Screening of entomopathogenic Metarhizium anisopliae isolates and proteomic analysis of secretion synthesized in response to cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus) exoskeleton

Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol. 2006 Mar-Apr;142(3-4):365-370. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2005.11.016. Epub 2006 Jan 9.

Abstract

Cowpea crops are severely attacked by Callosobruchus maculatus, a Coleopteran that at the larval stage penetrates into stored seeds and feeds on cotyledons. Cowpea weevil control could be based in utilization of bacteria and fungi to reduce pest development. Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium anisopliae, are able to control insect-pests and are widely applied in biological control. This report evaluated ten M. anisopliae isolates according to their virulence, correlating chitinolytic, proteolytic and alpha-amylolytic activities, as well proteomic analysis by two dimensional gels of fungal secretions in response to an induced medium containing C. maculatus shells, indicating novel biotechnological tools capable of improving cowpea crop resistance.

MeSH terms

  • Amidohydrolases / isolation & purification
  • Amidohydrolases / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Chitin / metabolism
  • Fungal Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Fungal Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Hypocreales / enzymology*
  • Insecta*
  • Pest Control, Biological*
  • Phaseolus
  • Proteomics
  • Serine Endopeptidases / isolation & purification
  • Serine Endopeptidases / pharmacology
  • alpha-Amylases / metabolism

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • trypsin-like serine protease
  • Chitin
  • alpha-Amylases
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • Amidohydrolases
  • chitin deacetylase