A new strain of Arthrinium phaeospermum isolated from Carex kobomugi Ohwi is capable of gibberellin production.

Plant growth-promoting endophytic fungi with gibberellin-producing ability were isolated from the roots of Carex kobomugi Ohwi, a common sand-dune plant, and bioassayed for plant growth-promotion. A new strain, Arthrinium phaeospermum KACC43901, promoted growth of waito-c rice and Atriplex gemelinii. Analysis of its culture filtrate showed the presence of bioactive GA(1) (0.5 ng/ml), GA(3) (8.8 ng/ml), GA(4) (4.7 ng/ml) and GA(7) (2.2 ng/ml) along with physiologically inactive GA(5) (0.4 ng/ml), GA(9) (0.6 ng/ml), GA(12) (0.4 ng/ml), GA(15) (0.4 ng/ml), GA(19) (0.9 ng/ml) and GA(24) (1.8 ng/ml). The fungal isolate was identified through sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA (internal transcribed region).

Escherichia coli can produce recombinant chitinase in the soil to control the pathogenesis by Fusarium oxysporum without colonization.

Fusarium wilt of cucumbers was effectively controlled by Escherichia coli expressing an endochitinase gene (chiA), and the rate was as effective (60.0%) as the wildtype strain S. proteamaculans 3095 (55.0%) where the gene was cloned. However, live cells of soil inoculated E. coli host harboring the chiA gene did not proliferate but declined 100-fold from 108 CFU during the first week and showed less than 10 cells after day 14, suggesting that E. coli was able to express and produce the chitinase enzyme to the soil even as the population was gradually decreasing. Because the majority of the strains was alive for only a short period of time and the Fusarium-affected seedlings showed symptoms of wilting within 7-10 days, it seems that the pathogen control was decided early after the introduction of the biocontrol agent, eliminating the survival of the antagonist. These results indicated that soil inoculated E. coli could sufficiently express and produce the recombinant protein to control the pathogen, and root or soil colonization of the antagonist might not be a significant factor in determining the efficacy of biological control.

Cloning and analysis of a type II polyketide synthase gene cluster from Streptomyces toxytricini NRRL 15,443.

A standard type II polyketide synthase (PKS) gene cluster was isolated while attempting to clone the biosynthetic gene for lipstatin from Streptomyces toxytricini NRRL 15,443. This result was observed using a Southern blot of a PstI-digested S. toxytricini chromosomal DNA library with a 444 bp amplified probe of a ketosynthase (KS) gene fragment. Four open reading frames [thioesterase (TE), beta-ketoacyl systhase (KAS), chain length factor (CLF), and acyl carrier protein (ACP)], were identified through the nucleotide sequence determination and analysis of a 4.5 kb cloned DNA fragment. In order to confirm the involvement of a cloned gene in lipstatin biosynthesis, a gene disruption experiment for the KS gene was performed. However, the resulting gene disruptant did not show any significant difference in lipstatin production when compared to wild-type S. toxytricini. This result suggests that lipstatin may not be synthesized by a type II PKS.

Induction of Drought Stress Resistance by Multi-Functional PGPR Bacillus licheniformis K11 in Pepper.

Drought stress is one of the major yield affecting factor for pepper plant. The effects of PGPRs were analyzed in relation with drought resistance. The PGPRs inoculated pepper plants tolerate the drought stress and survived as compared to non-inoculated pepper plants that died after 15 days of drought stress. Variations in protein and RNA accumulation patterns of inoculated and non-inoculated pepper plants subjected to drought conditions for 10 days were confirmed by two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and differential display PCR (DD-PCR), respectively. A total of six differentially expressed stress proteins were identified in the treated pepper plants by 2D-PAGE. Among the stress proteins, specific genes of Cadhn, VA, sHSP and CaPR-10 showed more than a 1.5-fold expressed in amount in B. licheniformis K11-treated drought pepper compared to untreated drought pepper. The changes in proteins and gene expression patterns were attributed to the B. licheniformis K11. Accordingly, auxin and ACC deaminase producing PGPR B. licheniformis K11 could reduce drought stress in drought affected regions without the need for overusing agrochemicals and chemical fertilizer. These results will contribute to the development of a microbial agent for organic farming by PGPR.

Elucidation of antifungal metabolites produced by Pseudomonas aurantiaca IB5-10 with broad-spectrum antifungal activity.

Antifungal metabolites were isolated from a culture of Pseudomonas aurantiaca IB5-10. Chemical structures of the metabolites were elucidated as phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA; 1), 2-hydroxyphenazine (2-OH-PHZ; 2), and cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Val; 3), respectively, based on spectroscopic methods. Among them, 3 was isolated for the first time from this strain. The antifungal activities of 1-3 were evaluated against a variety of plant pathogens. To the best of our knowledge, the antifungal activities of 3 against plant fungal pathogens have been evaluated for the first time in this work. PCA (1) showed the most potent antifungal activities against Phytophthora capsici, Rhizoctonia solani AG-1(IA), and Pythium ultimum with MICs (microgram/ml) of less than 1.0, 1.3, and 2.0, respectively. On the other hand, 2-OH-PHZ (2) showed potent antifungal activity against R. solani AG-1(IA) with the MIC (microgram/ml) of 2.0, whereas it showed moderate antifungal activity against P. ultimum with the MIC (microgram/ml) of 50.0. In addition, 3 showed antifungal activity against only R. solani AG- 1(IA).

Colonizing ability of Pseudomonas fluorescens 2112, among collections of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens spp. in pea rhizosphere.

Pseudomonas fluorescens 2112, isolated in Korea as an indigenous antagonistic bacteria, can produce 2,4- diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG) and the siderophore pyoveridin2112 for the control of phytophthora blight of red-pepper. P. fluorescens 2112 was classified into a new genotype C among the 17 genotypes of 2,4-DAPG producers, by phlD restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The colonizing ability of P. fluorescens 2112 in pea rhizosphere was equal to the well-known pea colonizers, P. fluorescens Q8r1 (genotype D) and MVP1-4 (genotype P), after 6 cycling cultivations for 18 weeks. Four tested 2,4- DAPG-producing Pseudomonas spp. could colonize with about a 96% dominance ratio against total bacteria in pea rhizosphere. The strain P. fluorescens 2112 was as good a colonizer as other Pseudomonas spp. genotypes in pea plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Bacterial mixture from greenhouse soil as a biocontrol agent against root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, on oriental melon.

The biological control efficacy of a greenhouse soil bacterial mixture of Lactobacillus farraginis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis strains with antinematode activity was evaluated against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Two control groups planted in soil drenched with sterile distilled water or treated with the broadspectrum carbamate pesticide carbofuran were used for comparison. The results suggest that the bacterial mixture is effective as a biocontrol agent against the root-knot nematode.

Isolation and partial characterization of Bacillus subtilis ME488 for suppression of soilborne pathogens of cucumber and pepper.

Environmentally friendly control measures are needed for suppression of soilborne pathogens of vegetable crops in the Republic of Korea. In vitro challenge assays were used to screen approximately 500 bacterial isolates from 20 Korean greenhouse soils for inhibition of diverse plant pathogens. One isolate, Bacillus subtilis ME488, suppressed the growth of 39 of 42 plant pathogens tested. Isolate ME488 also suppressed the disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum on cucumber and Phytophthora capsici on pepper in pot assays. Polymerase chain reaction was used to screen isolate ME488 for genes involved in biosynthesis of 11 antibiotics produced by various isolates of B. subtilis. Amplicons of the expected sizes were detected for bacD and bacAB, ituC and ituD, and mrsA and mrsM involved in the biosynthesis of bacilysin, iturin, and mersacidin, respectively. The identity of these genes was confirmed by DNA sequence analysis of the amplicons. Bacilysin and iturin were detected in culture filtrates from isolate ME488 by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy and by thin layer chromatography, respectively. Detection of mersacidin in ME488 culture filtrates was not attempted. Experiments reported here indicate that B. subtilis ME488 has potential for biological control of pathogens of cucumber and pepper possibly due to the production of antibiotics.

Formulation of stable Bacillus subtilis AH18 against temperature fluctuation with highly heat-resistant endospores and micropore inorganic carriers.

To survive the commercial market and to achieve the desired effect of beneficial organisms, the strains in microbial products must be cost-effectively formulated to remain dormant and hence survive through high and low temperatures of the environment during transportation and storage. Dormancy and stability of Bacillus subtilis AH18 was achieved by producing endospores with enhanced heat resistance and using inorganic carriers. Heat stability assays, at 90 degrees C for 1 h, showed that spores produced under a sublethal temperature of 57 degrees C was 100 times more heat-resistant than the ones produced by food depletion at the growing temperature of 37 degrees C. When these highly heat-resistant endospores were formulated with inorganic carriers of natural and synthetic zeolite or kaolin clay minerals having substantial amount of micropores, the dormancy of the endospores was maintained for 6 months at 15-25 degrees C. Meanwhile, macroporous perlite carriers with average pore diameter larger than 3.7 microm stimulated the germination of the spores and rapid proliferation of the bacteria. These results indicated that a B. subtilis AH18 product that can remain dormant and survive through environmental temperature fluctuation can be formulated by producing heat-stressed endospores and incorporating inorganic carriers with micropores in the formulation step.