scholarly journals Comprehensive genomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis 9407 reveals its biocontrol potential against bacterial fruit blotch

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofei Gu ◽  
Qingchao Zeng ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Jishun Li ◽  
Yu Zhao ◽  
...  

AbstractBacillus subtilis, a plant-beneficial bacterial species exhibiting good biocontrol capabilities, has been widely used in agricultural production. The endophytic strain 9407 can efficiently control bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) caused by the gram-negative bacterium Acidovorax citrulli. However, the mechanism underlying its biocontrol ability remains poorly understood. Given the genomic diversity of B. subtilis, strain 9407 was sequenced and assembled in this study to determine the genome information associated with its biocontrol traits. A combination of core genome phylogenetic analysis and average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis demonstrated that the 9407 strain belonged to B. subtilis. Various functional genes related to biocontrol traits, i.e., biofilm formation, motility, pathogen inhibition, plant growth promotion, and induction of systemic resistance, were identified in B. subtilis 9407. Four secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters with antibacterial ability were also found in the B. subtilis 9407 genome, including newly identified subtilosin A, bacilysin, and bacillaene, and the previously reported surfactin. Mutants lacking sboA or bacG, which are defective in synthesizing subtilosin A or bacilysin, showed decreased inhibitory activity against A. citrulli MH21, and the triple mutant with deleted sboA, bacG, and srfAB almost completely lost its inhibitory activity. The biofilm formation and swarming motility of the sboA and bacG mutants also decreased, in turn leading to decreased colonization on melon roots and leaves. Under greenhouse conditions, the biocontrol efficacy of the sboA and bacG mutants against BFB on melon leaves decreased by 21.4 and 32.3%, respectively. Here, we report a new biocontrol pathway of B. subtilis 9407 against BFB, in which subtilosin A and bacilysin contributed to the biocontrol efficacy by improving antibacterial activity and colonization ability of the strain. The comprehensive genomic analysis of B. subtilis 9407 improves our understanding of the biocontrol mechanisms of B. subtilis, providing support for further research of its biocontrol mechanisms and field applications.

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (34) ◽  
pp. 11949-11962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey S. Marmont ◽  
Gregory B. Whitfield ◽  
Roland Pfoh ◽  
Rohan J. Williams ◽  
Trevor E. Randall ◽  
...  

Pel is a GalNAc-rich bacterial polysaccharide that contributes to the structure and function of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. The pelABCDEFG operon is highly conserved among diverse bacterial species, and Pel may therefore be a widespread biofilm determinant. Previous annotation of pel gene clusters has helped us identify an additional gene, pelX, that is present adjacent to pelABCDEFG in >100 different bacterial species. The pelX gene is predicted to encode a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily, but its potential role in Pel-dependent biofilm formation is unknown. Herein, we have used Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 as a model to elucidate PelX function as Pseudomonas aeruginosa lacks a pelX homologue in its pel gene cluster. We found that P. protegens forms Pel-dependent biofilms; however, despite expression of pelX under these conditions, biofilm formation was unaffected in a ΔpelX strain. This observation led us to identify a pelX paralogue, PFL_5533, which we designate here PgnE, that appears to be functionally redundant to pelX. In line with this, a ΔpelX ΔpgnE double mutant was substantially impaired in its ability to form Pel-dependent biofilms. To understand the molecular basis for this observation, we determined the structure of PelX to 2.1 Å resolution. The structure revealed that PelX resembles UDP-GlcNAc C4-epimerases. Using 1H NMR analysis, we show that PelX catalyzes the epimerization between UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-GalNAc. Our results indicate that Pel-dependent biofilm formation requires a UDP-GlcNAc C4-epimerase that generates the UDP-GalNAc precursors required by the Pel synthase machinery for polymer production.


Microbiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 166 (12) ◽  
pp. 1121-1128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J. Mullins ◽  
Yinshui Li ◽  
Lu Qin ◽  
Xiaojia Hu ◽  
Lihua Xie ◽  
...  

The genomes of two historical Bacillus species strains isolated from the roots of oilseed rape and used routinely in PR China as biocontrol agents to suppress Sclerotinia disease were sequenced. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization analyses demonstrated that they were originally misclassified as Bacillus subtilis and now belong to the bacterial species Bacillus velezensis . A broader ANI analysis of available Bacillus genomes identified 292 B. velezensis genomes that were then subjected to core gene analysis and phylogenomics. Prediction and dereplication of specialized metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) defined the prevalence of multiple antimicrobial-associated BGCs and highlighted the natural product potential of B. velezensis . By defining the core and accessory antimicrobial biosynthetic capacity of the species, we offer an in-depth understanding of B. velezensis natural product capacity to facilitate the selection and testing of B. velezensis strains for use as biological control agents.


2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 422-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuping Luo ◽  
Xuehui Liu ◽  
Huafei Zhou ◽  
Xiaoyu Wang ◽  
Zhiyi Chen

ABSTRACTBacilluscyclic lipopeptides (LPs) have been well studied for their phytopathogen-antagonistic activities. Recently, research has shown that these LPs also contribute to the phenotypic features ofBacillusstrains, such as hemolytic activity, swarming motility, biofilm formation, and colony morphology.Bacillus subtilis916 not only coproduces the three families of well-known LPs, i.e., surfactins, bacillomycin Ls (iturin family), and fengycins, but also produces a new family of LP called locillomycins. The genome ofB. subtilis916 contains four nonribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) gene clusters,srf,bmy,fen, andloc, which are responsible for the biosynthesis of surfactins, bacillomycin Ls, fengycins, and locillomycins, respectively. By studyingB. subtilis916 mutants lacking production of one, two, or three LPs, we attempted to unveil the connections between LPs and phenotypic features. We demonstrated that bacillomycin Ls and fengycins contribute mainly to antifungal activity. Although surfactins have weak antifungal activityin vitro, the strain mutated insrfAAhad significantly decreased antifungal activity. This may be due to the impaired productions of fengycins and bacillomycin Ls. We also found that the disruption of any LP gene cluster other thanfenresulted in a change in colony morphology. While surfactins and bacillomycin Ls play very important roles in hemolytic activity, swarming motility, and biofilm formation, the fengycins and locillomycins had little influence on these phenotypic features. In conclusion,B. subtilis916 coproduces four families of LPs which contribute to the phenotypic features ofB. subtilis916 in an intricate way.


2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan K. Fritts ◽  
Breah LaSarre ◽  
Ari M. Stoner ◽  
Amanda L. Posto ◽  
James B. McKinlay

ABSTRACT Bacteria predominantly exist as members of surfaced-attached communities known as biofilms. Many bacterial species initiate biofilms and adhere to each other using cell surface adhesins. This is the case for numerous ecologically diverse Alphaprotebacteria, which use polar exopolysaccharide adhesins for cell-cell adhesion and surface attachment. Here, we show that Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a metabolically versatile member of the alphaproteobacterial order Rhizobiales, contains a functional unipolar polysaccharide (UPP) biosynthesis gene cluster. Deletion of genes predicted to be critical for UPP biosynthesis and export abolished UPP production. We also found that R. palustris uses UPP to mediate biofilm formation across diverse photoheterotrophic growth conditions, wherein light and organic substrates are used to support growth. However, UPP was less important for biofilm formation during photoautotrophy, where light and CO2 support growth, and during aerobic respiration with organic compounds. Expanding our analysis beyond R. palustris, we examined the phylogenetic distribution and genomic organization of UPP gene clusters among Rhizobiales species that inhabit diverse niches. Our analysis suggests that UPP is a conserved ancestral trait of the Rhizobiales but that it has been independently lost multiple times during the evolution of this clade, twice coinciding with adaptation to intracellular lifestyles within animal hosts. IMPORTANCE Bacteria are ubiquitously found as surface-attached communities and cellular aggregates in nature. Here, we address how bacterial adhesion is coordinated in response to diverse environments using two complementary approaches. First, we examined how Rhodopseudomonas palustris, one of the most metabolically versatile organisms ever described, varies its adhesion to surfaces in response to different environmental conditions. We identified critical genes for the production of a unipolar polysaccharide (UPP) and showed that UPP is important for adhesion when light and organic substrates are used for growth. Looking beyond R. palustris, we performed the most comprehensive survey to date on the conservation of UPP biosynthesis genes among a group of closely related bacteria that occupy diverse niches. Our findings suggest that UPP is important for free-living and plant-associated lifestyles but dispensable for animal pathogens. Additionally, we propose guidelines for classifying the adhesins produced by various Alphaprotebacteria, facilitating future functional and comparative studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1928
Author(s):  
Tawanda E. Maguvu ◽  
Cornelius C. Bezuidenhout

Comparative genomics, in particular, pan-genome analysis, provides an in-depth understanding of the genetic variability and dynamics of a bacterial species. Coupled with whole-genome-based taxonomic analysis, these approaches can help to provide comprehensive, detailed insights into a bacterial species. Here, we report whole-genome-based taxonomic classification and comparative genomic analysis of potential human pathogenic Enterobacter hormaechei subsp. hoffmannii isolated from chlorinated wastewater. Genome Blast Distance Phylogeny (GBDP), digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), and average nucleotide identity (ANI) confirmed the identity of the isolates. The algorithm PathogenFinder predicted the isolates to be human pathogens with a probability of greater than 0.78. The potential pathogenic nature of the isolates was supported by the presence of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), aerobactin, and aryl polyenes (APEs), which are known to be associated with pathogenic/virulent strains. Moreover, analysis of the genome sequences of the isolates reflected the presence of an arsenal of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes that augment the predictions of the algorithm PathogenFinder. The study comprehensively elucidated the genomic features of pathogenic Enterobacter isolates from wastewaters, highlighting the role of wastewaters in the dissemination of pathogenic microbes, and the need for monitoring the effectiveness of the wastewater treatment process.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey S. Marmont ◽  
Gregory B. Whitfield ◽  
Roland Pfoh ◽  
Rohan J. Williams ◽  
Trevor E. Randall ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTPel is an N-acetylgalactosamine rich polysaccharide that contributes to the structure and function of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. The pelABCDEFG operon is highly conserved among diverse bacterial species, and thus Pel may be a widespread biofilm determinant. Previous annotation of pel gene clusters led us to identify an additional gene, pelX, that is found adjacent to pelABCDEFG in over 100 different bacterial species. The pelX gene is predicted to encode a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily of enzymes, but its potential role in Pel-dependent biofilm formation is unknown. Herein, we have used Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 as a model to understand PelX function as P. aeruginosa lacks a pelX homologue in its pel gene cluster. We find that P. protegens forms Pel-dependent biofilms, however, despite expression of pelX under these conditions, biofilm formation was unaffected in a ΔpelX strain. This observation led to our identification of the pelX paralogue, PFL_5533, which we designate pgnE, that appears to be functionally redundant to pelX. In line with this, a ΔpelX ΔpgnE double mutant was substantially impaired in its ability to form Pel-dependent biofilms. To understand the molecular basis for this observation, we determined the structure of PelX to 2.1Å resolution. The structure revealed that PelX resembles UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) C4-epimerases and, using 1H NMR analysis, we show that PelX catalyzes the epimerization between UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-GalNAc. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Pel-dependent biofilm formation requires a UDP-GlcNAc C4-epimerase that generates the UDP-GalNAc precursors required by the Pel synthase machinery for polymer production.


2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40
Author(s):  
Baghdad Science Journal

Twenty four bacterial isolates were identified from (10) places for wandering sellers in south Baghdad city (Bayaa garage). They were Staphylococcus aureus (9 isolates), Bacillus subtilis (6 isolates), Salmonella spp. (4 isolates) and Psudomonas aeruginosa (5 isolates). Agar well diffusion method was used to definition sensitivity of the fresh and dried juice of Capsicum grossum L. and Allium cepal L. at different concentrations. The fresh juice had no inhibitory activity against the bacterial isolates in contrast to the fresh juice , dried juice which show marked activity against all bacterial isolates at (30) mg/ml.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan K Fritts ◽  
Breah LaSarre ◽  
Ari M Stoner ◽  
Amanda L Posto ◽  
James B McKinlay

Bacteria predominantly exist as members of surfaced-attached communities known as biofilms. Many bacterial species initiate biofilms and adhere to each other using cell surface adhesins. This is the case for numerous ecologically diverse α-proteobacteria, which use polar exopolysaccharide adhesins for cell-cell adhesion and surface attachment. Here, we show that Rhodopseudomonas palustris, a metabolically versatile member of the α-proteobacterial order Rhizobiales, encodes a functional unipolar polysaccharide (UPP) biosynthesis gene cluster. Deletion of genes predicted to be critical for UPP biosynthesis and export abolished UPP production. We also found that R. palustris uses UPP to mediate biofilm formation across diverse photoheterotrophic growth conditions, wherein light and organic substrates are used to support growth. However, UPP was less important for biofilm formation during photoautotrophy, where light and CO2 support growth, and during aerobic respiration with organic compounds. Expanding our analysis beyond R. palustris, we examined the phylogenetic distribution and genomic organization of UPP gene clusters among Rhizobiales species that inhabit diverse niches. Our analysis suggests that UPP is a conserved ancestral trait of the Rhizobiales but that it has been independently lost multiple times during the evolution of this clade, twice coinciding with adaptation to intracellular lifestyles within animal hosts.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (10) ◽  
pp. 3086-3091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Bleich ◽  
Jeramie D. Watrous ◽  
Pieter C. Dorrestein ◽  
Albert A. Bowers ◽  
Elizabeth A. Shank

Bacteria have evolved the ability to produce a wide range of structurally complex natural products historically called “secondary” metabolites. Although some of these compounds have been identified as bacterial communication cues, more frequently natural products are scrutinized for antibiotic activities that are relevant to human health. However, there has been little regard for how these compounds might otherwise impact the physiology of neighboring microbes present in complex communities. Bacillus cereus secretes molecules that activate expression of biofilm genes in Bacillus subtilis. Here, we use imaging mass spectrometry to identify the thiocillins, a group of thiazolyl peptide antibiotics, as biofilm matrix-inducing compounds produced by B. cereus. We found that thiocillin increased the population of matrix-producing B. subtilis cells and that this activity could be abolished by multiple structural alterations. Importantly, a mutation that eliminated thiocillin’s antibiotic activity did not affect its ability to induce biofilm gene expression in B. subtilis. We go on to show that biofilm induction appears to be a general phenomenon of multiple structurally diverse thiazolyl peptides and use this activity to confirm the presence of thiazolyl peptide gene clusters in other bacterial species. Our results indicate that the roles of secondary metabolites initially identified as antibiotics may have more complex effects—acting not only as killing agents, but also as specific modulators of microbial cellular phenotypes.


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