Ion-beam and -ray irradiations induce thermotolerant mutants in the entomopathogenic fungus

Fitriana, Y.*; 佐藤 勝也; 鳴海 一成*; 西東 力*

Biocontrol Science and Technology, 24(9), p.1052 - 1061, 2014/06

https://doi.org/10.1080/09583157.2014.918585

Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Sorokin, are important agents for the biological control of insect pests. However, these fungi are not compatible with high temperatures. In this study, mutagenesis using ion beams or rays was used to generate five potentially thermotolerant mutants from two wild-type isolates of (two using ion beams and three using rays). The mutant isolates had a higher upper thermal limit for vegetative growth compared to the wild types (by 2-3C) and enhanced tolerance to wet-heat stress of 45C for conidial germination. These results indicate that ion beams and rays are useful tools for improving biological characteristics, such as thermotolerance, in entomopathogenic fungi, but that mutants must be carefully evaluated for unpredictable negative side effects.