Endophytic Effects of Beauveria bassiana on Corn (Zea mays) and Its Herbivore, Rachiplusia nu (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Russo ML
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6523226 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Ostrinia furnacalis, is the major pest of maize causing significant yield losses. So far, many approaches have been used to increase the virulence of entomopathogenic fungal isolates. The current study is an attempt to estimate synergistic effect of Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma asperellum in order to explore larval immune response through RNA sequencing and differentially expression analysis. In vivo synergism was examined in seven proportions (B. bassiana: T. asperellum = 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 4:1, 3:1, 2:1) and in the in vitro case, two inoculation methods were applied: seed coating and soil drenching. Results revealed significant decrease in plant damage and high larval mortality in fungal treatments. Fungal isolates mediated the plant defense by increasing proline, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and protease activities. Seed coating method was proved to be the most effective in case of maize endophytic colonization. In total, 59 immune-related differentially expressed genes DEGs were identified including, cytochrome P450, heat shock protein, ABC transporter, cadherin, peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP), cuticlular protein, etc. Further, transcriptomic response was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Our results concluded that, coculture of B. bassiana and T. asperellum has the synergistic potential to suppress the immune response of O. furnacalis and can be used as sustainable approach to induce plant resistance through activation of defense-related enzymes.
| S-EPMC7663379 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The present study was conducted to examine the ability of six promising indigenous isolates of Beauveria bassiana (NBAII-Bb-5a, 7, 14, 19, 23 and 45) as an endophyte in maize stem and leaf tissues. Maize seedlings (var. Nithyashree) were inoculated with conidial suspensions and were examined for endophytic establishment in leaf and stems at different intervals during 15-90 days after treatment. All six isolates showed colonization in stem and leaf tissues with varying abilities of colonization and persistence. The mean percent colonization ranged from 7.41 to 20.37 % in older stem tissues and 3.70 to 21.29 % in young stem tissues and in leaf, it ranged from 6.46 to 27.78 % in older leaf tissues and 11.11 to 26.85 % in young leaf tissues. Among six isolates tested, Bb-23 isolate recorded the maximum mean colonization in older stem (20.37 %), older leaf (27.78 %) and in young stem (21.29 %). Bb-5a isolate showed maximum mean colonization in young leaf tissues (26.85 %). Persistence of inoculated fungal isolates decreased with increase in age of the plant. No physical symptoms of damage were observed in any of the B. bassiana treated plants. No colonization of B. bassiana was observed in the untreated control maize plants. The results obtained in plating and PCR techniques were similar with regard to the confirmation of endophytic establishment of B. bassiana. This study indicated the possibility of using B. bassiana as an endophyte in maize for management of maize stem borer, Chilo partellus.
| S-EPMC4984440 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Entomopathogenic fungi from the genus Beauveria (Vuillemin) play an important role in controlling insect populations and have been increasingly utilized for the biological control of insect pests. Various studies have reported that Beauveria bassiana (Bals.), Vuill. also has the ability to colonize a broad range of plant hosts as endophytes without causing disease but while still maintaining the capacity to infect insects. Beauveria is often applied as an inundative spore application, but little research has considered how plant colonization may alter the ability to persist in the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate potential interactions between B. bassiana and Zea mays L. (maize) in the rhizosphere following inoculation, in order to understand the factors that may affect environmental persistence of the fungi. The hypothesis was that different isolates of B. bassiana have the ability to colonize maize roots and/or rhizosphere soil, resulting in effects to the plant microbiome. To test this hypothesis, a two-step nested PCR protocol was developed to find and amplify Beauveria in planta or in soil; based on the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (ef1α) gene. The nested protocol was also designed to enable Beauveria species differentiation by sequence analysis. The impact of three selected B. bassiana isolates applied topically to roots on the rhizosphere soil community structure and function were consequently assessed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and MicroRespTM techniques. The microbial community structure and function were not significantly affected by the presence of the isolates, however, retention of the inocula in the rhizosphere at 30 days after inoculation was enhanced when plants were subjected to intensive wounding of foliage to crudely simulate herbivory. The plant defense response likely changed under wound stress resulting in the apparent recruitment of Beauveria in the rhizosphere, which may be an indirect defensive strategy against herbivory and/or the result of induced systemic susceptibility in maize enabling plant colonization.
| S-EPMC6004820 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Simple Summary In this study, we tested the pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana PfBb on the important agricultural pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by determining the relative activities of protective enzymes and detoxifying enzymes in different larval instars. Our results show that the B. bassiana PfBb strain could infect all six larval instars of S. frugiperda, and its virulence to S. frugiperda larvae gradually increased with an increase in spore concentration. Furthermore, the activities of protective enzymes (i.e., catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) and detoxifying enzymes (i.e., glutathione S-transferases, carboxylesterase, and cytochrome P450) in S. frugiperda larvae of the first three instars infected with B. bassiana PfBb changed significantly with infection time, but such variations were not obvious in the fifth and sixth instars. These findings laid the foundation for further research on the mechanism by which B. bassiana controls S. frugiperda. Abstract Exploring the pathogenicity of a new fungus strain to non-target host pests can provide essential information on a large scale for potential application in pest control. In this study, we tested the pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana PfBb on the important agricultural pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by determining the relative activities of protective enzymes and detoxifying enzymes in different larval instars. Our results show that the B. bassiana PfBb strain could infect all six larval instars of S. frugiperda, and its virulence to S. frugiperda larvae gradually increased with an increase in spore concentration. Seven days after inoculation, the LC50 of B. bassiana PfBb was 7.7 × 105, 5.5 × 106, 2.2 × 107, 3.1 × 108, 9.6 × 108, and 2.5 × 1011 spores/mL for first to sixth instars of S. frugiperda, respectively, and the LC50 and LC90 of B. bassiana PfBb for each S. frugiperda instar decreased with infection time, indicating a significant dose effect. Furthermore, the virulence of B. bassiana PfBb to S. frugiperda larvae gradually decreased with an increase in larval instar. The activities of protective enzymes (i.e., catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) and detoxifying enzymes (i.e., glutathione S-transferases, carboxylesterase, and cytochrome P450) in S. frugiperda larvae of the first three instars infected with B. bassiana PfBb changed significantly with infection time, but such variations were not obvious in the fifth and sixth instars. Additionally, after being infected with B. bassiana PfBb, the activities of protective enzymes and detoxification enzymes in S. frugiperda larvae usually lasted from 12 to 48 h, which was significantly longer than the control. These results indicate that the pathogenicity of B. bassiana PfBb on the non-target host S. frugiperda was significant but depended on the instar stage. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that B. bassiana PfBb can be used as a bio-insecticide to control young larvae of S. frugiperda in an integrated pest management program.
| S-EPMC9604019 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Six endophytic bacteria of corn roots were identified as Bacillus sp. and as Enterobacter sp, by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Four of the strains, CNPSo 2476, CNPSo 2477, CNPSo 2478 and CNPSo 2480 were positive for the nitrogen fixation ability evaluated through the acetylene reduction assay and amplification of nifH gene. Two Bacillus strains (CNPSo 2477 and CNPSo 2478) showed outstanding skills for the production of IAA, siderophores and lytic enzymes, but were not good candidates as growth promoters, because they reduced seed germination. However, the same strains were antagonists against the pathogenic fungi Fusarium verticillioides, Colletotrichum graminicola, Bipolaris maydis and Cercospora zea-maydis. As an indication of favorable bacterial action, Enterobacter sp. CNPSo 2480 and Bacillus sp. CNPSo 2481 increased the root volume by 44% and 39%, respectively, and the seed germination by 47% and 56%, respectively. Therefore, these two strains are good candidates for future testing as biological inoculants for corn.
| S-EPMC4052694 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), preferentially oviposits and feeds on ears of corn (Zea mays L.) and can be managed using transgenic hybrids that produce insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Concentrations of Bt proteins can vary spatially and temporally in plant tissues, creating a heterogeneous environment that can increase the risk of resistance development. We planted small-plot trials of nine Bt and non-Bt corn hybrids in South Carolina in 2016 and 2017 and investigated the development, survival, feeding injury, and feeding behavior in corn ear tissues. ELISA was used to quantify the concentrations of Cry1F and Cry2Ab2 in young silk, old silk, maternal tip tissue, kernels, and husk. Cry1F and Cry2Ab2 significantly varied with silk age and both proteins were generally highest in the silk and tip tissue. Hybrids with pyramided proteins significantly reduced feeding injury to the silk, tip, and kernel ear tissues, which was less apparent with single Bt protein hybrids. The pyramided hybrid expressing Vip3A incurred no injury to either the ear tip or kernels, and only eight 1st instar larvae were collected in the silk of 520 sampled ears. Age of larvae significantly varied among ear tissues but not between hybrids. Depending on hybrid family, mean larval instar in the silk, tip, and kernels was 1st or 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, respectively. Instar-specific feeding penetrance into corn ears increased with age but did not differ between hybrids. We characterized the instar- and tissue-specific feeding behavior of H. zea larvae but did not detect differences in feeding behavior between Bt and non-Bt hybrids. Implications for resistance management strategies such as seed mixtures are discussed.
| S-EPMC6699733 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Agricultural practices are known to alter bulk soil microbial communities, but little is known about the effect of such practices on the plant endophytic community. We assessed the influence of long-term applications (20 years) of herbicides and different fertilizer types on the endophytic community of maize plants grown in different field experiments. Nested PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses targeting general bacteria, type I or II methanotrophs, actinomycetes, and general fungi were used to fingerprint the endophytic community in the roots of Zea mays L. Low intraplant variability (reproducible DGGE patterns) was observed for the bacterial, type I methanotroph, and fungal communities, whereas the patterns for endophytic actinomycetes exhibited high intraplant variability. No endophytic amplification product was obtained for type II methanotrophs. Cluster and stability analysis of the endophytic type I methanotroph patterns differentiated maize plants cultivated by using mineral fertilizer from plants cultivated by using organic fertilizer with a 100% success rate. In addition, lower methanotroph richness was observed for mineral-fertilized plants than for organically fertilized plants. The use of herbicides could not be traced by fingerprinting the endophytic type I methanotrophs or by evaluating any other endophytic microbial group. Our results indicate that the effect of agrochemicals is not limited to the bulk microbial community but also includes the root endophytic community. It is not clear if this effect is due to a direct effect on the root endophytic community or is due to changes in the bulk community, which are then reflected in the root endophytic community.
| S-EPMC368402 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This dataset represents the root endophytic microbial community profile of maize (Zea mays L.), one of the largest food crops in South Africa, using a shotgun metagenomic approach. To the best of our understanding, this is the first account showcasing the endophytic microbial diversity in maize plants via the shotgun metagenomics approach. High throughput sequencing of the whole DNA from the community was carried out using NovaSeq 6000 system (Illumina). The data obtained consists of 10,915,268 sequences accounting for 261,906,948 bps with an average length of 153 base pairs and 43% Guanine+Cytosine content. The metagenome data can be accessed at the National Centre for Biotechnology Information SRA registered with the accession number PRJNA607664. Community analysis was done using an online server called MG-RAST, which showed that 0.12% of the sequences were archaeal associated, eukaryotes were 15.06%, while 84.77% were classified as bacteria. A sum of 28 bacterial, 22 eukaryotic and 4 archaeal phyla were identified. The predominant genera were Bacillus (16%), Chitinophaga (12%), Flavobacterium (4%), Chryseobacterium (4%), Paenibacillus (4%), Pedobacter (3%) and Alphaproteobacteria (3%). Annotation using Cluster of Orthologous Group (COG) revealed that 41.47% of the sequenced data were for metabolic function, 24.10% for chemical process and signaling, while 17.43% of the sequences were in the poorly characterized group. Annotation using the subsystem method showed that 18% of the sequences were associated with carbohydrates, 9% were for clustering-based subsystems, and 9% contain genes coding for amino acids and derivatives, which might be beneficial in plant growth and health improvement.
| S-EPMC7327808 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Flooding can reduce corn growth and yield, but nitrogen (N) management practices may alter the degree to which plants are negatively impacted. Damage caused by flooded conditions may also affect the utilization of a post-flood N application to increase yield. The objectives of this study were to evaluate how pre-plant and pre-plant plus post-flood N applications contribute to corn growth and yield following flood conditions and to quantify the partial return of employing different N management strategies in the event of a flood. A field study was conducted in Ohio using four flood durations (FD; 0, 2, 4, or 6 days initiated at V4 to V5) and three N management practices (0 kg N ha-1, 134 kg N ha-1 applied pre-plant, and 134 pre-plant + 67 kg N ha-1 applied post-flooding). Application of 134 kg N ha-1 increased yield compared to 0 kg N ha-1 by 65%, 68%, 43% and 16% for 0 d, 2 d, 4 d, and 6 d FD, respectively; the application of 134 + 67 kg N ha-1 increased grain yield compared to 134 kg N ha-1 by 7%, 27%, 70%, or 55% for 0 d, 2 d, 4 d, or 6 d FD, respectively. Partial return analysis produced similar results to those for grain yield. Results suggest that in regions prone to early-season flooding, additional N applied post-flood can improve yield and partial return compared to the application of pre-plant alone at a lower rate or no N. Results indicate that total soil nitrate-N levels two weeks after flood initiation may serve as a good predictor of yield.
| S-EPMC7154854 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Metabolomics is a technique that allows for the evaluation of the entire extractable chemical profile of a plant, for example, using high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and can be used to evaluate plant stress responses, such as those due to drought. Metabolomic analysis is dependent upon the efficiency of the extraction protocol. Currently, there are two common extraction procedures widely used in metabolomic experiments, those that extract from plant tissue processed in liquid nitrogen or extraction from lyophilised plant tissues. Here, we evaluated the two using non-targeted metabolomics to show that lyophilisation can stabilise the maize (Zea mays) extractable metabolome, increasing throughput and efficiency of extraction as compared to the more traditional processing in liquid nitrogen. Then, we applied the lyophilisation approach to explore the effect of drought upon the maize metabolome in a non-targeted HRMS metabolomics approach. Metabolomics revealed differences in the mature maize metabolome having undergone three drought conditions imposed at two critical development stages (three-leaf stage and grain-fill stage); moreover, this difference was observed across two tissue types (kernel and inner cob/pith). It was shown that under ideal conditions, the biochemical make-up of the tissue types is different. However, under stress conditions, the stress response dominates the metabolic profile. Drought-related metabolites known from other plant systems have been identified and metabolomics has revealed potential novel drought-stress indicators in our maize system.
| S-EPMC8305929 | biostudies-literature