title: Concurrence of losing a chromosome and the ability to produce destruxins in a mutant of Metarhizium anisopliae.
abstract: In a previous study, a spontaneous subtilisin pr1A and pr1B gene-deficient mutant of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae strain V275 has been identified [Wang, C.-S. et al. (2002) FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 213, 251-255]. The insecticidal metabolites of this mutant were studied further. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that the mutant isolate lost the ability to produce cyclic peptide toxins, destruxins, both in vitro and in vivo. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that the mutant concurrently lost a 1.05 Mb (approximately) chromosome, demonstrating for the first time that a conditionally dispensable (CD) chromosome exists in the insect pathogenic fungus, M. anisopliae. Concurrence of losing the ability to produce destruxins and a CD chromosome in the mutant suggests that the toxin synthetase genes of M. anisopliae are located on this CD chromosome, as similarly described for plant pathogenic fungi. Semi-quantitative api ZYM analysis showed more biochemical disparities between the mutant and the wild-type strain.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales Swansea, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK. c.s.wang@swansea.ac.uk
authors.forename: Chengshu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skrobek
authors.forename: Tariq M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Butt
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000378:metabolism; D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D047630:Depsipeptides; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D006999:Hypocreales / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000172:deficiency; D014357:Trypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047630:Depsipeptides; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C040423:destruxin A; C040424:destruxin B; D006867:Hydrolases; D004950:Esterases; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D001617:beta-Glucosidase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D014357:Trypsin; C040425:destruxin E