GameXPeptide synergistically enhances the control efficiency of Metarhizium anisopliae by inhibiting cotton aphid immunity

Abstract

The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae plays a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by controlling diverse pests, but insect innate immunity hinders its efficacy by impeding spore germination. GameXPeptide (GXP), a metabolite derived from entomopathogenic nematode symbiotic bacteria, suppresses insect immunity, yet its interaction with entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) remained unstudied. This study demonstrates that GXP enhances the efficacy of M. anisopliae against cotton aphids, as evidenced by laboratory bioassays, metabolomic profiling, and experimental investigations. Our results reveal that GXP does not have any adverse effects on the fungus. However, the combined application of GXP and M. anisopliae significantly increases the mortality rate of cotton aphids. Furthermore, our findings indicate that this synergistic interaction notably influences the metabolic processes of cotton aphids. Notably, there is a significant decrease in purine metabolism compared to that in aphids infected solely by M. anisopliae. This alteration in purine metabolism could potentially account for the observed reduction in melanization in aphids infected by the fungus in the presence of GXP. In summary, our results highlight that the combined effect of GXP and M. anisopliae enhances the virulence of the fungus against cotton aphids by modulating their metabolism and immune responses. This study is the first to demonstrate that GXP can enhance the virulence of M. anisopliae against cotton aphids. These findings provide a novel strategy for improving biopesticide efficacy in sustainable agriculture.

Keywords

cotton aphid / GXP / hypoxanthine / L-DOPA / melanization / Metarhizium anisopliae

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