Elevational distribution and morphological attributes of the entomopathogenic fungi from forests of the Qinling Mountains in China

Abstract

Entomopathogenic fungi are considered to be a safe microbiological pesticide alternative to chemical control. Efforts are underway to understand precisely their taxonomy and natural distribution through mycological and biodiversity studies based on molecular markers. Here, we present descriptions of the diversity of the entomopathogenic fungi in the genera Metarhizium and Beauveria found along the elevational gradients of the Qinling subtropical and temperate forests of Shaanxi province in China, using morphological aspects and molecular markers. Molecular characterization using the Mz_IGS3 intergenic region revealed that Metarhizium isolates phylogenetically clustered in the PARB clade with four different distinguishable species, but the 5'-TEF gene allowed only ambiguous delimitation of Metarhizium species. Beauveria isolates were characterized by sequence analyses of the translation elongation factor 1-α and the Bloc region. The richness of Metarhizium species decreased with increasing elevation, with Metarhizium robertsii s.l. being the most abundant species along the elevational gradient. Our bioassay suggests that certain species of Metarhizium are significantly pathogenic to the insect model Tenebrio molitor at both the adult and larvae stages and could potentially serve as a control of insect pests of forests.

Biodiversity of Entomopathogenic Fungi in the Soils of South China

“…However, the statuses of EFs in soil stages are not well understood by researchers. Investigating the soil EFs will be beneficial to the discovery of new species and conservation of EFs resources [17,18]. Meanwhile, in order to better recognize the mechanisms of occurrences and the storage of EFs, it is necessary to investigate the soil EFs [19].…”

Meta-Analysis and Evaluation by Insect-Mediated Baiting Reveal Different Patterns of Hypocrealean Entomopathogenic Fungi in the Soils From Two Regions of China

“…Our study indicated that both M. brunneum and B. bassiana were likely to be obtained from the site with a relatively high elevation (2,447 m) and from regions with elevations below (300-100 m). Our major finding for M. brunneum in terms of elevation is substantiated by those of Masoudi et al (2018) in China but notably at odds with those of Inglis et al (2019) in Canada. The highest elevation from which M. pingshaense and M. robertsii were obtained by the current study was 1,120 and 1,631 m, respectively.…”

“…The highest elevation from which M. pingshaense and M. robertsii were obtained by the current study was 1,120 and 1,631 m, respectively. Inglis et al (2019) isolated M. brunneum at a latitude of 55 • N and the highest elevation of 1,012 m. Masoudi et al (2018) obtained M. pingshaense from the Qinling Mountains (33 • N) at an elevation of 3,000 m. Previous studies have reported the isolation of the Metarhizium lineages from latitudes as high as 67 • N in Finland (Vänninen, 1996) and 64 • N in Iceland (Oddsdóttir et al, 2010). Our HTS data indicated a negative correlation between M. anisopliae s.l.…”

Geographical Isolation and Root-Associated Fungi in the Marine Terrains: A Step Toward Establishing a Strategy for Acquiring Unique Microbial Resources

“…Often, commonly identifiable microbial species from higher organisms are regarded as close symbionts [75][76][77][78][79][80]. Metarhizium was confirmed in the Dokdo and Ulleungdo, which are over 80 km apart (Figure 1).…”

“…Metarhizium was confirmed in the Dokdo and Ulleungdo, which are over 80 km apart (Figure 1). Metarhizium has been reported as a plant-associated fungal species, which has the benefit of entomo-pathogenicity and is resistant against plant diseases [78][79][80][81][82]. Metarhizium anisopliae has been reported as a novel tool for "paratransgenesis" in vector-borne infectious disease.…”