; however, many aspects remain obscure at the molecular level. On the other hand, these fungi are also facultative saprophytes in the soil and/or the rhizosphere. As endophytes, some invertebrate-pathogenic fungi engage in a mutualistic interaction with plants, which boosts plant resistance to herbivores and pathogens. The exact mechanisms by which these fungi provide systemic protection against arthropod pests and plant diseases are not fully understood, although some hypothesize that pest and disease suppression is due to fungal toxic and secondary metabolites production. Nevertheless, endophytic fungal colonization could be an indirect method of the biological control of insect pests.

This Special Issue will focus on the biological, biochemical and molecular interplay between invertebrate-pathogenic fungi and their wide range of hosts, including arthropods and plants.

Dr. Nicolás Pedrini
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Fungi is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • entomopathogenic fungi
  • fungi–host interaction
  • endophytic fungi
  • secondary metabolites

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

13 pages, 2382 KiB  
Article
Hyphal Growth and Conidia Germination Are Induced by Phytohormones in the Root Colonizing and Plant Growth Promoting Fungus Metarhizium guizhouense
by Iván Horacio Piña-Torres, Fabiola Dávila-Berumen, Gloria Angélica González-Hernández, Juan Carlos Torres-Guzmán and Israel Enrique Padilla-Guerrero
J. Fungi 2023, 9(9), 945; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9090945 - 19 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1078
Abstract
Beneficial associations are very important for plants and soil-dwelling microorganisms in different ecological niches, where communication by chemical signals is relevant. Among the chemical signals, the release of phytohormones by plants is important to establish beneficial associations with fungi, and a recently described [...] Read more.
Beneficial associations are very important for plants and soil-dwelling microorganisms in different ecological niches, where communication by chemical signals is relevant. Among the chemical signals, the release of phytohormones by plants is important to establish beneficial associations with fungi, and a recently described association is that of the entomopathogenic ascomycete fungus Metarhizium with plants. Here, we evaluated the effect of four different phytohormones, synthetic strigolactone (GR24), sorgolactone (SorL), 3-indolacetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA3), on the fungus Metarhizium guizhouense strain HA11-2, where the germination rate and hyphal elongation were determined at three different times. All phytohormones had a positive effect on germination, with GA3 showing the greatest effect, and for hyphal length, on average, the group treated with synthetic strigolactone GR24 showed greater average hyphal length at 10 h of induction. This work expands the knowledge of the effect of phytohormones on the fungus M. guizhouense, as possible chemical signals for the rapid establishment of the fungus–plant association. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological, Biochemical and Molecular Interactions between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their Hosts)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3311 KiB  
Article
Entomopathogenicity of Ascomycete Fungus Cordyceps militaris on the Cotton Bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
by James P. Glover, Marissa I. Nufer, Omaththage P. Perera, Maribel Portilla and Justin George
J. Fungi 2023, 9(6), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof9060614 - 26 May 2023
Viewed by 1157
Abstract
This study investigated the exposure of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to a novel pathogenic fungal agent historically associated with human medicinal value, a commercial strain of Cordyceps militaris ((L.) Fr.) Vuill. (Hypocreales). A series of comparative studies were conducted [...] Read more.
This study investigated the exposure of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to a novel pathogenic fungal agent historically associated with human medicinal value, a commercial strain of Cordyceps militaris ((L.) Fr.) Vuill. (Hypocreales). A series of comparative studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of two different exposure methods using four concentrations (n × 109, n × 108, n × 107, n × 106) of C. militaris, where n × 109 provided a concentration of approximately 420 ± 37 spores per mm2 with 398 ± 28 viable spores. Survival of cotton bollworms of all stages was not affected by C. militaris at any concentration 1 d post-exposure. The greatest reduction in survival and highest sporulation rates were observed primarily on or after 7 d post-exposure for early instars (first and second). Significant declines in the survival of early instars were observed for all concentrations at 7 d, and 95% mortality by 10 d, with the exception of the fifth instars that experienced a less severe reduction in survival (35%) when exposed to any concentrations used in the study. Survival of late instars (third to fifth) ranged from 44% to 68% on day 10, while adult survival was near 99% across the duration of the experiment. The relatively narrow range observed for both the lethal concentration and sporulation of second, third, and fifth instar cotton bollworms exposed to the C. militaris strain may demonstrate potential field application for control of larval populations of cotton bollworms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological, Biochemical and Molecular Interactions between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their Hosts)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

12 pages, 1519 KiB  
Brief Report
Entomopathogenic Fungi as Dual Control Agents against Two Phytopathogens and the Lepidopteran Pest Rachiplusia nu in Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr)
by María Leticia Russo, María Florencia Vianna, Ana Clara Scorsetti, Natalia Ferreri, Juan Manuel de Abajo, María Inés Troncozo and Sebastián Alberto Pelizza
J. Fungi 2024, 10(2), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10020093 - 24 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1027
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. nu. The antagonic activity of the fungal entomopathogens was evaluated in vitro by dual culture bioassays. The feeding preference of R. nu was evaluated in a “free choice” assay under laboratory conditions. Entomopathogenic fungi inhibited the mycelial growth of the phytopathogens. The best response in all cases was observed when the antagonists were placed in the culture medium two days before the pathogens. B. bassiana was the best antagonist of F. oxysporum, while both antagonists had similar inhibitory effects on M. phaseolina growth. Additionally, B. bassiana, when grown as an endophyte, reduced insects’ food preferences and decreased soybean consumption. Findings suggest that entomopathogenic fungi can fulfill multiple roles in the ecosystem. Therefore, the simultaneous expression of both properties should be considered for their application in integrated pest management programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological, Biochemical and Molecular Interactions between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Their Hosts)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop