Diversity and Breadth of Host Specificity among Arthropod Pathogens in the Entomophthoromycotina

Sacco, Natalie E.; Hajek, Ann E.

doi:10.3390/microorganisms11071658

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(87 reference statements)

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“…In simplified ecosystems, epizootics in populations of one host species can occur, predominantly driven by one or two fungal species, and these are frequently well-known species in just a few genera, including species of Beauveria, Metarhizium, Akanthomyces (previously Lecanicillium), and Cordyceps [6]. However, there are more than 1000 species of entomopathogenic fungi in many different genera [7,8]. There are numerous reports of multiple entomopathogenic fungi infecting invasive insect populations [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18], with many of these entomopathogens belonging to the order Hypocreales and considered native to the region where the pest is invading.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulation of Fungal Pathogens Infecting the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula

Hajek,

Everest,

Clifton

2023

Insects

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In the eastern United States, populations of the invasive spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula, are abundant and spreading. Four species of naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungi have previously been reported as infecting these planthoppers, with two of these causing epizootics. Nymphal- and adult-stage lanternflies in Pennsylvania and New York were surveyed for entomopathogenic fungal infections from October 2021 to November 2023, and assays were conducted to confirm the pathogenicity of species that were potentially pathogenic. Beauveria bassiana was the most abundant pathogen, but we report an additional 15 previously unreported species of entomopathogenic fungi infecting spotted lanternflies, all in the order Hypocreales (Ascomycota). The next most common pathogens were Fusarium fujikuroi and Sarocladium strictum. While infection prevalence by species was often low, probably impacted to some extent by the summer drought in 2022, together these pathogens caused a total of 6.7% mortality. A significant trend was evident over time within a season, with low levels of infection among nymphs and higher infection levels in mid- and late-stage adults, the stages when mating and oviposition occur.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulation of Fungal Pathogens Infecting the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula

Hajek,

Everest,

Clifton

2023

Insects

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“…We hypothesize that an enlargement of the non-coding genome may set the stage for evolution of novel functionalities, and, in turn, specialization for different hosts and speciation. Rust and entomophthoralean pathogens, which are both marked by Ty3 element proliferation, are known for their extreme degree of host specialization ( Sacco and Hajek, 2023 ). In the absence of frequent sexual recombination, the flexibility permitted by an outsized ‘genomic canvas’ may have been favored by selection and maintained to the present day.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Signatures of transposon-mediated genome inflation, host specialization, and photoentrainment in Entomophthora muscae and allied entomophthoralean fungi

Stajich,

Lovett,

Lee

et al. 2024

eLife

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Despite over a century of observations, the obligate insect parasites within the order Entomophthorales remain poorly characterized at the genetic level. This is in part due to their large genome sizes and difficulty in obtaining sequenceable material. In this manuscript, we leveraged a recently-isolated, laboratory-tractable Entomophthora muscae isolate and improved long-read sequencing to obtain a largely-complete entomophthoralean genome. Our E. muscae assembly is 1.03 Gb, consists of 7,810 contigs and contains 81.3% complete fungal BUSCOs. Using a comparative approach with other available (transcriptomic and genomic) datasets from entomophthoralean fungi, we provide new insight into the biology of these understudied pathogens. We offer a head-to-head comparison of morphological and molecular data for species within the E. muscae species complex. Our findings suggest that substantial taxonomic revision is needed to define species within this group and we provide recommendations for differentiating strains and species in the context of the existing body of E. muscae scientific literature. We show that giant genomes are the norm within Entomophthoraceae owing to extensive, but not recent, Ty3 retrotransposon activity, despite the presence of anti-transposable element defense machinery (RNAi). In addition, we find that E. muscae and its closest allies are enriched for M16A peptidases and possess genes that are likely homologs to the blue-light sensor white-collar 1, a Neurospora crassa gene that has a well-established role in maintaining circadian rhythms. We find that E. muscae has an expanded group of acid-trehalases, consistent with trehalose being the primary sugar component of fly (and insect) hemolymph. We uncover evidence that E. muscae diverged from other entomophthoralean fungi by expansion of existing families, rather than loss of particular domains, and possesses a potentially unique suite of secreted catabolic enzymes, consistent with E. muscae’s species-specific, biotrophic lifestyle. Altogether, we provide a genetic and molecular foundation that we hope will provide a platform for the continued study of the unique biology of entomophthoralean fungi.

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“…The fungal order Entomophthorales in the Zoopagomycotina includes at least 246 species of arthropod pathogens [1], many of which are well known for their ability to cause epizootics and change the behavior of infected hosts [2]. Their role in biocenoses is extremely important because they can function as regulators of arthropod populations and thus play Pandora sciarae conidiophores covering the body of a fungus gnat (C).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential for Use of Species in the Subfamily Erynioideae for Biological Control and Biotechnology

Gryganskyi,

Hajek,

Voloshchuk

et al. 2024

Microorganisms

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The fungal order Entomophthorales in the Zoopagomycota includes many fungal pathogens of arthropods. This review explores six genera in the subfamily Erynioideae within the family Entomophthoraceae, namely, Erynia, Furia, Orthomyces, Pandora, Strongwellsea, and Zoophthora. This is the largest subfamily in the Entomophthorales, including 126 described species. The species diversity, global distribution, and host range of this subfamily are summarized. Relatively few taxa are geographically widespread, and few have broad host ranges, which contrasts with many species with single reports from one location and one host species. The insect orders infected by the greatest numbers of species are the Diptera and Hemiptera. Across the subfamily, relatively few species have been cultivated in vitro, and those that have require more specialized media than many other fungi. Given their potential to attack arthropods and their position in the fungal evolutionary tree, we discuss which species might be adopted for biological control purposes or biotechnological innovations. Current challenges in the implementation of these species in biotechnology include the limited ability or difficulty in culturing many in vitro, a correlated paucity of genomic resources, and considerations regarding the host ranges of different species.

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Diversity and Breadth of Host Specificity among Arthropod Pathogens in the Entomophthoromycotina

Cited by 9 publications

References 56 publications

Accumulation of Fungal Pathogens Infecting the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula

Accumulation of Fungal Pathogens Infecting the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula

Signatures of transposon-mediated genome inflation, host specialization, and photoentrainment in Entomophthora muscae and allied entomophthoralean fungi

Potential for Use of Species in the Subfamily Erynioideae for Biological Control and Biotechnology

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