Essential Role of WetA, but No Role of VosA, in Asexual Development, Conidial Maturation and Insect Pathogenicity of Metarhizium robertsii.

ABSTRACT: Conidial maturation, which is crucial for conidial quality, is controlled by the asexual development activator WetA and the downstream, velvety protein VosA in Aspergillus. Their orthologs have proved functional in conidial quality control of Beauveria bassiana, as seen in Aspergillus, but are functionally unexplored, in Metarhizium robertsii, another hypocrealean insect pathogen. Here, WetA and VosA prove essential and nonessential for M. robertsii's life cycle, respectively. Disruption of wetA increased hyphal sensitivity to oxidative stress and Congo red-induced cell wall stress, but had little impact on radial growth. The ΔwetA mutant was severely compromised in conidiation capacity and conidial quality, which was featured by slower germination, decreased UV

SUBMITTER: Zhang JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10100841 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature