Enhanced DNA Extraction from Fungal Cells: Exploring the Advantages of
Blastospores Versus Mycelia
Abstract
Beauveria bassiana, a necrotrophic fungus thriving in diverse
ecosystems, predominantly on arthropods, holds significant importance as
a biological agent. The escalating relevance of genetic studies on fungi
necessitates the development of efficient and robust DNA extraction
techniques to ensure the acquisition of high-quality DNA. B.
bassiana was cultured to produce either mycelia or blastospores. Six
DNA extraction procedures and two pre-treatment conditions were
independently adopted to evaluate their efficacy in obtaining high
molecular weight, high concentration, and high-quality DNA from both
blastospores and mycelia. Quantification of the extracted DNA was
achieved through qPCR analysis targeting the single-copy γ-Actin gene,
with validation of amplification specificity and determination of
amplification efficiency conducted through standardized protocols and
standard curve construction. Statistical analysis indicated that, under
all conditions, blastospores yielded more promising results.
Blastospores exhibited a mean antilog of 5.0344 + 0.20 for DNA copy
concentration, surpassing mycelial cells averaging 2.5069 + 0.20.
Additionally, blastospores outperformed mycelial cells in DNA quality,
as evidenced by their 260/280 and 260/230 ratios (31.5% within the
range for blastospores vs. 7.4% for mycelial cells, p-value=0.002).
Moreover, blastospores produced higher molecular weight DNA, averaging
10770.5 base pairs compared to mycelial cells at 8139.0 base pairs
(p-value <0.001). This study underscores the superiority of
DNA extraction from blastospores compared to mycelial cells of B.
bassiana. These findings have broader implications for other dimorphic
fungi and open new avenues in the realms of molecular biology and
microbial ecology, particularly in genetic and evolutionary studies.