Open AccessTransformation of Beauveria bassiana to produce EGFP in Tenebrio molitor for use as animal feed additives
Author(s) -
Kim Jae Su,
Choi Jae Young,
Lee Se Jin,
Lee Ju Hyun,
Fu Zhenli,
Skinner Margaret,
Parker Bruce L.,
Je Yeon Ho
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6968.12173
Subject(s) - mealworm , beauveria bassiana , biology , green fluorescent protein , transformation (genetics) , animal feed , gene , feed additive , expression vector , microbiology and biotechnology , food science , botany , biological pest control , larva , biochemistry , recombinant dna , broiler
Efforts are underway to develop more effective and safer animal feed additives. Entomopathogenic fungi can be considered practical expression platforms of functional genes within insects which have been used as animal feed additives. In this work, as a model, the enhanced green fluorescent protein ( egfp ) gene was expressed in yellow mealworms, Tenebrio molitor by highly infective Beauveria bassiana ERL1170. Among seven test isolates, ERL1170 treatment showed 57.1% and 98.3% mortality of mealworms 2 and 5 days after infection, respectively. The fungal transformation vector, pABeG containing the egfp gene, was inserted into the genomic DNA of ERL1170 using the restriction enzyme‐mediated integration method. This resulted in the generation of the transformant, Bb‐egfp#3, which showed the highest level of fluorescence. Bb‐egfp#3‐treated mealworms gradually turned dark brown, and in 7‐days mealworm sections showed a strong fluorescence. This did not occur in the wild‐type strain. This work suggests that further valuable proteins can be efficiently produced in this mealworm‐based fungal expression platform, thereby increasing the value of mealworms in the animal feed additive industry.