Cordyceps, Scarlet Club · 2025 · Journal Article
Medium relevanceNeuroparasitology: Fungal effectors induce feeding in zombie silkworms.
Cordyceps militaris
Cognition & nerves
Key points
- Some entomopathogenic fungi hijack host behavior to increase their pathogenicity, but how they do so has largely remained a mystery
- A recent paper shows that Cordyceps militaris fungi produce insect-like trehalase enzymes to induce perceived starvation in silkworms, leading to increased feeding and greater production of infectious spores
From the paper
Abstract
Some entomopathogenic fungi hijack host behavior to increase their pathogenicity, but how they do so has largely remained a mystery. A recent paper shows that Cordyceps militaris fungi produce insect-like trehalase enzymes to induce perceived starvation in silkworms, leading to increased feeding and greater production of infectious spores.
Citation
Beckerson WC (2025). Neuroparasitology: Fungal effectors induce feeding in zombie silkworms. Current biology: CB https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.06.069 PMID: 40763701
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