RAPD Analyse to Detect Genetic Diversity of Beauveria bassiana from the Silkworm, Bombyx mori in China

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, an important biological control agent of lepidopteron, is also the key pathogen to cause epizootic among the silkworm, Bombyx mori, a kind of insect very economically important as producer of silk in China. At present, very little is known about the isolates that are associated with the endemic or epizootic phases of this disease agent. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) band patterns was used to genotypically characterizing the twenty-one isolates of B. bassiana from the main sericultural areas of China, with the host the silkworm, Bombyx mori. Unweighted pair group mean average (UPGMA) cluster analysis of RAPD data yielded two clades. Bb13, Bb17 and Bb20 from Liaoning, Shaanxi and Jilin province respectively were in the same clade. RAPD banding pattern in present work revealed that genetic diversity of B. bassiana isolates was generally close related with geographical distribution.