Essential Role of WetA, but No Role of VosA, in Asexual Development, Conidial Maturation and Insect Pathogenicity of Metarhizium robertsii

Abstract

WetA and VosA regulate conidiation and conidial maturation required for the life cycle of Beauveria bassiana, like they do in Aspergillus, but remain functionally unexplored in Metarhizium robertsii , another hypocrealean pathogen considered to have evolved insect pathogenicity ~130 million years later than B. bassiana . This study reveals a similar role of WetA ortholog in asexual development, conidial maturation, and insect pathogenicity, and also its distinctive role in mediating some other conidial maturation-related cellular events, but has functional redundancy of VosA in M. robertsii .