The Effect of Surfactants of Microbial Origin on Phytopathogenic Microorganisms

Biodegradable non-toxic surfactants of microbial origin are multifunctional preparations, which due to antimicrobial activity are promising for use in crop production to control phytopathogenic microorganisms. Studies on the prospects of using microbial surfactants to control the number of phytopathogenic microorganisms are conducted in three directions: laboratory studies of antimicrobial activity of surfactants in vitro, determination of the effect of surfactants on phytopathogens in vegetative experiments in the process of plants growing in a laboratory or greenhouse, post-harvest treatment of fruits and vegetables with solutions of microbial surfactants to extend their shelf life. The review presents literature data on antimicrobial activity of surfactants against phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi in vitro. Antimicrobial activity of surfactants is evaluated by three main parameters: minimum inhibitory concentration, zones of growth retardation of test cultures on agar media and inhibition of growth of test cultures on agar or liquid media. The vast majority of available publications relate to the antifungal activity of surfactant lipopeptides and rhamnolipids, while data on the effect of these microbial surfactants on phytopathogenic bacteria (representatives of the genera Ralstonia, Xanthomonas, Pseudomonas, Agrobacterium, Pectobacterium) are few. The researchers determined the antimicrobial activity of either total lipopeptides extracted with organic solvents from the culture broth supernatant, or individual lipopeptides (iturin, surfactin, fengycin, etc.) isolated from a complex of surfactants, or culture broth supernatant. Lipopeptides synthesized by members of the genus Bacillus exhibit antimicrobial activity on phytopathogenic fungi of the genera Alternaria, Verticillium, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium, Botrytis, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Penicillium, Phytophora, Sclerotinia, Curvularia, Colletotrichum, etc. in sufficiently high concentrations. Thus, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of lipopeptides against phytopathogenic fungi are orders of magnitude higher (in average 0.04–8.0 mg/mL, or 40–8000 μg/mL) than against phytopathogenic bacteria (3–75 μg/mL). However, the antifungal activity of lipopeptidecontaining supernatants is not inferior by the efficiency to the activity of lipopeptides isolated from them, and therefore, to control the number of phytopathogenic fungi in crop production, the use of lipopeptidecontaining supernatants is more appropriate. Rhamnolipids synthesized by bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas are more effective antimicrobial agents comparing to lipopeptides: the minimum inhibitory concentrations of rhamnolipids against phytopathogenic fungi are 4–276 μg/mL, which is an order of magnitude lower than lipopeptides. In contrast to the data on the antifungal activity of rhamnolipids against phytopathogens, there are only a few reports in the literature on the effect of these surfactants on phytopathogenic bacteria, whilst the minimal inhibitory concentrations are quite high (up to 5000 μg/mL). The advantage of rhamnolipids as antimicrobial agents compared to lipopeptides is the high level of synthesis on cheap and available in large quantities industrial waste. Currently in the literature there is little information about the effect of surface-active sophorolipids of microbial origin on phytopathogenic fungi, and all these works are mainly about the antifungal activity of sophorolipids. We note that in contrast to surfactant lipopeptides and rhamnolipids, the effective concentration of most sophorolipids, which provides the highest antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens, is higher and reaches 10,000 μg/mL.

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil and Antimicrobial Properties of Crude Extract From Tanacetum Corymbosum (L.) Shi. Bip.

The GC-MS analysis of the essential oil from Tanacetum corymbosum revealed the presence of 38 compounds, including terpenes - germacrene D, (Z)-β-farnesene, g-elemene, β-caryophyllene, aliphatic - palmitic and linoleic fatty acids, fatty alcohol n-octadecanol, higher alkane n-heneicosane as the major constituents. The in vitro antimicrobial assessment of the ethanolic extract showed promising antibacterial/antifungal activities against five Gram-(+), Gram-(-) and phytopathogenic bacteria species and two fungi strains. The data obtained in this study may be useful both for researchers and for producers interested in new or less studied species of medicinal plants in healthcare and their biological activities.

The Regulatory Functions of σ54 Factor in Phytopathogenic Bacteria

σ54 factor (RpoN), a type of transcriptional regulatory factor, is widely found in pathogenic bacteria. It binds to core RNA polymerase (RNAP) and regulates the transcription of many functional genes in an enhancer-binding protein (EBP)-dependent manner. σ54 has two conserved functional domains: the activator-interacting domain located at the N-terminal and the DNA-binding domain located at the C-terminal. RpoN directly binds to the highly conserved sequence, GGN10GC, at the −24/−12 position relative to the transcription start site of target genes. In general, bacteria contain one or two RpoNs but multiple EBPs. A single RpoN can bind to different EBPs in order to regulate various biological functions. Thus, the overlapping and unique regulatory pathways of two RpoNs and multiple EBP-dependent regulatory pathways form a complex regulatory network in bacteria. However, the regulatory role of RpoN and EBPs is still poorly understood in phytopathogenic bacteria, which cause economically important crop diseases and pose a serious threat to world food security. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the regulatory function of RpoN, including swimming motility, flagella synthesis, bacterial growth, type IV pilus (T4Ps), twitching motility, type III secretion system (T3SS), and virulence-associated phenotypes in phytopathogenic bacteria. These findings and knowledge prove the key regulatory role of RpoN in bacterial growth and pathogenesis, as well as lay the groundwork for further elucidation of the complex regulatory network of RpoN in bacteria.

OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR CULTIVATION OF BACTERIOPHAGES PROMISING FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF PHYTOPATHOGENIC BACTERIA OF GENUS PSEUDOMONAS

Cultural parameters of bacteriophages screened for lytic activity toward host bacterial strain P. helmanticensis BIM В-582 D were investigated. The following conditions were shown to be optimal for cultivation of indicator culture and it’s lysis by Pseudomonas phages BIM ВV-45 D, BIM ВV-46 D, BIM ВV-47 D, BIM ВV-50 D, BIM ВV-53 D, BIM ВV-61 D in laboratory fermenters ANKUM-3M: nutrient medium – fish meal hydrolysate broth, temperature – 28°C, stirrer agitation rate – 160 rpm, aeration rate – 1 l air/ l medium per min. Biopreparation produced under optimized conditions and composed of six afore-mentioned phages display high lytic activity both in regard to the host strain and to phytopathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas syringae.

The Knockout of Enterobactin-Related Gene in Pectobacterium atrosepticum Results in Reduced Stress Resistance and Virulence towards the Primed Plants

Siderophores produced by microorganisms to scavenge iron from the environment have been shown to contribute to virulence and/or stress resistance of some plant pathogenic bacteria. Phytopathogenic bacteria of Pectobacterium genus possess genes for the synthesis of siderophore enterobactin, which role in plant-pathogen interactions has not been elucidated. In the present study we characterized the phenotype of the mutant strain of Pba deficient for the enterobactin-biosynthetic gene entA. We showed that enterobactin may be considered as a conditionally beneficial virulence factor of Pba. The entA knockout did not reduce Pba virulence on non-primed plants; however, salicylic acid-primed plants were more resistant to ΔentA mutant than to the wild type Pba. The reduced virulence of ΔentA mutant towards the primed plants is likely explained by its compromised resistance to oxidative stress.

Lytic Exoenzymes of Soil Strains of Bacillus Representatives and Manifestations of their Biological Activity

Bacteria of the genus Bacillus make up a significant (8–12%) part of the soil microbiome. Manifestation of their biological activity, in particular, the antagonistic and lytic activity against other microorganisms directly depends on their exometabolites. According to the literature, such properties of soil bacteria of the genus Bacillus thus can be related to their various lytic exoenzymes. Aim. To evaluate the role of lytic exoenzymes of the studied soil bacteria strains of the genus Bacillus in the manifestation of their biological (antagonistic, lysing) activity. Methods. The antagonistic activity of bacteria strains of the genus Bacillus against phytopathogenic micromycetes was determined by the method of double culture in Petri dishes on potato-glucose agar. For qualitative analysis of the presence of extracellular enzymes, strains of bacteria of the genus Bacillus were plated on Petri dishes with solid mineral-salt medium and a suitable substrate inducer. The ratio of the diameter of substrate hydrolysis zone to the diameter of the colony was taken as the relative enzymatic activity of the culture. Bacteriolytic activity of the studied strains was determined by the change in optical density of living cells of phytopathogenic bacteria suspension at 540 nm. Results. Six strains of bacteria of the genus Bacillus were selected by the results of preliminary screening, with at least five types of lytic activity, namely proteolytic, chitinase, amylolytic, cellulase, and xylanase of different levels (low, average, high). Analysis of the antagonistic activity of the selected strains of bacteria of the genus Bacillus to the main groups of phytopathogenic bacteria (six test cultures) singled out the strain Bacillus sp. 41 for a careful study of the nature and spectrum of its antagonism. Analysis of the level of antagonistic activity of the selected Bacillus strains against the phytopathogenic micromycetes showed that the minimum decrease of antagonism (the decrease of growth inhibition zones) during the observation period (at the 3rd and 7th days) was in Bacillus sp. 41 strain. Therefore, only this strain showed a stable and relatively wide range of antagonistic activity against phytopathogens of bacterial and fungal etiology. The nature of this antagonism is probably complex and conditioned by the participation of various biochemical mechanisms, in particular, the synthesis of a complex of lytic exoenzymes. To assess the lysing activity of Bacillus strains, three strains with the highest proteolytic and cellulolytic activity of exoenzymes were taken from the six previously chosen. Only Bacillus sp.1913 strain showed high (70%) lytic activity against gram-negative polyphagous phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae UCM B-1027T. Such activity of the strain did not manifest against the rest of the phytopathogenic test cultures. The high lytic activity of Bacillus sp. 1913 strain may be associated with high activity of exogenous proteases and cellulases of the lytic complex, which is quite consistent with the literature data on the lytic activity of bacteria of the genus Bacillus. Conclusions. The spectrum and activity of lytic exoenzymes of strains of the studied soil bacteria of the genus Bacillus indicate the indirect participation of these enzymes in the manifestation of biological activity (antagonistic and lytic).

Identification of Pseudomonas cichorii (Swingle 1925) Stapp 1928 in hydroponic culture of lettuce in Russia

Relevance. Lettuce (Latin: Lactúca satíva) is a species of annual herbaceous plant in the genus Lettuce of the Asteraceae family. As a vegetable crop, it is cultivated everywhere in the world, and its hydroponic cultivation technology has received special development in recent years. One of the common pathogens of lettuce is Pseudomonas cichorii, causing bacterial diseases of several important cultivated plants. In this regard, the study of the occurrence of this pathogen is important.Material and methodology. The study was conducted on the basis of the Department of Agrobiotechnology of the ATI of RUDN University. The samples were provided by a commercial manufacturer of lettuce grown on a flow-through hydroponic line under conditions of minimal microbial contamination. The study of phytopathogenic bacteria includes a number of stages: isolation of bacteria on semi-selective culture media and obtaining a pure culture of bacteria; setting a test for pathogenicity (virulence); studying the phenotypic properties of bacteria; determining the taxonomic position of the isolated strains by molecular methods. All studies were conducted in accordance with the standard methods of identification of phytopathogenic bacteria.Results. As a result of the work, the distribution of the species Pseudomonas cichorii in the hydroponic culture of lettuce in the Russian Federation was confirmed. Although, according to the EPPO database, P. cichorii was first described in Russia in 1965 by microbiological methods, but isolated bacteria are not available in microbiological collections to confirm this conclusion with appropriate diagnostic methods. Twelve isolates of P. cichoriiwere studied by a biochemical and phytopathological tests, and four isolates (01, 04, 06, and 12) that showed the greatest aggressiveness on host plants and tobacco leaves were identified by DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene fragment. The obtained DNA fragments showed a high similarity (99-100%) with the sequences of P. cichoriifrom the Genebank. Evaluation of the virulence of the isolated isolates on a number of other cultivated plants, and the uniformity of their biochemical characteristics showed that they represent a group of bacteria specialized in lettuce.

Nano-metals forming bacteria in Egypt. I. Synthesis, characterization and effect on some phytopathogenic bacteria in vitro

Bacterial metal reducers were isolated from water samples collected from harsh condition locations in Egypt. Four selected isolates were identified as Enterococcus thailandicus, Pseudomonas putida, Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus, and P. geniculata for Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co) and Zinc (Zn) Nanoparticles (NPs) production sequentially. Nitrate reductase enzyme was assayed for bacterial isolates which demonstrated that P. putida, and M. hydrocarbonoclasticus have the maximum enzyme production. The produced NPs were characterized by using XRD, TEM, UV–VIS spectroscopy. Magnetic properties for all selected metals NPs were measured using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and demonstrated that FeNPs recorded the highest magnetization value. The antibacterial activity of selected metals NPs was tested against some phytopathogenic bacteria causing the following diseases: soft rot (Pectobacterium carotovorum, Enterobacter cloacae), blackleg (Pectobacterium atrosepticum and Dickeya solani), brown rot (Ralstonia solanacearum), fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) and crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens). All metals NPs showed an antagonistic effect against the tested isolates, particularly, FeNPs showed the highest antibacterial activity followed by CuNPs, and ZnNPs. Due to the small size, high reactivity, and large surface area of biologically synthesized NPs, they are used as a good disinfector, and can be considered as a new and alternative approach to traditional disease management methods.