Improving UV resistance and virulence of Beauveria bassiana by genetic engineering with an exogenous tyrosinase gene.
Insect pathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana have been developed as environmentally friendly biocontrol agents against arthropod pests. However, restrictive environmental factors, including solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation frequently lead to inconsistent field performance. To improve resistance to UV damage, we used Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to engineer B. bassiana with an exogenous tyrosinase gene. The results showed that the mitotically stable transformants produced larger amounts of yellowish pigments than the wild-type strain, and these imparted significantly increased UV-resistance. The virulence of the transgenic isolate was also significantly increased against the silkworm Bombyx mori and the mealworm Tenebrio molitor. This study demonstrated that genetic engineering of B. bassiana with a tyrosinase gene is an effective way to improve fungal tolerance against UV damage.
Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
Yanfang
Y
Shang
Zhibing
Z
Duan
Wei
W
Huang
Qiang
Q
Gao
Chengshu
C
Wang
D000818:Animals; D052982:Beauveria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000528:radiation effects; D012831:Bombyx / Q000382:microbiology; D005818:Genetic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000235:genetics*; D013472:Sunlight; D013712:Tenebrio / Q000382:microbiology; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase