Biotechnological potential of Beauveria bassiana as a source of novel biocatalysts and metabolites

Beauveria bassiana though widely perceived as an entomopathogenic fungus has also been found in nature to be endophytic. As entomopathogens, the life cycle of different B. bassiana strains are organized and adapted as pathogens to their invertebrate hosts while as endophytes they maintain a symbiotic relationship with their plant hosts. To fulfill these aforementioned ecological roles, this fungus secretes an array of enzymes as well as secondary metabolites, which all have significant biological roles. Basically, chitinases, lipases and proteases are considered to be the most important of all the enzymes produced by B. bassiana. However, studies have also shown their ability to produce other vital enzymes which include amylase, asparaginase, cellulase, galactosidase etc. Previous reports on this filamentous fungus have laid more emphasis on its entomopathogenicity, its endophytism and its highly acclaimed application in the biological control of pests. This review, however, is the first to fully assess the enzyme-secreting potential of this entomopathogenic fungus and its use as a novel source of several industrial biocatalysts and other important biochemicals. This article highlights the inherent properties of the fungus to degrade various biopolymers as well as its relative safety for human use. Some of the important factors have raised the possibilities of exploitation for industrial production and as safe hosts for gene expression.