Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CCS, Bloco H, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902, Brazil.
Curr Microbiol. 2013 May;66(5):467-74. doi: 10.1007/s00284-012-0296-z. Epub 2013 Jan 11.
Metarhizium anisopliae is an entomopathogenic fungus with the ability to infect a broad range of arthropods, and have evolved distinct strategies for their attachment to hosts. Here, we describe the characterisation of ecto-phosphatase activity on the conidia surface of M. anisopliae and its relevance in the host interaction process. Ecto-phosphatase activity was linear for 60 min and during this time, was linear with the increase of cell density. The optimum pH was in the acidic range and some divalent metals, such as Cu(2+), Cd(2+) and Zn(2+), inhibited ecto-phosphatase activity. The activity was also reduced by phosphatase inhibitors. Importantly, the inhibition of phosphatase activity in conidia reduced the adhesion to Dysdercus peruvianus (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae) integument and, consequently and indirectly, M. anisopliae infection. The results herein presented show, for the first time, the importance of ecto-phosphatase activity in M. anisopliae conidia and provide the first evidence of its direct involvement in adhesion and host infection.
金龟子绿僵菌是一种具有感染广泛节肢动物能力的昆虫病原真菌，并进化出了独特的附着宿主的策略。在这里，我们描述了金龟子绿僵菌分生孢子表面的外磷酸酶活性及其在宿主相互作用过程中的相关性。外磷酸酶活性在 60 分钟内呈线性，在此期间，细胞密度的增加与外磷酸酶活性呈线性关系。最适 pH 值在酸性范围内，一些二价金属，如 Cu(2+)、Cd(2+)和 Zn(2+)，抑制外磷酸酶活性。磷酸酶抑制剂也降低了酶活性。重要的是，分生孢子中磷酸酶活性的抑制降低了对秘鲁棉铃象（半翅目：红蝽科）表皮的附着，进而间接地降低了绿僵菌的感染。本文首次展示了外磷酸酶活性在金龟子绿僵菌分生孢子中的重要性，并提供了其直接参与附着和宿主感染的第一个证据。
