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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #273784
Title: Proteomic analysis of Fusarium solani isolated from the Asian Longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis

Author
item Geib, Scott
item HOOVER, KELLI - Pennsylvania State University
item SCULLY, ERIN - Pennsylvania State University
item TIEN, MING - Pennsylvania State University

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/25/2012
Publication Date: 4/9/2012
Citation: Geib, S.M., Hoover, K., Scully, E., Tien, M. 2012. Proteomic analysis of Fusarium solani isolated from the Asian Longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis. PLoS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032990.

Interpretive Summary: The Asian longhorned beetle is a wood feeding insect that causes tree mortality by feeding and disrupting the vascular tissue in its host. It is not completely understood how this insect feeds and digests wood, but it is likely that it utilizes symbiotic microbes to aide in digestion. A fungal species, Fusarium solani, appears to be associated with the larval stage of this insect and to better understand the potential role of this fungus in the digestive physiology of the beetle gut, biochemical and proteomic analysis of this culture was performed. It was found that this fungal strain has the biochemical ability to degrade cellulose, xylan, and cause some structural changes to lignin. To further survey the biochemical potential of this fungal strain, shotgun proteomics was used to identify almost 400 proteins expressed by this isolate while growing on solid wood substrate. While little is known about the role of filamentous fungi and their associations with insects, this research suggests that the F. solani isolate found in association with larval A. glabripennis has the potential to provide the gut community with wood degrading activity.

Technical Abstract: Analysis of the gut of a wood-boring insect, Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) revealed that a fungal species, Fusarium solani, is consistently associated with the larval stage of this insect. Previous work demonstrated that larval guts collected from a variety of geographically distinct locations and different host plant species consistently harbored a unique strain of F. solani that is phylogenetically distinct from previously sequenced/cultivated F. solani isolates. To determine the potential role of this fungus in the digestive physiology of the beetle gut, cultures were grown on solid wood substrate to survey for lignocellulolytic activity. An F. solani strain derived from ALB gut homogenates was successfully cultured onto this substrate, demonstrating its ability to thrive on lignocellulose as a sole carbon source. To assess this isolate’s ability to degrade lignin, total enzymes were extracted from these cultures. Mn-independent peroxidase, laccase, cellulase, and xylanase activities were detected in vitro; however, lignin and Mn peroxidase activities were not observed. To further survey, the biochemical potential of this fungal strain, shotgun proteomics using Multidemensional Protein Identification Technology (MudPIT) methology was employed to identify almost 400 proteins expressed by this isolate while growing on solid wood substrate. While little is known about the role of filamentous fungi and their associations with insects, this research suggests that the F. solani isolate found in association with larval A. glabripennis has the potential to provide the gut community with lignocellulolytic activity.