ISOLATION AND MORPHO-MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF INDIGENOUS SOIL-BORNE ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI, AND THEIR PATHOGENICITY TO GALLERIA MELLONELLA L. (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) AS A MODEL INSECT

Baki D., ERLER F., TOSUN H. Ş., Imrek B.

FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN, cilt.30, sa.7, ss.8138-8148, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 30 Sayı: 7
  • Basım Tarihi: 2021
  • Dergi Adı: FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Aerospace Database, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), CAB Abstracts, Chemical Abstracts Core, Communication Abstracts, Environment Index, Geobase, Greenfile, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.8138-8148
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana, morphomolecular identification, pathogenicity, BEAUVERIA, DIVERSITY, METARHIZIUM, GROWTH
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The objective of this study was to isolate and identify soil-borne entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) in Antalya province (in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey), and evaluate their efficacy as potential biocontrol agents using the Greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as a model insect. "Galleria bait method" was used for isolation of EPF from soil samples collected from fifteen counties (sub -regions) of Antalya province. A total of 31 EPF isolates belonging to four species were obtained, and all of them were morphologically and molecularly identified. Twenty-one of them were Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. The remaining ones were as follows: Clonostachys rosea (Link) Schroers 5, Cordyceps farinosa (Holmsk.) Kepler, B. Shrestha & Spatafora 3, Cunninghamella echinulata (Thaxt.) Thaxt. 2. Molecular identification using PCR technique indicated that all collected isolates showed high similarity with isolates in GenBank ranging from 96 to 100% based on the ITS region sequence. Also, the efficiency of the isolated fungi was evaluated under laboratory conditions against the fourth instar larvae of G. mellonella using the agar surface technique, where a spore solution at a concentration of 1 x 107 conidia/m1 for each fungal isolate was used. The results from the pathogenicity assays showed that 14 isolates of B. bassiana caused 100 A mortality by 10 days after an exposure period of 24 h. While 3 isolates of Cl. rosea and 1 isolate of Cu. echinulata exhibited mortalities between 80% and 85%, the isolates of Co. farinosa had mortalities ranging from 40% to 73.4%. Our overall results suggest that some of the isolated EPF may have potential to be used in biological control of agricultural pests. However, more specific pathogenicity tests should be conducted against different pest species.