文章基本信息

标题：Construction of a Hypervirulent and Specific Mycoinsecticide for Locust Control
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作者：Weiguo Fang ; Hsiao-Ling Lu ; Glenn F. King 等
期刊名称：Scientific Reports
电子版ISSN：2045-2322
出版年度：2015
卷号：4
期号：1
DOI：10.1038/srep07345
语种：English
出版社：Springer Nature
摘要：Locusts and grasshoppers (acridids) are among the worst pests of crops and grasslands worldwide. Metarhizium acridum , a fungal pathogen that specifically infects acridids, has been developed as a control agent but its utility is limited by slow kill time and greater expense than chemical insecticides. We found that expression of four insect specific neurotoxins improved the efficacy of M. acridum against acridids by reducing lethal dose, time to kill and food consumption. Coinoculating recombinant strains expressing AaIT1(a sodium channel blocker) and hybrid-toxin (a blocker of both potassium and calcium channels), produced synergistic effects, including an 11.5-fold reduction in LC₅₀, 43% reduction in LT₅₀ and a 78% reduction in food consumption. However, specificity was retained as the recombinant strains did not cause disease in non-acridids. Our results identify a repertoire of toxins with different modes of action that improve the utility of fungi as specific control agents of insects.