Project description:A spontaneously phenotypically degenerated strain of M. robertsii strain ARSEF 2575 (M. robertsii lc2575; lc = low conidiation) showed a reduction in conidiation and fungal virulence after successive subculturing on artificial medium. However, the conidial production and fungal virulence of a phenotypically degenerated M. robertsii were recovered by serially passaging through a plant host. The DNA methylation level of phenotypically degenerated Metarhizium robertsii M. robertsii lc2575 and this fungi after solider bean passages were tested through the whole genome bisulfite sequencing. The results showed that approximately 0.379 % of cytosines are methylated in the fungi after bean passages, almost the same as the DNA methylation level in M. robertsii lc2575 (0.375%). The distribution of different methylated regions located more on intergenic regions of fungi after bean passages than M. robertsii lc2575. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and KEGG analysis of DMR-associated genes revealed that amino acid, carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism.
