Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #419723

Research Project: Management and Biology of Arthropod Pests and Arthropod-borne Plant Pathogens

Location: Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research

Title: Repertoires of Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Insect and Nematode Parasitic Fungi

Author
item Bushley, Kathryn
item SHOWALTER, DAVID - Oregon Department Of Forestry
item OLARTE, RODRIGO - University Of Minnesota
item Rehner, Stephen

Submitted to: Mycological Society of America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/18/2024
Publication Date: 5/31/2024
Citation: Bushley, K.E., Showalter, D., Olarte, R., Rehner, S.A. 2024. Repertoires of Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Insect and Nematode Parasitic Fungi. Mycological Society of America. Mycological Society of America Annual Meeting, June 9-12, 2024.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fungi have diverse host-associations and ecologies, including as pathogens of invertebrates such as insects, nematodes, and mites. Many of these fungi also colonize plants as endophytes and provide protection against invertebrate pests either via direct parasitism or secretion of bioactive metabolites. Fungal parasites of invertebrates harbor a highly diverse repertoires of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (SMBCs), as well as genes involved in degradation of carbohydrates (CAZymes) or protein (proteases) resources of distinct invertebrate hosts. Yet, the evolutionary processes that give rise to or maintain the diversity of SMBCs, as well as their chemical products and potential functions for these fungi remain largely unknown. We explore broad-scale evolutionary processes leading to diversification of SMBCs, as well as CAZyme and protease gene content, among insect and nematode pathogens in the order Hypocreales. We focus on entomopathogenic fungi in the genus Beauveria and host-shifts between nematode and insect parasites in the genus Hirsutella. Our results shed light on how distinct repertoires of SMBCs, CAZymes, and proteases may shape the interaction of these fungi with distinct insect, nematode, or plant hosts during their life cycle and highlight the potential role of transposable elements and repeat content in driving diversification of these gene families.