A p53-like transcription factor, BbTFO1, contributes to virulence and oxidative and thermal stress tolerances in the insect pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana

Abstract

The p53-like transcription factor (TF) NDT80 plays a vital role in the regulation of pathogenic mechanisms and meiosis in certain fungi. However, the effects of NDT80 on entomopathogenic fungi are still unknown. In this paper, the NDT80 orthologue BbTFO1 was examined in Beauveria bassiana, a filamentous entomopathogenic fungus, to explore the role of an NDT80-like protein for fungal pest control potential. Disruption of BbTFO1 resulted in impaired resistance to oxidative stress (OS) in a growth assay under OS and a 50% minimum inhibitory concentration experiment. Intriguingly, the oxidation resistance changes were accompanied by transcriptional repression of the two key antioxidant enzyme genes cat2 and cat5. ΔBbTFO1 also displayed defective conidial germination, virulence and heat resistance. The specific supplementation of BbTFO1 reversed these phenotypic changes. As revealed by this work, BbTFO1 can affect the transcription of catalase genes and play vital roles in the maintenance of phenotypes associated with the biological control ability of B. bassiana.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Japanese Pine Sawyer Beetle, Monochamus alternatus, Infected with the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae JEF-197

“…DNA-directed RNA polymerase Ⅱ, Spt20 family protein, and methyltransferase sirN-like protein, which are genes related to gene transcription regulation, were also upregulated. Recent studies have shown the modulation of pathogenesis and virulence by transcriptional factors of entomopathogenic fungi [ 70 , 71 , 72 ]. Regulation of activation of gene transcription can contribute to toxicity in the host [ 73 , 74 ], while the recQ family helicase is involved in DNA repair and replication [ 75 ].…”

Three Chitin Deacetylase Family Members of Beauveria bassiana Modulate Asexual Reproduction and Virulence of Fungi by Mediating Chitin Metabolism and Affect Fungal Parasitism and Saprophytic Life

“…CDA gene mutants were constructed by homologous recombination as described previously ( 50 , 51 ). The specific fragment was cloned from the genome of the WT strain and was integrated into the appropriate position of E. coli ( Escherichia coli ) P0380 by using the corresponding endonucleases and ligases to generate gene deletion and complementation vectors.…”

BbWor1, a Regulator of Morphological Transition, Is Involved in Conidium-Hypha Switching, Blastospore Propagation, and Virulence in Beauveria bassiana

“…The immersion and hemocoel injection methods were adopted to determine fungal virulence to G. mellonella ( 44 ). Specifically, a total of 30 larvae (∼300 mg each) were immersed in 30 ml of a conidial suspension (10 7 conidia/ml) for approximately 10 s or injected into the abdomen with 1 μl of conidial suspension (5 × 10 5 conidia/ml; 500 conidia per larva).…”