Article
Agronomy
Lara Reinbacher, Sven Bacher, Fionna Knecht, Christian Schweizer, Tanja Sostizzo, Giselher Grabenweger
Summary: This study integrated the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium into agricultural crop rotation before potato cultivation with the aim of improving its effectiveness in the field. Results showed increased spore concentration in treated plots, higher wireworm mortality in laboratory tests, but statistically significant reduction of potato damage was only achieved in a few field trials. This application strategy has potential for enhancing the fungus and provides new avenues for biological wireworm control.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Esam H. Hummadi, Alexander Dearden, Tomas Generalovic, Benjamin Clunie, Alexandria Harrott, Yarkin Cetin, Merve Demirbek, Salim Khoja, Dan Eastwood, Ed Dudley, Selcuk Hazir, Mustapha Touray, Derya Ulug, Sebnem Hazal Gulsen, Harun Cimen, Tariq Butt
Summary: This study investigated the effects of Metarhizium brunneum volatile organic compounds on entomopathogenic nematodes survival and behavior, finding that the VOCs were highly toxic to the infective juveniles of the nematodes and had different impacts on various insect larvae.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Esam Hamid Hummadi, Yarkin Cetin, Merve Demirbek, Nadeems M. Kardar, Shazia Khan, Christopher J. Coates, Daniel C. Eastwood, Ed Dudley, Thierry Maffeis, Joel Loveridge, Tariq M. Butt
Summary: This study identified the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum, and screened their antimicrobial activity. The VOC profiles varied with fungal strain, development state, and culture conditions. The selected VOCs showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against various bacteria, yeasts, and plant pathogenic fungi.
Article
Microbiology
Martyn J. Wood, Alexandra M. Kortsinoglou, James C. Bull, Daniel C. Eastwood, Vassili N. Kouvelis, Pierre A. Bourdon, E. Joel Loveridge, Stephen Mathias, Abigail Meyrick, Audun Midthassel, Arben Myrta, Tariq Butt
Summary: Wireworm, the larval stages of click beetles, are a serious pest of tubers, brassicas and other important commercial crops throughout the northern hemisphere. No effective control agent has been developed specifically for them, and many of the pesticides marketed as having secondary application against them have been withdrawn from EU and Asian markets. Metarhizium brunneum, an effective entomopathogenic fungus, and its derived volatile metabolites are known to be effective plant biostimulants and plant protectants, although field efficacy has yet to be validated.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jittra Kornsakulkarn, Patchanee Auncharoen, Artit Khonsanit, Nattawut Boonyuen, Chawanee Thongpanchang
Summary: Fourteen new cytochalasans, named brunnesins A-N (1-14), were isolated from the culture extracts of Metarhizium brunneum strain TBRC-BCC 79240, along with eleven known compounds. The structures of the compounds were determined through spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and electronic circular dichroism. Compound 4 exhibited antiproliferative activity against all tested cell lines (mammalian), with IC50 values ranging from 2.09 to 16.8 μg/mL. Compounds 6 and 16 showed bioactivity only against non-cancerous Vero cells (IC50 4.03 and 0.637 μg/mL, respectively), while compounds 9 and 12 showed bioactivity only against NCI-H187 small-cell lung cancer cells (IC50 18.59 and 18.54 μg/mL, respectively). Compounds 7, 13, and 14 demonstrated cytotoxicity against NCI-H187 and Vero cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 3.98-44.81 μg/mL.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Salim Khoja, Khalifa M. Eltayef, Ian Baxter, Arben Myrta, James C. Bull, Tariq Butt
Summary: The study demonstrates that conidia and VOCs of Metarhizium brunneum can influence the behavior of Meloidogyne hapla. The interaction is influenced by factors such as fungal strain, VOC concentration, and time. High doses of conidia may attract more nematodes to plants in some cases.
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Shuang Li, Chaomin Xu, Guilin Du, Guangjun Wang, Xiongbing Tu, Zehua Zhang
Summary: The study found that the combination treatment of crude extracts of Artemisia sieversiana and Metarhizium anisopliae had a significant control effect on Oedaleus asiaticus, impacting mortality, growth, and enzyme activities. Specifically, the activities of SOD, CAT, and PPO were significantly increased with the combination treatment, while POD activity was not significantly induced.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Tanja Seib, Katharina Fischer, Anna Maria Sturm, Dietrich Stephan
Summary: The growth, conidiation, germination, and virulence of an entomopathogenic fungus are important for infecting insects and using it as a plant protection agent, and they all depend on the environmental temperature. We investigated the effects of both environmental temperature and production temperature on these factors in Metarhizium brunneum JKI-BI-1450. The production temperature of the fungus affected its subsequent growth and conidiation on granule formulation, as well as the speed of germination and conidial width, but not its final germination or virulence. The quality of a biological control agent based on entomopathogenic fungi can be positively influenced by its production temperature.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Seda Biryol, Ebru Guney, Ardahan Eski, Zeynep Bayramoglu, Kazim Sezen, Zihni Demirbag, Ismail Demir
Summary: Entomopathogenic fungi, specifically Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana, were tested on Orosanga japonica to develop oil-based fungal mycoinsecticides. KTU-24 and KTU-51 isolates showed high mortality against nymphs and adults of the target pest, leading to the development of biopesticides with over 97% efficacy under field conditions.
ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Bernd T. Hetjens, Thomas J. Tewes, Frank Platte, Florian Wichern
Summary: The study successfully developed a fast and reliable method using Raman spectroscopy to differentiate entomopathogenic fungi, which can be applied to identify different isolates of fungi and be effectively used in insecticides.
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Alida Janmaat, Vincent Fung, Chera Rempel, Rita Quik, Todd Kabaluk, Jenny Cory
Summary: This study aimed to observe the response of adult Agriotes obscurus beetles to Metarhizium brunneum conidia and infected cadavers. The findings suggest that adult A. obscurus beetles do not avoid M. brunneum or alter their behavior in its presence.
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Entomology
A. M. Alkhaibari, M. J. Wood, S. Yavasoglu, J. C. Bull, T. M. Butt
Summary: Aedes aegypti is the main carrier of dengue and other viruses, causing diseases in 100 to 400 million people annually. The development of insecticide resistance has led to the need for biological control solutions. This study found that Metarhizium brunneum is effective against Aedes larvae, and the optimal concentration and frequency of application were determined to effectively control mosquito larvae in the field.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Shumaila Rasool, Andreas Markou, S. Emilia Hannula, Arjen Biere
Summary: Entomopathogenic fungi can stimulate plant growth and indirectly suppress pest populations. This study investigated the indirect effects of Metarhizium brunneum on tomato plants and spider mites. The results showed that M. brunneum inoculation significantly reduced spider mite population growth, with the combination of seed treatment and soil drenching being the most effective.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zack Saud, Alexandra M. Kortsinoglou, Vassili N. Kouvelis, Tariq M. Butt
Summary: The novel hybrid assembly pipeline successfully achieved de novo assembly of both the mitogenome and telomere length of all 7 chromosomes of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum. This improved assembly allowed for better gene prediction and comparison with other genomes, facilitating further understanding of fungal-insect pathogenesis. The pipeline may also be useful for other haploid fungal species to produce high-quality reference genomes for studying fungal genomic evolution, chromosome structuring, and gene regulation.
Article
Microbiology
Catalina Posada-Vergara, Stefan Vidal, Michael Rostas
Summary: This study evaluated the protective ability of Metarhizium brunneum against the soil-borne pathogen Verticillium longisporum in oilseed rape plants and investigated whether this effect is a result of direct interaction and/or plant-mediated effects. The results showed that M. brunneum delayed the colonization of plant root tissues by the pathogen, resulting in decreased disease symptoms. Direct competition and antibiosis were identified as part of the mechanisms, and M. brunneum also changed the plant response to the pathogen by activating key defense hormones.
Article
Microbiology
Meelad Yousef-Yousef, Antonia Romero-Conde, Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Inmaculada Garrido-Jurado
Summary: This study evaluated the potential of Microsclerotia (MS) production by Metarhizium brunneum and M. robertsii strains, and investigated the effects of key abiotic factors on their survival and conidial yield. The study revealed insights into the handling and storage of MS, as well as decision making on MS dosage and timing of application.
Review
Entomology
Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Inmaculada Garrido-Jurado, Meelad Yousef-Yousef, Natalia Gonzalez-Mas
Summary: Biocontrol using entomopathogenic fungi is a key tool in developing Integrated Pest Management programs. These fungi have close associations with plants and can influence the chemical ecology of host-plant selection by insect pests as well as the host or prey selection by their natural enemies. Understanding these interactions can provide new opportunities in plant protection and production.
Article
Entomology
Carmen Lopez, Sandra Las Heras, Inmaculada Garrido-Jurado, Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Matilde Eizaguirre
Summary: This study collected and identified indigenous natural enemies in the boxwood of the southwest Mediterranean region, and discovered a native Beauveria bassiana strain from infected Cydalima perspectalis larvae, which showed potential for controlling this invasive pest.
Article
Entomology
Adria Mengual-Marti, Maria Martinez-Solis, Meelad Yousef-Yousef, Inmaculada Garrido-Jurado, Pedro Delgado-Sanfiel, Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Salvador Herrero
Summary: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs aim to minimize the use of chemical insecticides by applying alternative methods. Recent research has discovered many novel viral pathogens in insect pests, some of which cause covert infections without evident symptoms. This study analyzed the possible impact of viral infections on the activity of natural enemies used for pest control. The results show that the tested natural enemies are not negatively affected by the virus and their action remains similar or enhanced by the covert infections.
Article
Microbiology
Fabian Garcia-Espinoza, Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Maria Jose Garcia del Rosal, Meelad Yousef-Yousef
Summary: Endophytic insect pathogenic fungi have a multifunctional lifestyle, not only as biocontrol agents but also helping plants respond to other biotic and abiotic stresses. This study explores the attributes of M. brunneum EAMa 01/58-Su strain for iron acquisition, showing that it has a great ability to exudate iron siderophores and provide higher iron content.
Article
Microbiology
Iker Hernandez, Clara Sant, Raquel Martinez, Marta Almazan, Marta Caminal, Victor Quero, Mohammed El-Adak, Albert Casanova, Inmaculada Garrido-Jurado, Meelad Yousef-Yousef, Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Jose Manuel Lara, Carolina Fernandez
Summary: The genus Metarhizium plays a crucial role in the Integrated Pest Control against Tephritid fruit flies, particularly in aerial sprays targeting adults and soil treatments targeting preimaginals. Monitoring the presence of Metarhizium spp. in the soil and its correlation with its effectiveness against Tephritid preimaginals is important for optimizing application patterns and conducting accurate risk assessments.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
F. Garcia-Espinoza, M. J. Garcia, E. Quesada-Moraga, M. Yousef-Yousef
Summary: This study investigated the expression levels of genes related to ethylene and other hormones in cucumber plants primed with the fungal strain Metarhizium brunneum. The results showed that priming enhanced the expression of these genes, and also increased resistance against Spodoptera littoralis in cucumber plants.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Inmaculada Garrido-Jurado, Enrique Quesada-Moraga, Meelad Yousef-Yousef
Summary: The aim of this study was to identify a new pest of jujube reported by farmers in Spain. Through morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis, the insect was identified as Carpomya incompleta, which is reported for the first time in Spain.
SPANISH JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
(2022)