球孢白僵菌降解昆虫体壁蛋白酶基因 CDEP-1的克隆与序列分析

构建了球孢白僵菌不同诱导时间的混合cDNA文库。根据丝氨酸类蛋白酶的保守区域设计引物,以构建cDNA文库同样的mRNA为模板,采用RT-PCR法得到长度为594bp的片段BbP。序列测定表明BbP是球孢白僵菌类枯草杆菌蛋白酶Prl的一部分,以BbP为探针,从上述cDNA文库筛选得到长度为1557bp的克隆CDEP-1。CDEP-1含有一个1134bp的开放阅读框（ORF）,编码377个氨基酸,分子量为38616、PI=8.302的蛋白酶前体。CEDP-1的核苷酸序列与蛋白酶K、金龟子绿僵菌Prl、球孢白僵菌Prl的同源性分别为：57.9%、54.7%、83.3%。根据cDNA序列扩增到CDEP-1的基因组序列,分析表明其中含有3个内含子。Southern杂交表明CDEP-1在球孢白僵菌是单拷贝。     

A novel protease inhibitor in Bombyx mori is involved in defense against Beauveria bassiana

Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Beauveria bassiana, penetrate the insect cuticle using a plethora of hydrolytic enzymes including cuticle-degrading proteases and chitinases, which are important virulence factors. The insect integument and hemolymph contains a relatively high concentration of protease inhibitors, which are closely involved with defense against pathogenic microorganisms. To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying resistance against entomopathogenic fungi and to identify a new molecular target for improving fungal resistance in the silkworm, Bombyx mori, we cloned and expressed a novel silkworm TIL-type protease inhibitor BmSPI38, which was very stable over a wide range of temperatures and pH values. An activity assay suggested that BmSPI38 potently inactivated the insecticidal cuticle-degrading enzyme (CDEP-1) produced by B. bassiana and subtilisin A produced by Bacillus licheniformis. The melanization of silkworm induced by CDEP-1 protease could also be blocked by BmSPI38. These results provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms whereby insect protease inhibitors provide resistance against entomopathogenic fungi, suggesting the possibility of using fungal biopesticides in sericulture.     

Cloning of a cuticle-degrading protease from the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana

Abstract A Beauveria bassiana extracellular subtilisin-like serine endoprotease is a potential virulence factor by virtue of its activity against insect cuticles. A cDNA clone of the protease was isolated from mycelia of B. bassiana grown on cuticle/chitin cultures. The amino acid sequence of this gene was compared to that of Metarhizium anisopliae Pr1, the only pathogenicity determinant so far described from an entomopathogenic fungus, and proteinase K, isolated from Tritirachium album , a saprophytic fungus. The cDNA sequence revealed that B. bassiana Prl is synthesized as a large precursor ( M _r 37 460) containing a signal peptide, a propeptide and the mature protein predicted to have an M _r of 26 832.     

Evasion of host defense by in vivo-produced protoplast-like cells of the insect mycopathogen Beauveria bassiana.

In vivo cells (hyphal bodies) of the hyphomycetous insect pathogen Beauveria bassiana collected from host Spodoptera exigua larval hemolymph were osmotically sensitive and lacked a well-defined cell wall. In light and electron microscope studies, a galactose-specific lectin purified from S. exigua hemolymph, concanavalin A (specific for alpha-mannose), and a polyclonal antibody to B. bassiana cell walls all bound to surfaces of in vitro-produced B. bassiana blastospores; however, none of these probes labelled the thin layer of extracellular material covering the plasma membranes of hyphal bodies. These cells were observed freely circulating in S. exigua hemolymph at 36 h postinfection, although immunocompetent hemocytes were known to be present. Additionally, association of hyphal bodies with hemocytes in monolayers was significantly less than for opsonized in vitro blastospores or submerged conidia. The absence of antigenically important galactomannan components on in vivo cells may therefore allow these cells to escape recognition and phagocytosis. Lack of structural components (e.g., chitin, as evidenced by the absence of binding of wheat germ agglutinin) may also be important with respect to evasion of host cellular defense mechanisms. Production of wall material resumed 48 to 60 h postinfection and therefore may coincide with loss of phagocytic capabilities of the hemocytes due to immunosuppressive effects of fungal metabolites. The protoplast-like cells may be formed by the action of hydrolytic enzymes in the hemocytes or by inhibition of fungal cell wall synthetases.     

Comparative analysis of the production of insecticidal and melanizing macromolecules by strains of Beauveria spp.: in vivo studies

Eleven strains of Beauveria bassiana, and a further five species of Beauveria sp., were tested by injection of 8x10(2) conidia into the haemocoel of the larvae of the lepidopteran Galleria mellonella with the aim of analysing their toxin producing activity in vivo. Although the virulent strains killed 100% of the insects at slightly different rates (4-6 days) there were significant differences in the pattern and intensity of host melanization caused by isolates. The majority of the isolates of Beauveria spp. induced a fast and intense melanization of the cuticle of the integument and of tracheal wall, which followed one of three patterns. Another small group of two B. bassiana strains, isolated from Ostrinia nubilalis, induced very weak or no melanization. Strains 618 and 101 of B. bassiana, were selected as models of "melanizing" and "non-melanizing" strains, respectively. Ultrastructural alterations of cells of hypodermal and tracheal epithelium and of haemocytes, assumed to be at least partially caused by fungal toxins, were revealed in larvae infected by both isolates. However, their effects on the fine structure of the hypodermis were different. Injection of sera obtained from haemolymph of insects infected with B. bassiana 618 showed that they have insecticidal, melanizing, and cytotoxic effects similar to those occurring during mycosis. Chromatographic studies and bioassays with fractions prepared from crude serum have allowed a partial identification of the toxic molecules secreted by the fungus in vivo. They are proteinaceous, as shown by protease treatments, thermolabile, negatively charged, and not glycosylated with alpha-d-mannose or alpha-d-glucose. If strain B. bassiana 618 produces melanizing macromolecules which are vivotoxins secreted during the mycosis, the mode of action of isolate 101 is different. Its capacity to kill the host depends on active mycelial development, and on the production of low molecular weight toxins.     

Inhibition of Beauveria bassiana Proteases and Fungal Development by Inducible Protease Inhibitors in the Haemolymph of Galleria mellonella Larvae

Injection of zymosan or dead yeast cells enhanced the inhibitory activity against exocellular Beauveria bassiana proteases in the cell - free haemolymph of Galleria mellonella larvae . Pre - injected larvae exhibited no decreased mortality after subsequent injection with living B. bassiana blastospores but survived for a prolonged time before death . Increased levels of protease inhibitors in the haemolymph were also observed after injection of B. bassiana proteases . In contrast , no enhanced inhibitory activity against B. bassiana proteases was detected in infected larvae when mycosis was initiated with conidia which enabled the fungus to invade host larvae through the integument in a natural manner . B. bassiana proteases were not completely inhibited by the addition of cell - free haemolymph . Protease inhibitors obtained after heat and trichloroacetic acid precipitation of cell - free haemolymph were added to the protein medium of B. bassiana to study the effect on its growth in vitro. Enriched fractions from pre - injected larvae delayed fungal growth in comparison with fractions from untreated larvae , suggesting that delayed mortality of immunized G. mellonella larvae infected with B. bassiana is due to enhanced levels of protease inhibitors . A non - virulent form of the same strain exhibited reduced capacity to release proteases in vitro. The results strongly suggest that the capacity of insects to release inhibitors against fungal proteases influences their susceptibility against entomopathogenic fungi .     

Molecular monitoring and evaluation of the application of the insect-pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana in southeast China

AIMS: To monitor the fate of inundatively applied strains of Beauveria bassiana against Masson's pine caterpillar, Dendrolimus punctatus, in Magushan Forest, southeast China, and evaluate the potential environmental risks of biocontrol introduction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Filed samplings of mycosed cadavers were carried out continuously for more than one year after the inundative applications of two exotic B. bassiana strains. By employing four complementary molecular markers, the purified cultures from collections were characterized and the two released strains Bb17 and Bb13 were recovered with respective frequencies of 9.1 and 5.2%. The released strains were isolated from nontarget hosts. The genetic diversity of the population of B. bassiana in the trial plot changed dynamically over time and no single genotype strain dominated throughout the sampling period or at different seasons. The indigenous strains were observed to be predominant in the local environment. Co-infection and/or genetic recombination might occur between strains under natural conditions. CONCLUSION: Field applications of the biocontrol agent B. bassiana appear to pose no major risk to the environment. There was no evidence of displacement of indigenous strains of B. bassiana. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results indicate that the introduction of exotic B. bassiana strains can persist in local environment and infect nontarget insect hosts, highlighting the importance of safety assessment of the large-scale application of fungal biocontrol agents.     

Expression and in vitro activation of Manduca sexta prophenoloxidase-activating proteinase-2 precursor (proPAP-2) from baculovirus-infected insect cells

Prophenoloxidase activation is a component of the immune system in insects and crustaceans. We recently purified and cloned a new prophenoloxidase-activating proteinase (PAP-2) from hemolymph of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta [J. Biol. Chem. 278, 3552-3561]. As the terminal component of a putative serine proteinase cascade, this enzyme activates prophenoloxidase (proPO) via limited proteolysis. To purify and study the activating proteinase for PAP-2 from this insect, we expressed the zymogen of PAP-2 (proPAP-2) in insect cells infected by a recombinant baculovirus that harbors the cDNA. To facilitate the purification of proPAP-2, we modified a commercial vector (pFastBac1) by inserting a synthetic DNA fragment encoding a hexahistidine sequence, allowing fusion of the affinity tag to the carboxyl terminus of a protein. After Spodoptera frugiperda Sf21 cells were infected by the virus, recombinant proPAP-2 was efficiently secreted into the media at a concentration of 5.9 microg/ml under the optimal conditions. After ammonium sulfate precipitation, the proenzyme was purified to near homogeneity by affinity chromatography on Ni(2+)-NTA agarose. Western blot analysis indicated that the recombinant proPAP-2 has a mobility slightly lower than that of the zymogen from M. sexta hemolymph. The molecular mass and isoelectric point of proPAP-2 were determined to be 47,573+/-11Da and 6.6, respectively. After the purified proenzyme was added to hemolymph from induced M. sexta larvae, it was rapidly activated by an unknown proteinase in the presence of peptidoglycan.     

不同温度下白僵菌Bb04菌株对红火蚁工蚁的致病力

[背景[白僵菌是一种应用最广泛的虫生真菌,已被用于工厂化大量生产,可防治多种农林害虫。[方法]试验设置17、21、25、29和33℃5个温度水平,采用喷雾法,将浓度为1×105和1×108个·mL-1的白僵菌孢子悬浮液分别感染红火蚁工蚁,以测试不同温度下白僵菌菌株对红火蚁工蚁的致病力。[结果]当浓度为1×108个·mL-1时,在21、25和29℃条件下,红火蚁工蚁在15 d的累计死亡率均达到了100%,在17和33℃下分别为99.36%和98.74%。当浓度为1×105个·mL-1时,在21、25、29和33℃下,红火蚁工蚁在15 d的累计死亡率分别为29.42%、36.18%、33.17%和27.21%,显著高于17℃的累计死亡率。2个浓度处理在17～25℃时,白僵菌对红火蚁工蚁的致死中时（LT50）随着温度的升高而缩短,当温度为29和33℃时,红火蚁的LT50不减少反而增加。25℃时白僵菌Bb04菌株对红火蚁工蚁的LT50最短,死亡速度最快,致病力最强。[结论与意义]该研究可为制定田间利用白僵菌防治红火蚁的最佳时期奠定基础。     

Noninvolvement of beauvericin in the entomopathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana.

Development of a microbiological autobiographic assay procedure permitted a detailed investigation of the possible role of beauvericin (a toxic ionophoric antibiotic produced by Beauveria bassiana) in the entomopathogenicity of B. bassiana against corn earworm (Heliothis zea) larvae. Analysis of spent media of B. bassiana and the hemolymph of infected and moribund larvae revealed that beauvericin was not present in a soluble form during the time that most (about 90%) larvae died of fungal infection (4 days). Intrahemocoelic injections of up to 6 micrograms of synthetic beauvericin failed to induce any deleterious effects. In addition, although methanol-soluble ionophores, such as valinomycin and bassianolide, were toxic to corn earworm larvae, no methanol-soluble toxin could be detected in the hemolymph of moribund larvae.     

Noninvolvement of beauvericin in the entomopathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana

Development of a microbiological autobiographic assay procedure permitted a detailed investigation of the possible role of beauvericin (a toxic ionophoric antibiotic produced by Beauveria bassiana) in the entomopathogenicity of B. bassiana against corn earworm (Heliothis zea) larvae. Analysis of spent media of B. bassiana and the hemolymph of infected and moribund larvae revealed that beauvericin was not present in a soluble form during the time that most (about 90%) larvae died of fungal infection (4 days). Intrahemocoelic injections of up to 6 micrograms of synthetic beauvericin failed to induce any deleterious effects. In addition, although methanol-soluble ionophores, such as valinomycin and bassianolide, were toxic to corn earworm larvae, no methanol-soluble toxin could be detected in the hemolymph of moribund larvae.     

N-Acetyl-d-Glucosamine-Mediated Regulation of Extracellular Protease in the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana GK2016 grown in a liquid medium incorporating gelatin as the sole carbon and nitrogen source produced an extracellular serine protease (molecular weight, 35,000; pI ca. 10). Without gelatin, B. bassiana could utilize N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc; 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose) as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen, and GlcNAc availability increased the storage carbohydrate content in mycelia. Synthesis of protease was repressed in gelatin medium containing GlcNAc at levels of >1.07 mumol mg of fungal dry weight. At levels below this, protease synthesis was initiated; subsequently, free amino nitrogen appeared in the medium and diauxic growth was observed. Slow feeding with GlcNAc (35.34 mug ml h) did not repress protease synthesis nor did GlcNAc accumulate in the medium above 0.5 mg ml. Increasing the rate of release of GlcNAc (83.51 mug ml h) resulted in the accumulation of GlcNAc in the medium to 2.0 mg ml, a 45% increase in growth and a decrease in protease synthesis by about 81%. Free amino acids generated from the hydrolysis of gelatin did not repress protease synthesis. These data are interpreted in terms of known interaction of B. bassiana with insect cuticular components. We suggest that the action of extracellular chitinases synthesized by B. bassiana on insect cuticle, and pursuant release of GlcNAc, may have important consequences on the regulation of other extracellular catabolic enzymes such as the protease.     

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression of a serine protease with clip-domain homologue from scallop Chlamys farreri

Serine proteases play critical roles in a variety of invertebrate immune defense responses, including hemolymph coagulation, antimicrobial peptide synthesis, and melanization. The first mollusk serine protease with clip-domain (designated CFSP1) cDNA was obtained from the scallop Chlamys farreri challenged with Vibrio anguillarum by randomly sequencing a whole tissue cDNA library and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of the C. farreri serine protease was 1211bp, consisting of a 5'-terminal untranslated region (UTR) of 72bp, a 3'-terminal UTR of 77bp with a canonical polyadenylation signal sequence AATAAA and a poly (A) tail, and an open reading frame of 1062bp. The CFSP1 cDNA encoded a polypeptide of 354 amino acids with a putative signal peptide of 19 amino acids and a mature protein of 335 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of CFSP1 contained an amino-terminal clip domain, a low complexity region, and a carboxyl-terminal serine protease domain. CFSP1 mRNA was mainly expressed constitutively in the hemocytes and was up-regulated and increased 2.9- and 1.9-fold at 16h after injury and injection of bacteria.     

丙型肝炎病毒NS2-3蛋白酶基因在Sf9昆虫细胞中的表达

丙型肝炎病毒(hepatitis C virus,HCV)为单股正链RNA病毒,其基因组长约9.5kb,5'端和3'端各有一个长约345bp和60bp的非编码区,编码区含一个大开放读码框架,编码3 010aa～3 033aa残基的多蛋白前体.     

Protein purification, cDNA cloning and characterization of a protease inhibitor from the Indian tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta

An inhibitor of Aspergillus oryzae fungal protease was purified to homogeneity from the hemolymph of fifth instar larvae of Antheraea mylitta by ammonium sulfate precipitation, anion exchange and gel filtration (FPLC) chromatography, and termed as AmFPI-1. The extent of purification was checked by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and the molecular weight of purified inhibitor was determined by SDS-PAGE as 10.4 kDa. Fifteen N-terminal amino acid sequences of this protein were determined, and degenerate oligonucleotides were synthesized on the basis of these sequences. A cDNA library of A. mylitta integument was constructed, and protease inhibitor cDNA was partially amplified by PCR using degenerate oligonucleotides and CDS primers. A full-length inhibitor cDNA clone obtained by screening the library with PCR amplified DNA as probe was sequenced. The cDNA consists of 543 nucleotides with an ORF of 315 bp and encodes a protein of 105 amino acids. The sequence exhibits similarity to several Bombyx mori ESTs, and in particular to N-terminal amino acid sequence of an inducible serine protease inhibitor (ISPI-1) from Galleria mellonella indicating its relatedness to ISPI-1 of G. mellonella. The presence of this protease inhibitor in the hemolymph may play an important role as a natural defense system against invading microorganisms.     

Variability in tolerance to UV-B radiation among Beauveria spp. isolates

Solar radiation, particularly the UV-B component, negatively affects survival of entomopathogenic fungi in the field. In an effort to identify Beauveria spp. isolates with promise for use in biological control settings with high insolation, we examined 53 Beauveria bassiana isolates, 7 isolates of 4 other Beauveria spp. and Engyodontium albus (=Beauveria alba). The origins of these fungi varied widely as to host/substrate and country, but approximately 30% of these isolates were B. bassiana from ticks in Brazil. A preliminary trial with three B. bassiana isolates (Bb 19, CG 310 and CG 481) at several UV-B dosages indicated that 2h of weighted UV-B irradiance at 978mWm(-2) (providing a total dose of 7.04kJm(-2)) allowed separation of isolates into low, medium or high UV-B tolerance. This dose, therefore, was selected as a single dose to compare UV-B tolerances of all 60 Beauveria spp. isolates. There was high variability in tolerance to UV-B radiation among the B. bassiana isolates, ranging from virtually zero tolerance (e.g., Bb 03) to almost 80% tolerance (e.g., CG 228). In addition, surviving B. bassiana conidia demonstrated delayed germination; and this is likely to reduce virulence. Conidia of the other species were markedly more sensitive to UV-B, with E. albus (UFPE 3138) being the least UV-B tolerant. Among B. bassiana isolates originating from 0 degrees to 22 degrees latitudes, those from lower latitudes demonstrated statistically significant greater UV-B tolerances than those isolates from higher latitudes. Isolates from above 22 degrees , however, were unaffected by latitude of origin. A similar analysis based on host type did not indicate a correlation between original host and UV-B tolerance. The identification in this study of several B. bassiana isolates with relatively high UV-B tolerance will guide the selection of isolates for future arthropod microbial control experiments.     

Production of an extracellular protease by Beauveria bassiana in the haemolymph of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Protease production by Beauveria bassiana in the haemolymph of infected silkworms (Bombyx mori) were investigated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results showed that B. bassiana produced a substantial amount of extracellular protease in the haemolymph of infected silkworms.     

Induction of vesicle formation in a cell line derived from imaginal discs

Summary The ability of insect hemolymph to induce vesicles in a high passage insect cell line, IAL-TND1, is described. The factor responsible, designated VPA for ‘vesicle-promoting activity’, was determined to be heat sensitive, nondialyzable, and protease Type XIV sensitive but insensitive to trypsin digestion. In efforts to determine the source of VPA, hemolymph was collected from different developmental stages ofTrichoplusia ni, and certain tissues fromT. ni were cocultured with IAL-TND1 cells. Hemolymph from every developmental stage tested exhibited VPA although the effect was somewhat reduced in spinning-stage larvae. Additionally, several tissue, including fat body, tess, and imaginal discs, released VPA into the culture medium. Neural tissues and endocrine glands did not induce vesicle formation.