Gene diversity explains variation in biological features of insect killing fungus, Beauveria bassiana

Beauveria bassiana is a species complex whose isolates show considerable natural genetic variability. However, little is known about how this genetic diversity affects the fungus performance. Herein, we characterized the diversity of genes involved in various mechanisms of the infective cycle of 42 isolates that have different growth rates, thermotolerance and virulence. The analysed genes showed general genetic diversity measured as non-synonymous changes (NSC) and copy number variation (CNV), with most of them being subjected to positive episodic diversifying selection. Correlation analyses between NSC or CNV and the isolate virulence, thermotolerance and growth rate revealed that various genes shaped the biological features of the fungus. Lectin-like, mucin signalling, Biotrophy associated and chitinase genes NSCs correlated with the three biological features of B. bassiana. In addition, other genes (i.e. DNA photolyase and cyclophilin B) that had relatively conserved sequences, had variable CNs across the isolates which were correlated with the variability of either virulence or thermotolerance of B. bassiana isolates. The data obtained is important for a better understanding of population structure, ecological and potential impact when isolates are used as mycoinsecticides and can justify industrialization of new isolates.