Effects of Bioinsecticidal Aegerolysin-Based Cytolytic Complexes on Non-Target Organisms

Abstract

Aegerolysin proteins ostreolysin A6 (OlyA6), pleurotolysin A2 (PlyA2) and erylysin A (EryA) produced by the mushroom genus Pleurotus bind strongly to an invertebrate-specific membrane sphingolipid, and together with a protein partner pleurotolysin B (PlyB), form transmembrane pore complexes. This pore formation is the basis for the selective insecticidal activity of aegerolysin/PlyB complexes against two economically important coleopteran pests: the Colorado potato beetle and the western corn rootworm. In this study, we evaluated the toxicities of these aegerolysin/PlyB complexes using feeding tests with two ecologically important non-target arthropod species: the woodlouse and the honey bee. The mammalian toxicity of the EryA/PlyB complex was also evaluated after intravenous administration to mice. None of the aegerolysin/PlyB complexes were toxic against woodlice, but OlyA6/PlyB and PlyA2/PlyB were toxic to honeybees, with 48 h mean lethal concentrations (LC50) of 0.22 and 0.39 mg/mL, respectively, in their food. EryA/PlyB was also tested intravenously in mice up to 3 mg/kg body mass, without showing toxicity. With no toxicity seen for EryA/PlyB for environmentally beneficial arthropods and mammals at the tested concentrations, these EryA/PlyB complexes are of particular interest for development of new bioinsecticides for control of selected coleopteran pests.

Towards a Fungal Science That Is Independent of Researchers’ Gender

“…The following supporting information can be downloaded at: , Table S1 : The mycological journals; Table S2: Proportion of women authors publishing by research discipline; Table S3: Proportion of women researchers publishing by author position in microbiology; Table S4: Proportion of women researchers publishing by author position in mycology; Table S5: Research of fungal aegerolysins as published in scientific journals and disciplines; Table S6: Status of women researchers; Table S7: Region of women researchers; Table S8: Descriptors of fungal research area by women researchers; Table S9: Keywords women researchers use at least twice to describe their fungal research area; Table S10: Gender breakdown of plenary and selected speakers, session chairs, and meeting organizers for two alternating meetings FGC and ECFG; References [ 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ] are cited in the supplementary materials.…”

New Insights into Interactions between Mushroom Aegerolysins and Membrane Lipids

“…In comparison with previous studies on Pleurotus aegerolysins and aegerolysin/MACPF complexes [3,4,6,12,14,15,32,39,50], which were mostly performed at physiological pH values, this is also the first study highlighting the importance of pH for aegerolysin-membrane interactions. This finding should be considered when new mushroom aegerolysins are characterized, since our results clearly show that aegerolysins from different mushrooms can have quite different lipid-binding characteristics at different pH values.…”

Lipid-Binding Aegerolysin from Biocontrol Fungus Beauveria bassiana

“…Further toxicity feeding tests with Pleurotus aegerolysin/PlyB complexes were performed with two ecologically important non-target arthropod species: the woodlouse (Porcellio scaber (Latreille, 1804)) and the honeybee (Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758)). None of the Pleurotus aegerolysin/PlyB complexes were toxic to isopods, but OlyA6/PlyB and PlyA2/PlyB were toxic to honeybees, whereas no toxicity to ecologically beneficial arthropods was observed for EryA/PlyB at the concentrations tested [70].…”