Entomopathogenic fungi

Akey DH, Hennenberry TJ. 1998. Control of silverleaf whitefly with the entomopathogenic fungi, paecilomyces fumosoroseus and Beauveria bassiana in upland cotton in Arizona. Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference 2 1073-1077. 

Shapiro-Ilan DI, Jackson M, Reilly CC, Hotchkiss MW. Effects of combining on entomopathogenic fungi or bacterium with entompathogenic nematodes on mortality of Curculio caryae (Coleoptera Curculionidae). Bio Cont. 2004 30 119-126. 

K Mochizuki, K Oomori, H Tamura, Y Shizuri, S Nishiyama, E Miyoshi, S Yama-mura. The structures of bioactive cyclodepsipeptides, beauveriolide I and II, metabolites of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria sp. Bull Chem Soc Jpn 66 3041-3046, 1992. 

The aim of this chapter is to summarize the information available about the extracellular proteases of entomopathogenic fungi, focusing on Metarhizium and Beauveria species. A large number of protease enzymes have been purified, cloned and characterized from these beneficial organisms. These results will be reviewed and data about the regulation of proteases as well as their role during the biocontrol process will be discussed. 

It has been known for a long time that entomopathogenic fungi in nature cause a regular and tremendous mortality of several arthropods, including various pests in many parts of the... 

Purification and Characterization of Proteases from Entomopathogenic Fungi... 

Several extracellular proteases have been purified and characterized from entomopathogenic fungi. Molecular weights, isoelectric points and specific inhibitors of some of these enzymes are summarized in Table 1. The majority of them belong to the family of serine proteases. 

Table 1. Properties of extracellular proteases purified from entomopathogenic fungi... 

Samson, R. A., Evans, H. C., and Latge, J. P. (1988). Atlas of Entomopathogenic Fungi. The Netherlands Springer-Verlag. 

St. Leger, R. J., Chamley, A. K., and Cooper, R. M. (1986). Cuticle-degrading enzymes of entomopathogenic fungi synthesis in culture on cuticle. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 48, 85-95. 

The existing literature on toxins of entomopathogenic fungi, although substantial, deals with relatively few species 6, 12). Virtually nothing is known of the secondary chemistry of many fiingai pathogens of invertebrates. Of those toxins that have been described, the three principal classes of chemistries are polyketides (PK), nonribosomally synthesized peptides (NRSP), and alkaloids. 

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