FIG 1.

Utilizing VRF1 for fungal transformation. (A) The parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator and its host Helicoverpa armigera. (B) Ventral appearance of M. mediator and anatomy of organs for parasitic behavior. Venom protein VRF1 is produced by the venom gland and accumulated by the venom reservoir. (C) Schematic diagram of the construction of Beauveria bassiana integrated with VRF1. The signal peptide of VRF1 was replaced by the signal peptide of chitinase (named Bbsp) of B. bassiana ARSEF 2860 (GenBank ID: XM_008601414.1) for secretion expression, and the 3′ end of VRF1 was fused with mCherry for visualization. This fusion form was ligated into pPK2-Bar-EGFP, a vector for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, which retained the phosphinothricin resistance gene (bar) for selection. During the infection with transformant BbVRF1, VRF1 was secreted into the hemocoel of H. armigera.