AUTHOR=Zhang Erhao , Cao Yueqing , Xia Yuxian 

TITLE=Ethanol Dehydrogenase I Contributes to Growth and Sporulation Under Low Oxygen Condition via Detoxification of Acetaldehyde in Metarhizium acridum

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01932

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.01932

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The entomopathogenic fungi encounter hypoxic conditions in both nature and artificial culture. Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are a group of oxidoreductases that occur in many organisms. Here we demonstrate that an alcohol dehydrogenase I, <italic>MaADH1</italic>, in the locust-specific fungal pathogen, <italic>Metarhizium acridum</italic>, functions in acetaldehyde detoxification mechanism under hypoxic conditions in growth and sporulation. The <italic>MaADH1</italic> was highly expressed in sporulation stage under hypoxic conditions. Compared with a wild-type strain, the Δ<italic>MaADH1</italic> mutant showed inhibited growth and sporulation under hypoxic conditions, but no impairment under normal conditions. Under hypoxic conditions, Δ<italic>MaADH1</italic> mutant produced significant decreased alcohol, but significant increased acetaldehyde compared to wild type. <italic>M. acridum</italic> was sensitive to exogenous acetaldehyde, exhibiting an inhibited growth and sporulation with acetaldehyde added in the medium. MaADH1 did not affect virulence. Our results indicated that the <italic>MaADH1</italic> was critical to growth and sporulation under hypoxic stress by detoxification of acetaldehyde in <italic>M. acridum</italic>.</p>