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Investigation of the entomogenous fungus Setosphaeria rostrate LGWB-10 from Harmonia axyridis led to the isolation of four new isocoumarin derivatives, setosphlides A–D (1–4), and four known analogues (5–8). Their planar structures and the relative configurations were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic methods. The absolute configurations of isocoumarin nucleus for 1–4 were elucidated by their ECD spectra. The C-10 relative configurations for the pair of C-10 epimers (1 and 2) were established by comparing the magnitude of the computed 13C NMR chemical shifts (Δδcalcd.) with the experimental 13C NMR values (Δδexp.) for the epimers. All of the isolated compounds (1–8) were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against four human tumor cell lines MCF-7, MGC-803, HeLa, and Huh-7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the host specificity of Ophiocordyceps nutans against hemipteran insects in the wild, we determined the relationship between host species and rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) variation in O. nutans. The analyzed fungal specimens infected 16 host species belonging to four families of Hemiptera. The molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that O. nutans can be classified into two types corresponding to their host families. The genetic distance values between the two types were very remote (>0.084), and the strains of O. nutans that parasitized Halyomorpha halys and Plautia crossota stali, well-known insect pests, formed a subclade. The results suggest that O. nutans should have host specificity which can be valuable for developing biological control agents against specific hemipteran insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the differences between Cordyceps, Paecilomyces (= Isaria) and Nomuraea, we collected seven entomogenous fungi grown in natural field and analyzed the profiles of water-soluble constituents derived from some different sources of Cordyceps, Paecilomyces and Nomuraea by determination using capillary electrophoresis. C. sinensis and C. kyushuensis showed similar peak clusters of protein migrated at 5–7, 8–9, and 12–20 min. The peak clusters obtained from N. atypicola was similar to those of C. sinensis and C. kyushuensis. The water-soluble constituent clusters of C. militaris migrated at 5–9 and 10–15 min were partly different from those of other Cordyceps. It was also revealed that the P. tenuipes and P. cicadae showed lesser peak clusters rather than Cordyceps. These results indicated that the profiles of protein of these entomogenous fungi by capillary electrophoretic analysis could serve as fingerprints for classification and medicinal quality control of Cordyceps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cordyceps owariensis f. viridescens forma nov. (Nom. Jap., Amami-yarinohosemitake) is described from an underground nymph of Platypleura kuroiwae collected in Amami-oshima Island, southwestern Japan. Cultural isolations were made from ascospores of the fresh material of this fungus, and consequently a new hyphomycete was developed as its anamorph. Nomuraea owariensis is described to accommodate this anamorphic state. This is the first report on the association of a Nomuraea anamorph with cicadicolous Cordyceps species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An illustrated scheme of the life cycle of Entomophthora virulenta shows that an alternation of the conidal and resting spore stages is involved. The resting spores are azygospores; chlamydospores are also present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]