Expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries for Metarhizium anisopliae, the causative agent of green muscardine disease, were developed from the broad host-range pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae sf. anisopliae and the specific grasshopper pathogen, M. anisopliae sf. acridum. Approximately 1,700 5' end sequences from each subspecies were generated from cDNA libraries representing fungi grown under con...

Expression analysis of the genes involved in germination, conidiogenisis and pathogenesis of Metarhizium anisopliae during its saprophytic and pathogenic life stages can help plan strategies to increase its efficacy as a biological control agent. We quantified relative expression levels of the nitrogen response regulator gene (nrr1) and a G-protein regulator of genes involved in conidiogenesis ...

Ixodes scapularis Say adults, nymphs, and larvae were treated with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae in a combination of field and laboratory experiments to assess sublethal effects of the fungus on I. scapularis fecundity and body mass. Postengorgement and egg mass weights were 33 and 50% lower, respectively, in adult females treated with M. ansiopliae in the field before engo...

Wholesale container-grown ornamentals are often maintained at the nursery for at least two growing seasons and are subject to infestation by black vine weevil (BVW), Otiorhynchus sulcatus F., for several months each year. Therefore, a potting media amendment aimed at controlling BVW needs to persist for an extended period of time. These studies were conducted to determine the persistence and ec...

Repeated subculturing caused rapid changes in the spore surface properties and virulence of Metarhizium anisopliae. Of the two strains evaluated, M. anisopliae V245 attenuated more rapidly than V275. Electrophoretic mobility and Radial Flow Chamber assays were used for the first time to generate qualitative and quantitative information on the adhesive forces of M. anisopliae conidia. Independen...

Wedetermined that spinosad interacts synergistically with the biocontrol agentMetarhizium anisopliae (Metch) Sorokin to increase the mortality of two wild-collected wireworm species, Agriotes lineatus(L.), andAgriotes obscurus(L.).BioassayswereperformedusingaM.anisopliae isolate originally acquired from a local wireworm cadaver.M. anisopliaewas applied as a soil drench at 3.3 10 and 10 conidia ...

Entomopathogenic ascomycete fungi are ubiquitous in soil and on phylloplanes, and are important natural enemies of many soil-borne arthropods including larval western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, which is a major pest of corn. We measured the prevalence of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato in ten cornfields in Iowa, USA by baiting with larval insects. B....

Cecropins are the most potent induced peptides to resist invading microorganisms. In the present study, two full length cDNA encoding cecropin2 (Px-cec2) and cecropin3 (Px-cec3) were obtained from P. xylostella by integrated analysis of genome and transcriptome data. qRT-PCR analysis revealed the high levels of transcripts of Px-cecs (Px-cec1, Px-cec2 and Px-cec3) in epidermis, fat body and hem...