Abstract
The aim of this study was to find out why after joint inoculation of the substrate with the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium culmorum and the antagonistic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens the amount of the fungus on the root surface in the beginning of the colonization was greater on the roots colonized by the bacterium than on control roots. This phenomenon is especially interesting because joint inoculation with P. fluorescens was always followed by a considerable decrease in the incidence of Fusarium root rot. In two experiments barley was grown in sterile vermiculite inoculated only with F. culmorum, only with P. fluorescens and jointly with the fungus and the bacterium. In the control, vermiculite was not inoculated with any microorganisms. After the removal from the vermiculite, barley plants were transferred into deionized water for the collection of root exudates. The duration of barley growth in the vermiculite and in the water was different in the two experiments. The exudates were tested for their ability to elicit chemotropism in F. culmorum and influence its growth. We did not observe any chemotropism of F. culmorum towards barley root exudates. However, the exudates of the barley colonized by the bacterium stimulated the growth of fungal germ tubes. Using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography system, we found that experimental conditions influenced the quantitative composition of the exudates. The amount of amino acids in the solution of exudates decreased considerably after a prolonged growth of control barley in water, while the presence of P. fluorescens resulted in a considerably increase of the amount of amino acids in the exudates. The exudates of barley colonized by P. fluorescens contained much more glucose, lactic acid and several amino acids than the exudates of control barley. These components are known to be necessary for the growth of F. culmorum. Their presence in the exudates of barley colonized by P. fluorescens seems to be the reason of a more active colonization by the fungus of barley roots colonized by the bacterium.
Highlights
Their presence in the exudates of barley colonized by P. fluorescens seems to be the reason of a more active colonization by the fungus of barley roots colonized by the bacterium
We ascertained that an increased amount of F. culmorum on the roots was not associated with its chemotropism towards the exudates of barley colonized by P. fluorescens (Figure 1)
We did not register any influence of root exudates and Czapek-Dox broth (CDB) on the germination of F. culmorum macroconidia and the chemotropism of germ tubes, contrary to what has been noted in F. oxysporum [27]
Summary
G. Smith) Saccardo is a common facultative phytopathogenic fungus affecting numerous crops [1]. Smith) Saccardo is a common facultative phytopathogenic fungus affecting numerous crops [1] In grain crops, it causes seedling blight, root rot, foot rot and Fusarium head blight, which may be expressed at all stages of plant development and result in a considerable loss of yield [2,3,4,5,6,7]. Plants 2020, 9, 366 and animals [8,9,10] In eukaryotic cells, these toxins inhibit the synthesis of proteins, DNA and RNA, change the membrane structure and affect cell division and apoptosis [11,12]
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