Review
Microbiology
Vladimir Puza, Eustachio Tarasco
Summary: Entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes are widely used as biocontrol agents in insect pest management. However, the co-infections between these organisms are rarely found naturally due to the cryptic soil environment. Studies have focused on the interactions of different species of fungi and nematodes, but the outcomes vary. The present review summarizes the current knowledge on their interactions and evaluates the possible effects on natural pathogen populations and biocontrol use.
Review
Microbiology
Shazia Akram, Ayesha Ahmed, Pengfei He, Pengbo He, Yinglong Liu, Yixin Wu, Shahzad Munir, Yueqiu He
Summary: Endophytic fungi are common microbial biological control agents used against plant pathogens. They provide various services such as enhanced plant growth, antifungal secondary metabolite production, and competition with other pathogens. This review highlights the potential of these fungi in biological control by focusing on their biology, isolation, identification, and antifungal activity against plant pathogens. Additionally, specific genes in endosymbionts exhibit defensive responses against pathogens and various detection techniques are discussed.
Review
Plant Sciences
Maria J. Pozo, Inigo Zabalgogeazcoa, Beatriz R. Vazquez de Aldana, Ainhoa Martinez-Medina
Summary: Plant-fungal interactions are widespread in nature, with demonstrated benefits for plant growth and health. Fungi can enhance plant resilience, nutrition, stress tolerance, and defense mechanisms. However, limited knowledge of fungal biology and their interactions with plants in the plant microbiome context has hindered the development of optimal biotechnological applications in agrosystems and natural ecosystems. Exciting advances in molecular and systems biology offer numerous opportunities for further research in this field.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Yaqiang Zheng, Yonglan Liu, Jinyi Zhang, Xiaolong Liu, Zhigang Ju, Hongxi Shi, Artemio Mendoza-Mendoza, Wenwu Zhou
Summary: The functional effects of five entomopathogenic fungi on tomato growth promotion and pest protection against the tomato leafminer were evaluated. These fungi showed different levels of mortality against the pest and successfully colonized tomato plants, promoting their growth. Incorporating these fungi into integrated pest management practices can effectively protect tomatoes against the leafminer.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Louisa Maria Goerg, Jorgen Eilenberg, Annette Bruun Jensen, Annette Hjorthoj Jensen, Juergen Gross
Summary: A newly discovered entomopathogenic fungus in the genus Pandora has shown pathogenicity towards certain species of psyllid and triozid insects, significantly reducing their survival time under laboratory conditions. Interestingly, infection with the phytoplasma 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali' did not affect the survival of the psyllid Cacopsylla picta after being infected by the Pandora fungus. This suggests the potential for Pandora sp. nov. as a biocontrol agent against psyllid pests in orchards.
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Horticulture
Roshan Shaalan, Ludmilla Ibrahim, Falah As-sadi, Walid El Kayal
Summary: Plant-endophyte interactions play a crucial role in protecting plants from stresses and pests. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are effective biological control agents. Metabolomics analysis reveals the mechanisms involved in defense against CMV in EPF-treated cucumber plants.
Article
Microbiology
Spiridon Mantzoukas, Eufrosini Daskalaki, Foteini Kitsiou, Vasileios Papantzikos, Dimitrios Servis, Stergios Bitivanos, George Patakioutas, Panagiotis A. Eliopoulos
Summary: This study conducted field trials to evaluate the endophytic effects of entomopathogenic fungi on melon and strawberry plants. The results showed that these fungi successfully colonized the plants and effectively controlled aphid and thrip populations. Furthermore, the strains AP0101 and PPRI 5339 also improved the number of flowers and fruits in the treated plants.
Article
Ecology
Anna Spescha, Maria Zwyssig, Mathias Hess Hermida, Aurelie Moix, Pamela Bruno, Jurg Enkerli, Raquel Campos-Herrera, Giselher Grabenweger, Monika Maurhofer
Summary: Combining different biocontrol agents enhances the effectiveness of biological control. In this study, a combination of entomopathogenic pseudomonads, nematodes, and fungi showed the highest mortality and increased killing speed against two pest insects. The pseudomonad-nematode combination improved efficacy against one pest species, while the nematode-fungus combination accelerated killing of another pest species. The combination of these three biocontrol agents could be successfully applied against a variety of insect pests.
Article
Ecology
Ravindra P. Vidhate, Vishal V. Dawkar, Sachin A. Punekar, Ashok P. Giri
Summary: Entomopathogenic fungi provide an effective and eco-friendly way to control insect populations in biocontrol strategy. These fungi have evolutionary relationship with plant endophytes and have acquired multiple mechanisms that distinguish them from other fungi. This review focuses on understanding the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in entomopathogenesis and highlights the importance of virulent factors like chitinases, proteases, lipases, specialized metabolites, and cytochrome P450. Knowledge of these interactions between fungi and insect hosts can be used to develop improved entomopathogenic fungal strains.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ting-Ting Shi, Guo-Hong Li, Pei-Ji Zhao
Summary: Plant-pathogenic fungi are difficult to control and cause severe crop diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions can improve disease management. The attachment and penetration of the plant surface are crucial in plant-fungal interactions. Appressoria, powerful infection structures, play a vital role in diseases caused by various fungi.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Yujie Qin, Xiaoyu Liu, Guoxiong Peng, Yuxian Xia, Yueqing Cao
Summary: Fungal diseases are widely present in insects and can help control insect populations. Mosquitoes, which transmit various infectious diseases, pose a great threat to human health. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) have emerged as a promising alternative to chemical mosquitocides becasue they can infect mosquitoes through direct contact. Recent advancements have been made in understanding the infection pathways and mechanisms of EPF against mosquitoes, and various strategies, including genetic technologies, have been employed. This review provides a comprehensive summary of these advancements and discusses the potential of EPF as a future tool for mosquito control.
Article
Biology
Amal Saidi, Samira Mebdoua, Dalila Mecelem, Nawal Al-Hoshani, Nouari Sadrati, Fehmi Boufahja, Hamdi Bendif
Summary: This study isolated and identified a strain of Akanthomyces muscarius, and investigated its biocontrol ability against the pine processionary and certain phytopathogenic fungi of the genera Fusarium and Curvularia. The results showed that Akanthomyces muscarius exhibited high mortality rates against the pine processionary larvae and strong antifungal activity against these phytopathogenic fungi. Therefore, Akanthomyces muscarius is a promising biocontrol agent for plant pests and diseases.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Osama Abdalla Abdelshafy Mohamad, Yong-Hong Liu, Li Li, Jin-Biao Ma, Yin Huang, Lei Gao, Bao-Zhu Fang, Shuang Wang, Ashraf F. El-Baz, Hong-Chen Jiang, Wen-Jun Li
Summary: In this study, 71 bacterial endophytes associated with the medicinal plant Thymus roseus were screened for their plant growth promotion (PGP) abilities and biocontrol potential. The results showed that certain strains had positive effects on plant growth, pathogen resistance, and stress tolerance. Strains XIEG05 and XIEG12 significantly enhanced plant tolerance to salt stress, while strain XIEG57 reduced cotton disease incidence caused by Verticillium dahliae. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of antimicrobial and antifungal compounds in these strains. These findings provide valuable insights for the application of these strains as bioinoculant fertilizers and biological control agents in saline soil conditions.
Review
Plant Sciences
Neelam Prabha Negi, Geeta Prakash, Parul Narwal, Ruby Panwar, Deepak Kumar, Bharti Chaudhry, Anjana Rustagi
Summary: The plant immune response is regulated by intracellular signaling molecules, including calcium signals, which play a crucial role in defense signaling against pathogenic microbes. Understanding the role of calcium signaling in plant-microbe interactions can help improve plant resistance against pathogens.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bahman Zamani Amirzakariya, Abolfazl Shakeri
Summary: Plant endophytes are important sources of bioactive compounds, particularly terpenoids. This review summarizes the newly isolated terpenoids from plant endophytic fungi and their biological activities from 2011 to 2020.
Article
Entomology
Louise M. Hennessy, Alison J. Popay, Travis R. Glare, Sarah C. Finch, Vanessa M. Cave, Michael Rostas
Summary: The Argentine stem weevil adults can use olfaction to identify their host plants and prefer plants damaged by conspecific weevils. However, they cannot distinguish between endophyte-infected and endophyte-free plants using olfaction alone.
JOURNAL OF PEST SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Nghia T. Nguyen, Josefina O. Narciso, Hossein Alizadeh, Mark R. H. Hurst, John G. Hampton, Jenny J. Brookes, Travis R. Glare
Summary: The study found that soil bacteria can synergize with Metarhizium of larvae of Costelytra giveni, with the combination of Yersinia enterocolitica (isolate 6-1) and Metarhizium novozealandicum C14 showing higher toxicity against second instar larvae.
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chetan Keswani, Satyendra P. Singh, Carlos Garcia-Estrada, Samia Mezaache-Aichour, Travis R. Glare, Rainer Borriss, Vishnu D. Rajput, Tatiana M. Minkina, Aurelio Ortiz, Estibaliz Sansinenea
Summary: Soil microbes promote plant growth by secreting chemical compounds including plant growth hormones, with gibberellins being one of the best understood compounds. Studies have focused on the effects of gibberellins on plant growth and development, as well as the biosynthesis pathways, enzymes, genes, and regulation involved. A review of the history of gibberellin research highlights the effects of microbial gibberellins on plant health and their potential applications in agriculture.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andreas Makiola, Robert J. Holdaway, Jamie R. Wood, Kate H. Orwin, Travis R. Glare, Ian A. Dickie
Summary: Interactions between individual plant pathogens and their environment have been described many times. However, the relative contribution of different environmental parameters as controls of pathogen communities remains largely unknown. Plant community composition is found to be the main driver of plant pathogen composition and richness after taking into account all other tested parameters, especially those related to climate and soil. Concerning future changes in climate and land use, results suggest that changes in plant pathogen community composition and richness will primarily be mediated through changes in plant communities, rather than the direct effects of climate or soils.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas F. Carlin, Jennifer L. Bufford, Philip E. Hulme, William K. Godsoe
Summary: In this study, climatic niche shifts of three weed species were compared between their native range and three introduced ranges. The presence and direction of climatic niche shifts were found to be inconsistent between the introduced ranges for each species. However, niche shifts within an introduced range were qualitatively similar among species.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Aimee C. McKinnon, Hayley. J. Ridgway, Artemio Mendoza Mendoza, Travis R. Glare
Summary: The demand for sustainable crop production has led to the need for improved yields and environmentally friendly solutions. This study investigated the effects of inoculating different fungal isolates on maize growth and found that certain isolates could promote root architecture changes and increase chlorophyll content. The findings highlight the importance of measuring multiple physiological changes in plants when assessing potential growth effects.
BIOCONTROL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
William Godsoe, Rua Murray, Ryosuke Iritani
Summary: Biodiversity and biotic interactions are complexly related, and traditional analysis methods cannot fully reveal their details. To address this issue, we propose a method that integrates biotic interaction models and diversity measurements. Our study finds that analyses of biodiversity obscure the details of biotic interactions, thus highlighting the importance of focusing on the mechanisms of diversity change, such as species-level selection and immigration.
Article
Entomology
M. C. Lefort, T. R. Glare, D. Bouchon, S. Boyer
Summary: This paper examines the differences in gut microbiota between two species of Costelytra scarabs, one non-invasive (Costelytra brunneum) and one invasive (Costelytra giveni). The study finds significant variation in bacterial assemblages between the invasive and non-invasive species, with certain bacteria potentially providing advantages in exploiting new host plants. Furthermore, the study also reveals significant differences in gut bacterial communities among different ecotypes of the invasive species, suggesting that part of the gut microbiota may have been acquired horizontally from the newly exploited niche.
ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristian-Andrei Costan, William Godsoe, Jennifer L. Bufford, Philip E. Hulme
Summary: Compared to their native range, non-native plants may experience reduced pressure to produce chemical defences that act against herbivores in the introduced range. However, this study found no evidence for lower plant investments in chemical defences in three Rumex species (R. obtusifolius, R. crispus, and R. conglomeratus) introduced to New Zealand. A common garden experiment revealed no significant differences in levels of chemical defences or herbivory damage between native and introduced provenances. These findings suggest that factors other than chemical defences may explain the success of Rumex spp. in New Zealand.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Pierrick Bourrat, William Godsoe, Pradeep Pillai, Tarik C. Gouhier, Werner Ulrich, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Matthijs van Veelen
Summary: The Dialogue series aims to foster critical thinking and encourage the expression of opposing viewpoints on important ecological topics. In this instance, seven researchers engage in a debate over the use of the Price equation, a long-standing framework in evolutionary analysis. The Dialogue provides insight into diverse philosophical and mathematical perspectives on applying the Price equation to ecological questions, such as the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The goal is for the broader scientific community to benefit from these contrasting viewpoints.
Article
Microbiology
Marion Schoof, Maureen O'Callaghan, Charles Hefer, Travis R. Glare, Amber R. Paulson, Mark R. H. Hurst
Summary: This study demonstrates that Y. entomophaga RoeA activates the production of exoproteins (including Yen-Tc) and the ALC at the transcriptional level, providing empirical evidence for the link between ALC phage-like lysis cassettes and the release of large macro-molecular toxin complexes. This finding is important for understanding the regulation of bacterial virulence.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Eline van Zijll de Jong, Janaki Kandula, Michael Rostas, Diwakar Kandula, John Hampton, Artemio Mendoza-Mendoza
Summary: This study investigated the fungistatic activity of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by 59 Trichoderma sp. atroviride B isolates against the pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. The results showed significant intraspecific variation in bioactivity and a correlation between specific VOCs and bioactivity. This study highlights the importance of considering intraspecific diversity in Trichoderma isolates for the development of biological control agents.
Article
Zoology
William D. Brockelsby, Colin M. Miskelly, Travis R. Glare, Maria A. Minor
Summary: This study estimated the number of instars in the life cycle of the New Zealand endemic flax weevil (Anagotus fairburni) by measuring the head capsule widths of larvae. The results suggested that the flax weevil likely passes through 6 or 7 larval stages before pupation. Our method provides new data on the ecology of an endemic species and offers a framework for studying similar endangered species with imperfect or difficult-to-gather data.
NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Gabriela Calcaneo-Hernandez, Fidel Landeros-Jaime, Jose Antonio Cervantes-Chavez, Artemio Mendoza-Mendoza, Edgardo Ulises Esquivel-Naranjo
Summary: Trichoderma atroviride responds to environmental stress through the Pbs2-Tmk3 pathway, regulated by the histidine kinase (HK) Nik1. The Δnik1 mutant shows compromised growth under hyperosmotic stress and increased sensitivity to lysing enzymes and Congo red. Nik1 is involved in cell wall stability and regulates the expression of light-responsive genes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristian-Andrei Costan, William Godsoe, Jennifer L. Bufford, Philip E. Hulme
Summary: This study examined the competitive performance of three Rumex species in their native and introduced ranges to test the hypothesis of increased competitive ability. Contrary to expectations, no evidence was found to support the idea that plants from the introduced range performed better in competition compared to those from the native range.