Specific diversity of the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria and Metarhizium in Mexican agricultural soils.
Prior knowledge of the local population structure of entomopathogenic fungi is considered an important requisite when developing microbial control strategies against major pests of crops such as white grubs. An extensive survey in the estate of Guanajuato, one of the main agricultural regions of Mexico, was carried out to determine the abundance and diversity of entomopathogenic fungi in soil. Soil collected from 11 locations was baited for entomopathogenic fungi using Galleria mellonella. In addition, all isolates were morphologically identified and selected isolates of Beauveria and Metarhizium isolates identified using Bloc and ITS or Elongation Factor 1-α and ITS sequence information respectively. Genotypic diversity was then studied using microsatellite genotyping. The proportion of isolates belonging to each genus varied amongst all locations. The species Beauveria bassiana, B. pseudobassiana and Metarhizium robertsii were found, with B. bassiana being the most abundant and widely distributed. Microsatellite genotyping showed that the 36 B. bassiana isolates were grouped in 29 unique haplotypes, but with no separation according to geographical origin.
Entomología y Acarología, Postgrado en Fitosanidad, Colegio de Postgraduados, Km. 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico 56230, Mexico.
Víctor H
VH
Pérez-González
Entomología y Acarología, Postgrado en Fitosanidad, Colegio de Postgraduados, Km. 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico 56230, Mexico. Electronic address: gariel@colpos.mx.
Ariel W
AW
Guzmán-Franco
Entomología y Acarología, Postgrado en Fitosanidad, Colegio de Postgraduados, Km. 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico 56230, Mexico.
Raquel
R
Alatorre-Rosas
Entomología y Acarología, Postgrado en Fitosanidad, Colegio de Postgraduados, Km. 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico 56230, Mexico.
Jorge
J
Hernández-López
Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2, Otsu, Shiga 520-2113, Japan.
Antonio
A
Hernández-López
Entomología y Acarología, Postgrado en Fitosanidad, Colegio de Postgraduados, Km. 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico 56230, Mexico.
María G
MG
Carrillo-Benítez
Department of AgroEcology, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK.
Jason
J
Baverstock
D052982:Beauveria / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D052981:Metarhizium / Q000235:genetics*; D008800:Mexico; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012988:Soil Microbiology
Beauveria bassiana; Beauveria pseudobassiana; Metarhizium robertsii; Molecular taxonomy; Population structure