Assessing the Potential of the Terrestrial Cyanobacterium Anabaena minutissima for Controlling Botrytis cinerea on Tomato Fruits

Hillary Righini,Michele Di Foggia,Antera Martel Quintana,Ornella Francioso,Roberta Roberti

doi:10.3390/horticulturae7080210

Hillary Righini, Michele Di Foggia + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7080210

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Abstract

Cyanobacteria are oxygenic phototrophs that have an essential role in soil N2 fixation, fertility, and water retention. Cyanobacteria are also natural sources of bioactive metabolites beneficial to improve plant vigor and potentially active against fungal plant pathogens. Therefore, we studied the antifungal activity of water extract (WE) and phycobiliproteins (PBPs) from Anabaena minutissima strain BEA 0300B against the fungal plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea on tomato fruits and in vitro. The water extract and PBPs were characterized by using FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopies. Both water extract (5 mg/mL) and PBPs (ranged from 0.3 to 4.8 mg/mL) reduced disease incidence and disease severity on tomato fruits and mycelium growth and colony forming units in vitro. For mycelium growth, a linear PBP dose-response was found. Tomato fruits were also characterized by FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopies in order to evaluate structural modifications induced by pathogen and PBP treatment. PBPs preserved cutin and pectin structures by pathogen challenge. In conclusion, A. minutissima can be considered a potential tool for future large-scale experiments for plant disease control.

Highlights

Botrytis cinerea Pers., teleomorph Botryotinia fuckeliana Whetzel, is a worldwide Ascomycota pathogenic fungus with a necrotrophic lifestyle causing grey mold disease on a vast number of plant species
This study examined the potential of water extract (WE) and PBPs from the terrestrial strain Anabaena minutissima against Botrytis cinerea artificially inoculated on tomato fruits
Notable was the absence of the band at 1723 cm−1. In support of this outcome, we find that the degradation of pectin by B. cinerea results from several enzymes, including pectin methylesterase [44]

Summary

Introduction

Botrytis cinerea Pers., teleomorph Botryotinia fuckeliana (de Bary) Whetzel, is a worldwide Ascomycota pathogenic fungus with a necrotrophic lifestyle causing grey mold disease on a vast number of plant species. Based on its scientific and economic importance, B. cinerea is ranked second in the world Top 10 fungal plant pathogens list [1], affecting 586 genera, including several vegetables and fruits [2], such as tomatoes in the field, greenhouse, and during post-harvest [3,4]. Fruit infection by B. cinerea originates in the field, and the disease can remain quiescent for some time in tissues until favorable conditions allow sporulation and spread.

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