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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Development of Metarhizium anisopliae as a Mycoinsecticide: From Isolation to Field Performance
Published on: July 30, 2017
Metarhizium anisopliae Produces Dimethyl Disulfide and Dimethyl Trisulfide as Broad-Spectrum Volatile Nematicides
Renjun Zhang1,2,3,4, Yueqing Cao1,2,3,4, Kai Jin1,2,3,4
1School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing401331, China.
None:
Metarhizium spp. are widely used as biocontrol agents against insect pests, but the chemical basis underlying their nematicidal activity remains largely unknown. Here, bioassay-guided fractionation and GC-MS identified dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) as the major volatile nematicidal compounds produced by Metarhizium anisopliae. Both compounds exhibited concentration-dependent activity against three plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), with 24 h LC50 values of 0.19-1.38 μg/mL for DMDS and 0.04-0.07 μg/mL for DMTS. In tomato pot trials, the fermentation broth achieved 79.49% control efficacy against Meloidogyne incognita, significantly higher than abamectin (68.24%). The GFP-labeled fungus colonized tomato roots and persisted in the rhizosphere for 60 days. Molecular docking and physiological assays suggested that DMDS and DMTS disrupt calcium homeostasis, impair mitochondrial function, and induce ROS accumulation. These findings provide new insight into the volatile-mediated nematicidal activity of M. anisopliae and support its development as an environmentally friendly bionematicide.
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