Transcriptomic Data Suggest Pathways Involved in Conidiation Degeneration and Its Rejuvenate by Passage in the <i>Metarhizium lepidiotae</i>.

ABSTRACT: Metarhizium lepidiotae is an important entomopathogenic fungus with substantial agricultural value. However, prolonged subculturing often leads to phenotypic degeneration, including reduced conidiation and impaired metabolic activity, while the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Elucidating these mechanisms is essential for maintaining strain vitality and ensuring biocontrol efficacy. In this study, we found that M. lepidiotae exhibited a pronounced decline in conidiation during long-term serial subculturing. However, this degenerative phenotype could be effectively reversed by passage through insect hosts, leading to strain rejuvenation. Subsequently, comparative transcriptomic analyses were performed on the original strain (XMC-Y), the degenera

SUBMITTER: Ge W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12941538 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature