Using Serratia plymuthica to control fungal pathogens of plants.

Abstract

Abstract Interest in biological control of plant pathogens has increased in recent years fuelled by trends in agriculture towards greater sustainability and public concerns over the use of hazardous pesticides in the environment. Most studies on the biological control of fungal plant pathogens have tended to focus on the use of antagonistic rhizobacterial strains belonging to the genus Pseudomonas or Bacillus . However, the development of biocontrol products based on isolates belonging to the Gram-negative genus Serratia is now gaining momentum. Serratia plymuthica is a ubiquitous bacterium that has been preferentially recovered from rhizospheres all over the world, both as a free-living and endophytic organism. Specific strains of S. plymuthica produce a broad palette of antimicrobial compounds and might hold great potential as broad-spectrum biocontrol agents. This review surveys the advances of biocontrol research with respect to plant-associated S. plymuthica strains focusing on the principles and mechanisms of action of S. plymuthica and their use or potential use for the biological control of fungal plant diseases. A cursory overview of the taxonomy and ecology of S. plymuthica is also provided. We highlight recent progress in the identification of antifungal secondary metabolites produced by S. plymuthica and pay special attention to the regulatory mechanisms underpinning the production of the latter metabolites. Finally, we discuss several strategies that may provide a basis to improve the efficacy of S. plymuthica -mediated biocontrol.