Genome sequencing and comparative transcriptomics of the model entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and M. acridum.
Metarhizium spp. are being used as environmentally friendly alternatives to chemical insecticides, as model systems for studying insect-fungus interactions, and as a resource of genes for biotechnology. We present a comparative analysis of the genome sequences of the broad-spectrum insect pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae and the acridid-specific M. acridum. Whole-genome analyses indicate that the genome structures of these two species are highly syntenic and suggest that the genus Metarhizium evolved from plant endophytes or pathogens. Both M. anisopliae and M. acridum have a strikingly larger proportion of genes encoding secreted proteins than other fungi, while ~30% of these have no functionally characterized homologs, suggesting hitherto unsuspected interactions between fungal pathogens and insects. The analysis of transposase genes provided evidence of repeat-induced point mutations occurring in M. acridum but not in M. anisopliae. With the help of pathogen-host interaction gene database, ~16% of Metarhizium genes were identified that are similar to experimentally verified genes involved in pathogenicity in other fungi, particularly plant pathogens. However, relative to M. acridum, M. anisopliae has evolved with many expanded gene families of proteases, chitinases, cytochrome P450s, polyketide synthases, and nonribosomal peptide synthetases for cuticle-degradation, detoxification, and toxin biosynthesis that may facilitate its ability to adapt to heterogeneous environments. Transcriptional analysis of both fungi during early infection processes provided further insights into the genes and pathways involved in infectivity and specificity. Of particular note, M. acridum transcribed distinct G-protein coupled receptors on cuticles from locusts (the natural hosts) and cockroaches, whereas M. anisopliae transcribed the same receptor on both hosts. This study will facilitate the identification of virulence genes and the development of improved biocontrol strains with customized properties.
Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Qiang
Q
Gao
Kai
K
Jin
Sheng-Hua
SH
Ying
Yongjun
Y
Zhang
Guohua
G
Xiao
Yanfang
Y
Shang
Zhibing
Z
Duan
Xiao
X
Hu
Xue-Qin
XQ
Xie
Gang
G
Zhou
Guoxiong
G
Peng
Zhibing
Z
Luo
Wei
W
Huang
Bing
B
Wang
Weiguo
W
Fang
Sibao
S
Wang
Yi
Y
Zhong
Li-Jun
LJ
Ma
Raymond J
RJ
St Leger
Guo-Ping
GP
Zhao
Yan
Y
Pei
Ming-Guang
MG
Feng
Yuxian
Y
Xia
Chengshu
C
Wang
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000382:microbiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D052981:Metarhizium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D015398:Signal Transduction
D005656:Fungal Proteins
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