MrSVP, a secreted virulence-associated protein, contributes to thermotolerance and virulence of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii

BACKGROUND: Metarhizium robertsii, a widely distributed insect pathogen, is presently used as a natural alternative to chemical insecticides. Unfortunately, its worldwide commercial use has been restricted by a short shelf life and inconsistencies in virulence. In our previous study, a gene (GenBank accession number EFZ01626) was found to be significantly upregulated in heat-treated conidia. In the present study, this gene was characterized via gene disruption and complementation strategies. RESULTS: The gene (amplified by rapid amplification of cDNA ends PCR) was 1219 bp long and contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 777 bp. It encoded a protein of 234 amino acid residues with a 26-residue signal peptide. Bioinformatics analyses did not identify conserved functional domains; therefore, it was assumed to be a secreted virulence-associated protein according to its signal peptide and bioassay results. We found that the conidial germination rate of the ΔMrSVP mutant fungi dramatically decreased after heat shock treatment in a thermotolerance test. In addition, transcription levels of all tested heat shock–related genes were significantly lower in the mutant than in the wild type. We also demonstrated that the mean lethal time to death (LT(50)) of ΔMrSVP significantly increased relative to the wild type in insect bioassays (both topical inoculation and injection) involving Galleria mellonella. Moreover, similar rates of appressorium formation between ΔMrSVP and the wild type—and the significantly different expression of virulence-related genes such as acid trehalase and sucrose nonfermenting protein kinase in the haemocoel after injection—revealed that MrSVP is required for virulence in the insect haemocoel. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our data suggest that the Mrsvp gene contributes to thermotolerance and virulence of M. robertsii. Furthermore, this gene is deeply involved in the mycosis of insect cadavers and in immune escape rather than insect cuticle penetration during infection. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-019-1396-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.