8/31/2023 0 Comments Frog sporeThis is facilitated by the blastospores' secretion of a thick mucus, which is not soluble in water, and hard to break up or remove both mechanically and with detergents. Blastospores, the researchers found, easily stick to the cuticle. The efficient killing was associated with specific characteristics of the blastopore-host interaction that likely contribute to the virulence. brunneum blastospores kill Aedes larvae much faster than conidia of the same fungus. In this study, the researchers took a closer look at how blastospores of the insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum attack and kill mosquito larvae in their natural habitat, i.e., in fresh water. Blastospores are considered more virulent (i.e., more harmful to the host), but the reasons for this are not well understood. They produce aerial spores called conidia on solid substrates and blastospores in liquid media. Such fungi can kill insects in different environments. Tariq Butt, from Swansea University, UK, and colleagues, work on using pathogenic fungi to kill mosquitoes. Biological vector control that enlists insect pathogens is therefore an attractive alternative. Concerns exist about the health and environmental impacts of these pesticides, and the development and spread of resistance among mosquito populations. Control of the insect vectors is the only way to reduce transmission, and largely depends on application of chemical pesticides. Aedes mosquitoes transmit viruses - including dengue, zika, and chikungunya - against which no vaccines or treatments are currently available.
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