Transcription factor MaCrz1 regulates the spore surface structure of Metarhizium acridum

Entomopathogenic fungi are the largest group of entomopathogenic microorganisms, which can infect insects through body wall contact under natural conditions. The premise and key for pathogenic fungi to successfully infect host insects is the effective attachment of spores to the body wall of insects. The spores of pathogenic fungi attach to the body surface of the host through the cell wall. Therefore, the surface structure, composition and characteristics of spores will affect their attachment, and then affect the virulence. Although the factors affecting spore attachment have been reported in a variety of pathogenic fungi, the regulatory mechanism is not clear. In this study, Metarhizium acridum was used as the experimental material, and on the basis of the MaCrz1 knockout strain constructed in the previous stage, the target genes regulated by MaCrz1 were found, their effects on the surface structure of spores were analyzed, and the mechanism of Crz1 regulating the attachment of Metarhizium acridum to the body wall of insects was clarified.