Paecilomyces tenuipes (P. tenuipes) is a fungus cultivated artificially by South Korean researchers, utilizing rice bran as its substrate. The increased demand for this fungus has not been met with successful cultivation methods for fruiting body production in natural environments. Therefore, we tested the effect on the growth of P. tenuipes using a Solid media based on pests. In this results, the Solid media based on M.alternatus was effective in increasing the growth of P. tenuipes and the content of cordycepin. Moreover, we confirmed the conditions for manufacturing a Solid media based on M.alternatus for P. tenuipes growth. We suggested that the growth-promoting compounds offers valuable insights for optimizing fungal cultivation conditions, thereby enhancing productivity and contributing to a broader understanding of fungal physiology in varying nutritional environments.

Insect cuticle is an extracellular matrix formed primarily from two different biopolymers, chitin and protein. During each molt cycle, a new cuticle is deposited simultaneously with degradation of the old cuticle by molting fluid cuticle degrading-enzymes, including epidermal chitinases (CHTs). Insect CHTs, belonging to family 18 glycosylhydrolase (GH18), have been classified into at least eleven subgroups based on phylogenetic analyses, and group I (CHT5) and group II (CHT10) epidermal CHTs present in molting fluid. In this study we report the physiological function of MaCHT5 and MaCHT10 in the Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus. RNAi for either MaCHT5 or MaCHT10 resulted in larval-pupal and pupal-adult molting defects, in which the insects were unable to shed completely their old cuticle and died entrapped in their exuviae. Furthermore, TEM analysis revealed a failure of degradation of the old cuticle in both MaCHT5- and MaCHT10-deficient pharate adults. In the old pupal cuticle, the chitinous horizontal laminar and vertical pore canal essentially remained intact in the endocuticular layer. These results indicate that both CHTs are required for turnover of the chitinous old cuticle, which is critical for completion of insect molting. We also discuss the possible function of two spliced variants of MaCHT10, MaCHT10a and MaCHT10b.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) catalyze the oxidative cleavage of glycosidic bonds in crystalline polysaccharides including chitin and cellulose. The recent discovery of LPMO family proteins in many insect species suggests that they presumably play a role in chitin degradation in the cuticle/exoskeleton, tracheae and peritrophic matrix during insect development. Insect LPMOs belong to auxiliary activity family 15 (AA15/LPMO15) and have been classified into at least four groups based on phylogenetic analysis. In this study, we identified, characterized and investigated the physiological functions of group I LPMO15 (MaLPMO15-1 and PhLPMO15-1) in two longhorn beetle species, Monochamus alternatus and Psacothea hilaris. In both species, depletion of LPMO15-1 transcripts in last instar larvae by RNAi had no effect on subsequent larval-pupal molting and the resulting pupae developed normally. However, adverse effects on their development were observed during the pupal-adult molting period. The pharate adults were unable to shed their old pupal cuticle and died entrapped in their exuviae probably due to a failure of degradation of the chitin in their old cuticle, which is critical for completion of the insect molting and continuous growth.

본 연구에서는 소나무재선충의 매개충인 솔수염하늘소와 북방수염하늘소에 대하여 무인항공기 (무인헬리콥터)를 이용하여 스피네토람의 약효 및 약해를 조사하였다. 하늘소를 대상으로 등록된 펜토에이트 유제, 비펜트린 액상수화제, 하늘소를 제외한 딱정벌레가 대상인 에토펜프록 스 유제, 디플루벤주론 수화제와 나방류에 방제 약제로 등록된 인독사카브 수화제, 스피네토람 액상수화제 6종을 ULV기로 살포하여 솔수염하 늘소에 대한 섭식독과 접촉독을 확인한 후 선발하였다. ULV 시험 결과, 펜토에이트, 비펜트린, 인독사카브, 스피네토람의 33배, 55배 희석배수 액은 처리후 3일차에 접촉독과 섭식독에서 100% 살충율을 보였으나, 에토펜프록스는 7일차 접촉독 살충율 88.9%(33배), 88.9%(50배), 섭식독 살충율 93.4%(33배, 50배), 디플루벤주론은 7일차 접촉독 살충율 83.3%(33배), 섭식독 80.3%, 53.9%(50배)로 조금 낮은 살충률을 보였다. ULV 시험에서 선발된 가장 적합한 스피네토람의 33배액을 무인항공기로 살포하여 솔수염하늘소와 북방수염하늘소에 대한 감수성을 평가한 결 과, 98.6% - 100%의 살충율을 보였다. 그러나, 해당 약제의 매개충 방제에 적용하기 전에 항공 살포에 의한 꿀벌에 대한 위해성 평가가 필요할 것 으로 판단되었다.

In this study, we investigated the effect of solid culture medium on the production of cordycepin in Cordyceps militaris. The regression equation was expressed as follows: Y1= 755.3-58.6625X1+4.79432E-14X2-46.6625X3-5.66269E-14X1X2- 0.025X1X3+1.62475E-14X2X3-160.6625X1 2+0.0125X2 2-206.9625X3 2, where, Y represents the value of cordycepin content (μg/g), X1 corresponds to the weight of M. alternatus in solid culture medium (g/bottle), X2 to the water content of the solid culture medium (%), and X3 to the culture period (day). The solid culture medium was optimized using the response surface methodology, and the optimal medium composition was as follows: the weight of M. alternatus in solid culture medium and water content were 16.2% and 100.7% (20.14 mL water/20 g solid culture medium), respectively, with a culture period of 39 days. Under these conditions, the cordycepin content of the fruiting bodies reached 150.0 μg/g (actual value). The supplementation of M. alternatus in solid culture for improved cordycepin content of C. militaris seems to be a promising alternative to wild and solid cultivation.