Insect-killing (entomopathogenic) fungi have high potential for controlling agriculturally harmful pests. However, their pathogenicity is slow and this is one reason for their poor acceptance as a fungal insecticide. The expression of bumblebee, Bombus ignitus, venom serine protease (VSP) by Beauveria bassiana (ERL1170) induced melanization of yellow spotted longicorn beetles (Psacothea hilaris) as an over-reactive immune response, and caused substantially earlier mortality in beet armyworm (Spodopetra exigua) larvae when compared to the wild type. No fungal outgrowth or sporulation was observed on the melanized insects, thus suggesting a self-restriction of the dispersal of the genetically modified fungus in the environment. The fungal transformant also shows mammal fibrinolytic activity, by which the transformant can be used pharmaceutically. The research is the first use of a multi-functional bumblebee VSP to significantly increase the speed of fungal pathogenicity, while minimizing the dispersal of the fungal transformant in the environment.

• Jae Su Kim(Department of Agricultural Biology, Chonbuk National University)
• Jae Young Choi(Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University)
• Byung Rae Jin(Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University)
• Yeon Ho Je(Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Research Institute for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University)