Entomopathogenic fungi are promising pest-control agents but their industrial applicability is limited by their thermosusceptibility. With an aim to increase the thermotolerance of Isaria fumosorosea SFP-198, moisture absorbents were added to dried conidial powder, and the relationship between its water potential and thermotolerance was investigated. Mycotized rice grains were dried at 10℃, 20℃...

Entomopathogenic fungi can produce a series of chitinases, some of which function synergistically with proteases and other hydrolytic enzymes to degrade the insect cuticle. In the present study, the chitinase gene Ifu-chit2 from Isaria fumosorosea was investigated. The Ifu-chit2 gene is 1,435-bp long, interrupted by three short introns, and encodes a predicted protein of 423 amino acids with a ...

Social insects such as ants have evolved collective rather than individual immune defence strategies against diseases and parasites at the level of their societies (colonies), known as social immunity. Ants frequently host other arthropods, so-called myrmecophiles, in their nests. Here, we tested the hypothesis that myrmecophily may partly arise from selection for exploiting the ants' social im...