Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
4.5
Journals
Microorganisms
Special Issues
Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and...
share announcement

Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and Other Organisms

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 15721

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Victor Glupov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science, 630091 Novosibirsk, Russia
Interests: insect immunity; parasite-host interactions; dynamics of insects populations; microflora; free radicals; insect ecology; bacterial and fungal ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Vadim Kryukov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science, 630091 Novosibirsk, Russia
Interests: insect-fungi interactions; pathogenesis; immunity; fungal ecology; biocontrol
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Entomopathogenic fungi form complicated physiological and ecological interactions with hosts, modulating their immunity and behavior. Moreover, entomopathogenic fungi interact with plants in the rhizosphere and internal tissues, as well as with insect and plant microbial associates. Understanding these interactions is very important from both theoretical and applied perspectives, for the development of environment-friendly approaches in agriculture and forest practice. We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue in the form of original research and review papers which help to uncover ecological and immune-physiological interactions between entomopathogenic fungi and various organisms, including (i) interactions of the fungi with target and nontarget animals, (ii) interactions with plants, and (iii) interactions with microorganisms associated with insects and plants. Works on molecular and biochemical mechanisms of interaction between fungi and organisms from other kingdoms will be prioritized.

Prof. Dr. Victor Glupov
Dr. Vadim Kryukov
Guest Editors

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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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.

Published Papers (6 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: Review

10 pages, 2092 KiB  
Article
Biocontrol of Maize Weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Maize over a Six-Month Storage Period
by Mohamed Baha Saeed and Mark D. Laing
Microorganisms 2023, 11(5), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11051261 - 11 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1892
Abstract
Food security is contingent upon increasing crop yields but also upon reducing crop losses to post-harvest pests and diseases. Weevils are particularly important agents of post-harvest losses in grain crops. A long-term evaluation of a biocontrol agent, Beauveria bassiana Strain MS-8, at a [...] Read more.
Food security is contingent upon increasing crop yields but also upon reducing crop losses to post-harvest pests and diseases. Weevils are particularly important agents of post-harvest losses in grain crops. A long-term evaluation of a biocontrol agent, Beauveria bassiana Strain MS-8, at a single dose of 2 × 109 conidia kg−1 of grain was formulated in kaolin as a carrier at levels of 1, 2, 3, and 4 g kg−1 of grain and screened against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais. After six months, the application of B. bassiana Strain MS-8 at all levels of kaolin significantly reduced the maize weevil populations compared to the untreated control (UTC). The best control of maize weevil was observed in the first 4 months after application. Strain MS-8 applied in a kaolin level of 1 g kg−1 performed the best, resulting in the lowest number of live weevils (36 insects/500 g of maize grain), the lowest level of grain damage (14.0%), and the least weight loss (7.0%). In the UTC the number of live insects was 340 insects/500 g of maize grain, the level of grain damage was 68.0%, and weight loss was 51.0%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and Other Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1537 KiB  
Article
Links between Soil Bacteriobiomes and Fungistasis toward Fungi Infecting the Colorado Potato Beetle
by Ekaterina Chertkova, Marsel R. Kabilov, Olga Yaroslavtseva, Olga Polenogova, Elena Kosman, Darya Sidorenko, Tatyana Alikina, Yury Noskov, Anton Krivopalov, Viktor V. Glupov and Vadim Yu. Kryukov
Microorganisms 2023, 11(4), 943; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11040943 - 04 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1128
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi can be inhibited by different soil microorganisms, but the effect of a soil microbiota on fungal growth, survival, and infectivity toward insects is insufficiently understood. We investigated the level of fungistasis toward Metarhizium robertsii and Beauveria bassiana in soils of conventional [...] Read more.
Entomopathogenic fungi can be inhibited by different soil microorganisms, but the effect of a soil microbiota on fungal growth, survival, and infectivity toward insects is insufficiently understood. We investigated the level of fungistasis toward Metarhizium robertsii and Beauveria bassiana in soils of conventional potato fields and kitchen potato gardens. Agar diffusion methods, 16S rDNA metabarcoding, bacterial DNA quantification, and assays of Leptinotarsa decemlineata survival in soils inoculated with fungal conidia were used. Soils of kitchen gardens showed stronger fungistasis toward M. robertsii and B. bassiana and at the same time the highest density of the fungi compared to soils of conventional fields. The fungistasis level depended on the quantity of bacterial DNA and relative abundance of Bacillus, Streptomyces, and some Proteobacteria, whose abundance levels were the highest in kitchen garden soils. Cultivable isolates of bacilli exhibited antagonism to both fungi in vitro. Assays involving inoculation of nonsterile soils with B. bassiana conidia showed trends toward elevated mortality of L. decemlineata in highly fungistatic soils compared to low-fungistasis ones. Introduction of antagonistic bacilli into sterile soil did not significantly change infectivity of B. bassiana toward the insect. The results support the idea that entomopathogenic fungi can infect insects within a hypogean habitat despite high abundance and diversity of soil antagonistic bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and Other Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 8055 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Submerged Culture Parameters of the Aphid Pathogenic Fungus Fusarium equiseti Based on Sporulation and Mycelial Biomass
by Xueyi Zhao, Junfa Chai, Fang Wang and Yanxia Jia
Microorganisms 2023, 11(1), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11010190 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2479
Abstract
Fusarium equiseti (JMF-01), as an entomopathogenic fungus, can effectively control agricultural pests and has the potential to be a biocontrol agent. To promote mycelial growth and sporulation, we investigated the optimal submerged culture conditions for F. equiseti. In this study, we used [...] Read more.
Fusarium equiseti (JMF-01), as an entomopathogenic fungus, can effectively control agricultural pests and has the potential to be a biocontrol agent. To promote mycelial growth and sporulation, we investigated the optimal submerged culture conditions for F. equiseti. In this study, we used the single-factor method and Box–Behnken design and determined the virulence of the submerged culture against Myzus persicae after optimization. As a result, the highly significant factors affecting the spore concentration of strain JMF-01 were the primary inoculum density and the initial pH, and the highly significant factor affecting the mycelial biomass was the medium-to-flask ratio. The highest mycelial biomass value was 0.35 g when the incubation time was 5.68 days, the initial pH was 5.11, the medium-to-flask ratio was 0.43, and 1 mL of the primary inoculum with spore density of 0.97 × 107 conidia/mL was added. When the incubation time was 6.32 days, the initial pH was 4.46, the medium-to-flask ratio was 0.35, the primary inoculum density was 1.32 × 107 conidia/mL of 1 mL, and the highest spore concentration of 6.49 × 108 blastospores/mL was obtained. Compared with the unoptimized medium conditions, the optimized submerged culture had the highest mycelial biomass and spore concentration, which were 3.46 and 2.06 times higher, respectively. The optimized submerged culture was highly pathogenic toward M. persicae, reaching a 95% mortality rate. Our results provide optimal submerged culture conditions for F. equiseti and lay the basis for later research to expand production for pest control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and Other Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1386 KiB  
Article
Three Methods Assessing the Association of the Endophytic Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium robertsii with Non-Grafted Grapevine Vitis vinifera
by Mathilde Ponchon, Annette Reineke, Marie Massot, Michael J. Bidochka, Denis Thiéry and Daciana Papura
Microorganisms 2022, 10(12), 2437; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10122437 - 09 Dec 2022
Viewed by 2005
Abstract
Characterizing the association of endophytic insect pathogenic fungi (EIPF) with plants is an important step in order to understand their ecology before using them in biological control programs. Since several methods are available, it is challenging to identify the most appropriate for such [...] Read more.
Characterizing the association of endophytic insect pathogenic fungi (EIPF) with plants is an important step in order to understand their ecology before using them in biological control programs. Since several methods are available, it is challenging to identify the most appropriate for such investigations. Here, we used two strains of Metarhizium robertsii: EF3.5(2) native to the French vineyard environment and ARSEF-2575-GFP a laboratory strain expressing a green fluorescent protein, to compare their potential of association with non-grafted grapevine Vitis vinifera. Three methods were used to evaluate the kinetics of rhizosphere and grapevine endospheric colonization: (i) Droplet Digital (ddPCR), a sensitive molecular method of M. robertsii DNA quantification in different plant parts, (ii) culture-based method to detect the live fungal propagules from plant tissues that grew on the medium, (iii) confocal imaging to observe roots segments. Both strains showed evidence of establishment in the rhizosphere of grapevines according to the culture-based and ddPCR methods, with a significantly higher establishment of strain EF3.5(2) (40% positive plants and quantified median of exp(4.61) c/μL) compared to strain ARSEF-2575-GFP (13% positive plants and quantified median of exp(2.25) c/μL) at 96–98 days post-inoculation. A low incidence of association of both strains in the grapevine root endosphere was found with no significant differences between strains and evaluation methods (15% positive plants inoculated with strain EF3.5(2) and 5% with strain ARSEF-2575-GFP according to culture-based method). ddPCR should be used more extensively to investigate the association between plants and EIPF but always accompanied with at least one method such as culture-based method or confocal microscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and Other Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1457 KiB  
Article
Short- and Long-Term Evaluation of a Fixed Dose of Beauveria bassiana Strain MS-8 Diluted in Various Doses of Kaolin as a Powder Formulation Applied to Rice Grains to Control Almond Moth, Ephestia cautella Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
by Mohamed Baha Saeed, Mark D. Laing and Ray M. Miller
Microorganisms 2022, 10(10), 1971; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10101971 - 05 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1196
Abstract
Short-term and long-term evaluation studies were conducted against Ephestia cautella on rice grains, using Beauveria bassiana Strain MS-8 formulated in various doses of kaolin as an active carrier. In the short-term study (45 days), a fixed dose of 0.03 g conidia kg−1 [...] Read more.
Short-term and long-term evaluation studies were conducted against Ephestia cautella on rice grains, using Beauveria bassiana Strain MS-8 formulated in various doses of kaolin as an active carrier. In the short-term study (45 days), a fixed dose of 0.03 g conidia kg−1 of grain of Strain MS-8 was formulated in kaolin at doses of 0.3, 0.5, 1, and 2 g kg−1 of grain. These formulations were evaluated for their effects on larval mortality and the number of adults emerged. The highest level of larval mortality (90.0%) and the lowest numbers of adults emerged (1.6 insect/100 g of rice grain) were caused by Strain MS-8 in a kaolin dose of 2 g kg−1. However, Strain MS-8 in a kaolin dose of 1 g kg−1 performed well for the same parameters. In the long-term evaluation study (180 days), the same dose of Strain MS-8 was formulated in kaolin at doses of 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 g kg−1 of grain. These formulations were then evaluated against the levels of webbed grain, grain damage, and weight loss. The lowest levels of webbed grain (2.0%), grain damage (3.0%), and weight loss (1.8%) were caused by Strain MS-8 in kaolin at a dose of 3 g kg−1, although Strain MS-8 in kaolin doses of 1 g and 2 g kg−1 also performed well for the same parameters. The highest levels of webbed grain (15.0%), grain damage (30.0%), and weight loss (9.0%) were observed in the untreated control treatment (UCT). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and Other Organisms)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

14 pages, 304 KiB  
Review
Interactions between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Entomopathogenic Nematodes
by Vladimír Půža and Eustachio Tarasco
Microorganisms 2023, 11(1), 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11010163 - 08 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5971
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi and entomopathogenic nematodes are globally distributed soil organisms capable of infecting and killing a vast variety of insects. Therefore, these organisms are frequently used as biocontrol agents in insect pest management. Both entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes share the soil environment and [...] Read more.
Entomopathogenic fungi and entomopathogenic nematodes are globally distributed soil organisms capable of infecting and killing a vast variety of insects. Therefore, these organisms are frequently used as biocontrol agents in insect pest management. Both entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes share the soil environment and thus can infest and compete for the same insect host; however, natural co-infections are rarely found due to the cryptic soil environment. Our current knowledge on their interactions within hosts mainly comes from laboratory experiments. Because of the recent trend of combining biocontrol agents to increase their efficacy, many studies have focused on the co-application of different species of EPF and EPNs against various insect pests with variable outcomes ranging from synergistic effects and additive effects to antagonism. In addition, the effect on the development and reproduction of each pathogen varies from normal reproduction to exclusion, and generally the outcomes of the interactions are dependent on pathogen and host species, pathogen doses, and the timing of infection. The present review aims to summarize the current knowledge on the interactions of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes within an insect host and to estimate the possible effects of the interactions on natural pathogen populations and on their use in biocontrol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pathogenic Fungi: Physiological and Ecological Interactions with Arthropods and Other Organisms)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop