title: Cultivation of entomopathogenic fungi for the search of antibacterial compounds.
abstract: Entomopathogenic fungi are a rich source of natural bioactive compounds. To establish cultivation conditions which facilitate the production of bioactive compounds and to select good genera among entomopathogenic fungi as the producer, 47 typical entomopathogenic fungi were tested for their ability to produce antibiotic activity. Thirty-eight strains (81%) and 30 strains (64%) of these fungi produced either anti-Bacillus compounds or anti-Staphylococcus compounds, respectively, indicating that the majority of the entomopathogenic fungi tested possessed the ability to produce antibacterial compounds. Using 9 representative strains (Aschersonia sp. HF724, Beauveria bassiana HF338, Cordyceps ramosopulvinata HF746, Metarhizium anisopliae HF293, Metarhizium flavoviride HF698, Nomuraea rileyi HF588, Paecilomyces fumosoroseus HF254, Paecilomyces tenuipes HF419, and Verticillium lecanii HF238), the cultivation conditions in liquid medium were surveyed with respect to the cultivation procedure and medium composition, particularly in terms of the presence or absence of insect-derived materials. At 26 degrees C, M. anisopliae HF293, N. rileyi HF588, and V. lecanii HF238 strains produced clear antibiotic activity against Bacillus and Saccharomyces, but only in the presence of insect-derived materials, suggesting that the production of antibacterial/antifungal compounds by entomopathogenic fungi is triggered by the presence of insect-derived materials.
authors.affiliation: International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Si-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nihira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D007313:Insecta / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents