How stressed are entomopathogenic fungi during growth on insect cuticular hydrocarbons?

N. PEDRINI

Sao Jose dos Campos

Simposio; International Symposium on Fungal Stress (ISFUS); 2014

Unlike other insect-pathogenic microorganisms that must be ingested to initiate the disease (virus, bacteria, nematodes and protozoa), entomopathogenic fungi normally invade by penetrating through the host cuticle. Although the major bulk components of the insect cuticle are protein and chitin, the outermost epicuticular surface layer comprises a complex mixture of non polar lipids, mainly composed by very long chain hydrocarbons. Entomopathogenic fungi are able to degrade insect epicuticular hydrocarbons, incorporating them into cellular components. However, a reduced growth and lower conidiation yields have been observed in alkane-grown fungi compared to control growth on rich media without hydrocarbon added. This and other facts suggest that fungi might be exposed to stress conditions during cuticular hydrocarbon assimilation. In this work, several biomarkers -with emphasis in antioxidant response and oxidative stress levels- will be evaluated in alkane-grown B. bassiana and their role in this process will be discussed.