Lipid-Binding Aegerolysin from Biocontrol Fungus Beauveria bassiana

Abstract

Fungi are the most common pathogens of insects and thus important regulators of their populations. Lipid-binding aegerolysin proteins, which are commonly found in the fungal kingdom, may be involved in several biologically relevant processes including attack and defense against other organisms. Aegerolysins act alone or together with membrane-attack-complex/perforin (MACPF)-like proteins to form transmembrane pores that lead to cell lysis. We performed an in-depth bioinformatics analysis of aegerolysins in entomopathogenic fungi and selected a candidate aegerolysin, beauveriolysin A (BlyA) from Beauveria bassiana. BlyA was expressed as a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli, and purified to further determine its functional and structural properties, including lipid-binding ability. Aegerolysins were found to be encoded in genomes of entomopathogenic fungi, such as Beauveria, Cordyceps, Metarhizium and Ophiocordyceps. Detailed bioinformatics analysis revealed that they are linked to MACPF-like genes in most genomes. We also show that BlyA interacts with an insect-specific membrane lipid. These results were placed in the context of other fungal and bacterial aegerolysins and their partner proteins. We believe that aegerolysins play a role in promoting the entomopathogenic and antagonistic activity of B. bassiana, which is an active ingredient of bioinsecticides.

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.…”

Fus3/Kss1‐MAP kinase and Ste12‐like control distinct biocontrol‐traits besides regulation of insect cuticle penetration via phosphorylation cascade in a filamentous fungal pathogen

“…The alterted cell wall construction and cell surface feature would expose more pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that stimulate insect immune response. 33 Moreover, an immune evasion-involved gene BbLas2 (BBA_08183, encoding a secretory laccase 2), 38 and some cytotoxicity-associated toxin synthesis genes, 12 e.g., zeta toxin, CryIIIB2, Cry3A, delta endotoxin domain protein, structural toxin protein RtxA, cercosporin toxin, beauveriolysin A, etc., [64][65][66][67][68][69] were significantly down-regulated in ΔBbmpk1 strain, which inevitably results in a decrease in immune evasion. GAS1 and GAS2 are two virulence factors regulated by pmk1 of Magnaporthe grisea that are involved in cell wall penetration and lesion development.…”

A Perilipin Affects Lipid Droplet Homeostasis and Aerial Hyphal Growth, but Has Only Small Effects on Virulence in the Insect Pathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana

“…Spore germination and hyphal growth of B. bassiana have been shown to be affected by insect lipids [ 36 , 37 ], and more recently, a lipid–binding aegerolysin protein has been characterized from B. bassiana , although the role of the latter protein in fungal virulence and insect lipid utilization was not directly examined [ 38 ]. The B. bassiana perilipin did not seem to significantly impact stress tolerances, as the Δ BbPlin1 mutant showed no obvious changes in terms of vegetative growth in standard media or media containing various stress–causing agents, including H 2 O 2 (oxidative stress), Congo red (cell wall–perturbing stress), NaCl, and sorbitol (the latter two, osmotic stress).…”