Pseudomonas Fluorescens Strain CHA0 Research Articles

Exogenous Silicon and Pseudomonas fluorescens Alleviate Meloidogyne javanica Stress in Tomato Plants

Abstract In this study, the biological control effects of the Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0 were compared to those of silicon (Si), used as a chemical control agent, against Meloidogyne javanica, the causative agent of root-knot disease in tomato plants. Indicators such as the number of M. javanica galls, eggs, egg masses, and the enzymatic activities of peroxidase (POX) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) were analysed. Results showed a significant reduction in the numbers of galls, eggs, and egg masses produced by M. javanica on tomato plants treated with P. fluorescens CHA0 (applied as a soil additive) as well as with Si (applied as a root and foliar treatment). The enzymatic activities peaked on the fifth day post-inoculation with M. javanica and then gradually declined. The greatest increase in enzymatic activities was observed in the combined treatment with M. javanica, P. fluorescens CHA0, and Si (the N+B+SiO2 treatment). The use of P. fluorescens CHA0 and Si enhanced the defence-related enzyme activity in tomato plants against M. javanica. However, high concentrations of Si were shown to inhibit the growth of P. fluorescens CHA0.

Biosynthesis of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol from glucose using engineered Escherichia coli.

In order to produce 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG) in E. coli, the key synthases coding by phlACBD gene cluster from the strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 were overexpressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The marA, phlE and acc genes were also overexpressed to enhance 2,4-DAPG biosynthesis. Then the fermentation conditions were optimized to improve the concentration of 2,4-DAPG. The results showed that the recombinant E. coli could produce few 2,4-DAPG with only the phlACBD gene cluster. The synthetic ability of 2,4-DAPG could be increased by expressing the acc, marA and phlE genes in shake-flasks cultivation. The effects of phloroglucinol, initial pH, temperature and trace elements on 2,4-DAPG biosynthesis were also investigated. Based on the optimal fermentation conditions obtained from the shake-flasks cultivation, fed-batch fermentation of strain Z3 in a 5L bioreactor was conducted to produce 2,4-DAPG. Finally, the concentration of 2,4-DAPG was 179mg/L after induction for 36h by fed-batch fermentation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest 2,4-DAPG production reported in E. coli. This work showed the potential application of engineered E. coli to get high production of target compounds.

Burkholderia terrae BS001 migrates proficiently with diverse fungal hosts through soil and provides protection from antifungal agents.

Soil bacteria can benefit from co-occurring soil fungi in respect of the acquisition of carbonaceous nutrients released by fungal hyphae and the access to novel territories in soil. Here, we investigated the capacity of the mycosphere-isolated bacterium Burkholderia terrae BS001 to comigrate through soil along with hyphae of the soil fungi Trichoderma asperellum, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, F. oxysporum pv lini, Coniochaeta ligniaria, Phanerochaete velutina, and Phallus impudicus. We used Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten as the reference migration-inciting fungus. Bacterial migration through presterilized soil on the extending fungal hyphae was detected with six of the seven test fungi, with only Phallus impudicus not showing any bacterial transport. Much like with Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten, intermediate (106–108 CFU g-1 dry soil) to high (>108 CFU g-1 dry soil) strain BS001 cell population sizes were found at the hyphal migration fronts of four fungi, i.e., T. asperellum, Rhizoctonia solani, F. oxysporum and F. oxysporum pv lini, whereas for two fungi, Coniochaeta ligniaria and Phanerochaete velutina, the migration responses were retarded and population sizes were lower (103–106 CFU g-1 dry soil). Consistent with previous data obtained with the reference fungus, migration with the migration-inciting fungi occurred only in the direction of the hyphal growth front. Remarkably, Burkholderia terrae BS001 provided protection from several antifungal agents to the canonical host Lyophyllum sp. strain Karsten. Specifically, this host was protected from Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0 metabolites, as well as from the anti-fungal agent cycloheximide. Similar protection by strain BS001was observed for T. asperellum, and, to a lower extent, F. oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani. The protective effect may be related to the consistent occurrence of biofilm-like cell layers or agglomerates at the surfaces of the protected fungi. The current study represents the first report of protection of soil fungi against antagonistic agents present in the soil provided by fungal-associated Burkholderia terrae cells.

Study on Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.) Infected with Meloidogyne incognita under the Influence of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis and Urea

Pot studies were carried out to assess the growth and biochemical components of Vigna mungo L. cultivar ‘Azad- 2’ with the root-knot nematode and treated with two biofertilizers viz. Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0, and Bacillus subtilis strain Bs-5. The plants were grown in soil at N50 and N100 doses of urea. Uninoculated untreated plants served as control. From the results, it was evident that V. mungo plants exhibited profused vegetative growth at N100 dose of urea as was observed in the treatment 5. The plants of treatment 5 were inoculated with P. fluorescens CHA0 (20 ml). The number of nodules per plant was found increased to 14.33 per plant, total chlorophyll content by 2.91 mg/g of leaf tissue, leghaemoglobin by 3.81 mg/g, and protein content in leaves and seeds by 0.83 and 0.76 mg/g, respectively, when compared with the control and the plants that received different doses of B. subtilis Bs-5 in the absence of the root-knot nematode. Significant reduction in gall number (41.66) and number of nematodes per gram of root (4.66) was recorded in the treatment 5.

Germination of Lecanicillium fungicola in the mycosphere of Agaricus bisporus

Dry bubble disease is a major problem in the commercial cultivation of the white button mushroom Agaricus bisporus and is caused by the ascomycete Lecanicillium fungicola. In the casing layer, germination of L. fungicola spores is inhibited by the microflora, a phenomenon known as fungistasis. Fungistasis is annulled when the casing is colonized by A. bisporus hyphae. We demonstrated that addition of A. bisporus-associated sugars, similarly annulled the casing fungistasis. However, casing fungistasis does not seem to be based on competition for resources as L. fungicola spores germinate regardless of nutrient availability. Pseudomonas bacteria are a dominant group of bacteria in the casing and have previously been implied to be essential for the development of fungistasis in soils. Antibiotics produced by model strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 inhibited L. fungicola spore germination. Addition of glucose desensitized spores of L. fungicola, which resulted in germination in the presence of antibiotics. We conclude that antibiotics produced by the microflora most likely cause fungistasis.

Plants Respond to Pathogen Infection by Enhancing the Antifungal Gene Expression of Root-Associated Bacteria

Plant health and fitness widely depend on interactions with soil microorganisms. Some bacteria such as pseudomonads can inhibit pathogens by producing antibiotics, and controlling these bacteria could help improve plant fitness. In the present study, we tested whether plants induce changes in the antifungal activity of root-associated bacteria as a response to root pathogens. We grew barley plants in a split-root system with one side of the root system challenged by the pathogen Pythium ultimum and the other side inoculated with the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0. We used reporter genes to follow the expression of ribosomal RNA indicative of the metabolic state and of the gene phlA, required for production of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol, a key component of antifungal activity. Infection increased the expression of the antifungal gene phlA. No contact with the pathogen was required, indicating that barley influenced gene expression by the bacteria in a systemic way. This effect relied on increased exudation of diffusible molecules increasing phlA expression, suggesting that communication with rhizosphere bacteria is part of the pathogen response of plants. Tripartite interactions among plants, pathogens, and bacteria appear as a novel determinant of plant response to root pathogens.

Circadian variation in Pseudomonas fluorescens (CHA0)-mediated paralysis of Caenorhabditis elegans

Abiotic and biotic environmental stressors play a key role in the ecophysiology of most organisms. As the presence and activity of stress-inducing agents vary along the day, organisms that are able to predict these periodic changes are better fit to survive. Caenorhabditis elegans, a soil-dwelling nematode, is subjected to daily changes in its natural environment, and its tolerance to osmotic and oxidative stress varies along the day. Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0 is a soil bacterium that produces a set of secondary metabolites that antagonize phytopathogenic fungi and therefore promote healthy growth of several plant species. Here we show that strain CHA0 is able to affect C. elegans either under growth limiting conditions (i.e., slow-killing) or by rapid paralysis in nutrient replete conditions (fast-killing). Both types of toxicity require the post-transcriptional Gac/Rsm regulatory cascade, and the fast paralytic killing depends strongly on hydrogen cyanide production. The response observed in C. elegans nematodes to fast paralytic killing varies along the day and its sensitivity is higher during the night, at Zeitgeber Time (ZT) 12 (lights off). This behavior correlates well with HCN tolerance, which is higher during the day, at ZT0 (lights on). The innate immune response to P. fluorescens CHA0 might depend on the stress response pathway of C. elegans. The fact that the tolerance varies daily gives further proof of an underlying clock that governs cyclic behavior in C. elegans.

Temperature-responsive sensing regulates biocontrol factor expression in Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0

In the plant-beneficial, root-colonizing strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0, the Gac/Rsm signal transduction pathway positively regulates the synthesis of biocontrol factors (mostly antifungal secondary metabolites) and contributes to oxidative stress response via the stress sigma factor RpoS. The backbone of this pathway consists of the GacS/GacA two-component system, which activates the expression of three small regulatory RNAs (RsmX, RsmY, RsmZ) and thereby counters translational repression exerted by the RsmA and RsmE proteins on target mRNAs encoding biocontrol factors. We found that the expression of typical biocontrol factors, that is, antibiotic compounds and hydrogen cyanide (involving the phlA and hcnA genes), was significantly lower at 35 degrees C than at 30 degrees C. The expression of the rpoS gene was affected in parallel. This temperature control depended on RetS, a sensor kinase acting as an antagonist of the GacS/GacA system. An additional sensor kinase, LadS, which activated the GacS/GacA system, apparently did not contribute to thermosensitivity. Mutations in gacS or gacA were epistatic to (that is, they overruled) mutations in retS or ladS for expression of the small RNAs RsmXYZ. These data are consistent with a model according to which RetS-GacS and LadS-GacS interactions shape the output of the Gac/Rsm pathway and the environmental temperature influences the RetS-GacS interaction in P. fluorescens CHA0.

Induction of systemic resistance in banana (Musa spp.) against Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) by combining chitin with root-colonizing Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0

Pseudomonas fluorescens strains CHA0 and Pf1 were investigated for their biocontrol efficacy against Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) in banana (Musa spp.) alone and in combination with chitin under glasshouse and field conditions. Bioformulation of P. fluorescens strain CHA0 with chitin was effective in reducing the banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) incidence in banana under glasshouse and field conditions. In addition to disease control, the bioformulation increased the economic yield significantly compared to the untreated control. Increased accumulation of oxidative enzymes, peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase and phenolics were observed in CHA0 bioformulation amended with chitin-treated plants challenged with BBTV under glasshouse conditions. Indirect ELISA indicated the reduction in viral antigen concentration in P. fluorescens strain CHA0 with chitin-treated banana plants corresponding to reduced disease ratings. The present study revealed that induction of defence enzymes by P. fluorescens with chitin amendment reduced the BBTD incidence and increased bunch yield in banana.

Dialogues of root-colonizing biocontrol pseudomonads

Among biocontrol agents that are able to suppress root diseases caused by fungal pathogens, root-colonizing fluorescent pseudomonads have received particular attention because many strains of these bacteria trigger systemic resistance in host plants and produce antifungal compounds and exoenzymes. In general, the expression of these plant-beneficial traits is regulated by autoinduction mechanisms and may occur on roots when the pseudomonads form microcolonies. Three major classes of antibiotic compounds reviewed here in detail (2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol, pyoluteorin and various phenazine compounds) are all produced under cell population density-dependent autoinduction control acting at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. This regulation can either be reinforced or attenuated by a variety of chemical signals emanating from the pseudomonads themselves, other microorganisms or root exudates. Signals stimulating biocontrol factor expression via the Gac/Rsm signal transduction pathway in the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 are synthesized by many different plant-associated bacteria, warranting a more detailed investigation in the future.

Secondary metabolites help biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 to escape protozoan grazing.

In soil ecosystems, bacteria must cope with predation activity, which is attributed mainly to protists. The development of antipredation strategies may help bacteria maintain higher populations and persist longer in the soil. We analyzed the interaction between the root-colonizing and biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 and three different protist isolates (an amoeba, a flagellate, and a ciliate). CHA0 produces a set of antibiotics, HCN, and an exoprotease. We observed that protists cannot grow on CHA0 but can multiply on isogenic regulatory mutants that do not produce the extracellular metabolites. The in vitro responses to CHA0 cells and its exoproducts included growth inhibition, encystation, paralysis, and cell lysis. By analyzing the responses of protists to bacterial supernatants obtained from different isogenic mutants whose production of one or more exometabolites was affected and also to culture extracts with antibiotic enrichment, we observed different contributions of the phenolic antifungal compound 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) and the extracellular protease AprA to CHA0 toxicity for protists and to the encystation-reactivation cycle. The grazing pressure artificially produced by a mixture of the three protists in a microcosm system resulted in reduced colonization of cucumber roots by a regulatory isogenic CHA0 mutant unable to produce toxins. These results suggest that exometabolite production in biocontrol strain CHA0 may contribute to avoidance of protist grazing and help sustain higher populations in the rhizosphere, which may be a desirable and advantageous trait for competition with other bacteria for available resources.

Interaction between the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens and vermiculite: Effects on chemical, mineralogical, and mechanical properties of vermiculite

On an expanded and crushed vermiculite, changes in chemical, mineralogical, and rheological properties of the mineral affected by microbial activity were investigated. Determination of the water content, grain size, X‐ray diffraction pattern, intercrystalline swelling with glycerol, layer charge, CEC, exchangeable cations, BET surface, and rheology provided the necessary information about the differences between pure vermiculite, vermiculite suspensions containing the nutrient medium, and vermiculite suspensions containing the nutrient medium and the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0. The aerobic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens causes a decrease in grain size, aggregation of vermiculite grains as evidenced by smaller BET surfaces, and enhanced viscosity of the bacteria containing slurries. Layer charge, intercrystalline swelling, and CEC were not affected by the microbial activity, nor did the bacteria count for the exchange of potassium and magnesium against sodium in the vermiculite. The microbes inhibited this exchange process during the first stage of the experiments; however, increasing run time favors the exchange as well.

Thiamine-auxotrophic mutants of Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 are defective in cell-cell signaling and biocontrol factor expression.

In the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0, the Gac/Rsm signal transduction pathway positively controls the synthesis of antifungal secondary metabolites and exoenzymes. In this way, the GacS/GacA two-component system determines the expression of three small regulatory RNAs (RsmX, RsmY, and RsmZ) in a process activated by the strain's own signal molecules, which are not related to N-acyl-homoserine lactones. Transposon Tn5 was used to isolate P. fluorescens CHA0 insertion mutants that expressed an rsmZ-gfp fusion at reduced levels. Five of these mutants were gacS negative, and in them the gacS mutation could be complemented for exoproduct and signal synthesis by the gacS wild-type allele. Furthermore, two thiamine-auxotrophic (thiC) mutants that exhibited decreased signal synthesis in the presence of 5 x 10(-8) M thiamine were found. Under these conditions, a thiC mutant grew normally but showed reduced expression of the three small RNAs, the exoprotease AprA, and the antibiotic 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol. In a gnotobiotic system, a thiC mutant was impaired for biological control of Pythium ultimum on cress. Addition of excess exogenous thiamine restored all deficiencies of the mutant. Thus, thiamine appears to be an important factor in the expression of biological control by P. fluorescens.

Role of cyanide production by Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 in the suppression of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica in tomato

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0 produces hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a secondary metabolite that accounts largely for the biocontrol ability of this strain. In this study, we examined the role of HCN production by CHA0 as an antagonistic factor that contributes to biocontrol of Meloidogyne javanica, the root-knot nematode, in situ. Culture filtrate of CHA0, resulting from 1/10-strength nutrient broth yeast extract medium amended with glycine, inhibited egg hatch and caused mortality of M. javanica juveniles in vitro. The bacterium cultured under high oxygen-tension conditions exhibited better inhibitory effects towards nematodes, compared to its cultivation under excess oxygen situation. Growth medium amended with 0.50 or 1.0 mM FeEDDHA further improved hatch inhibition and nematicidal activity of the strain CHA0. Strain CHA77, an HCN-negative mutant, failed to exert such toxic effects, and in this strain, antinematode activity was not influenced by culture conditions. Exogenous cyanide also inhibited egg hatch and caused mortality of M. javanica juveniles in vitro. Strains CHA0 or CHA77 applied in unsterilized sandy-loam soil as drench, caused marked suppression of root-knot disease development incited by M. javanica in tomato seedlings. However, efficacy of CHA77 was noticeably lower compared to its wild type counterpart CHA0. An increased bioavailability of iron following EDTA application in soil substantially improved nematode biocontrol potential of CHA0 but not that of CHA77. Soil infestation with M. javanica eggs resulted in significantly lower nematode population densities and root-knot disease compared to the juveniles used as root-knot disease-inducing agents. Strain CHA0 significantly suppressed nematode populations and inhibited galling in tomato roots grown in soil inoculated with eggs or juveniles and treated with or without EDTA. Strain CHA0 exhibited greater biocontrol potential in soil inoculated with eggs and treated with EDTA. To demonstrate that HCN synthesis by the strain CHA0 acts as the inducing agent of systemic resistance in tomato, efficacy of the strain CHA0 was compared with CHA77 in a split root trial. The split-root experiment, guaranteeing a spatial separation of the inducing agent and the challenging pathogen, showed that HCN production by CHA0 is not crucial in the induction of systemic resistance in tomato against M. javanica, because the HCN-negative-mutant CHA77 induced the same level of resistance as the wild type but exogenous cyanide in the form of KCN failed to trigger the resistance reaction. In the root section where both nematode and the bacterium were present, strain CHA0 reduced nematode penetration to a greater extent than CHA77, suggesting that for effective control of M. javanica, a direct contact between HCN-producing CHA0 and the nematode is essential.

Autecology of the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 in the rhizosphere and inside roots at later stages of plant development

Abstract A spontaneous rifampicin-resistant mutant of the biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 was released as soil inoculant in large outdoor lysimeters and its ability to colonise the roots of winter wheat, spring wheat (grown after Phacelia ) and maize at the later stages of plant development was investigated by colony counts. The inoculant (i.e. CHA0-Rif) colonised the rhizosphere and the interior of the roots of both wheat varieties but CFUs at ripening were about 2 log (g root) -1 or lower. In contrast, the roots of maize were colonised poorly by the pseudomonad at flowering, but the latter was found at 3 or more log CFU (g root) -1 on and inside the roots in late ripening stage. Furthermore, CHA0-Rif was recovered at more than 5 log CFU (g root) -1 from the interior of several maize root samples. Whereas most cells of CHA0-Rif in soil were small and did not respond to Kogure's viability test, the pseudomonad was present as viable, unusually large (7 mm long) rods inside maize roots. In a microcosm experiment performed with similar sandy-loam soil, the CFUs of maize root-associated CHA0-Rif were higher where the shoots of the plant had been cut off, confirming that older and/or decaying maize roots represent a favourable niche for the inoculant. Overall, the results indicate that Pseudomonas inoculants have the potential to colonise the roots of certain crops (e.g. maize but not wheat for strain CHA0-Rif) at later stages of plant development.

Influence of biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 and its antibiotic overproducing derivative on the diversity of resident root colonizing pseudomonads

Non-target effects of biocontrol strains of Pseudomonas on the population of resident pseudomonads should be assessed prior to their large scale application in the environment. The rifampicin resistant bacterium P. fluorescens CHA0-Rif and its antibiotic overproducing derivative CHA0-Rif/pME3424 were introduced into soil microcosms and the population of resident pseudomonads colonizing cucumber roots was investigated after 10 and 52 days. Both CHA0-Rif and CHA0-Rif/pME3424 displaced a part of the resident pseudomonad population after 10 days. To investigate the population structure, utilization of 10 carbon sources and production of two exoenzymes was assessed for 5600 individual pseudomonad isolates and 1700 isolates were subjected to amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis of the spacer region (spacer-ARDRA). After 10 days, only the proportion of pseudomonads able to degrade l-tryptophan was reduced in treatments inoculated with either biocontrol strain. In parallel the phenotypic diversity was reduced. These effects were only observed 10 days after inoculation, and they were similar for inoculation with CHA0-Rif and CHA0-Rif/pME3424. Changes in the population structure of resident pseudomonads on cucumber roots during plant growth were more pronounced than changes due to the inoculants. The inoculants did not affect the genotypic diversity detected with spacer-ARDRA, but the genotypic fingerprints corresponded only partially to the phenotypic profiles. Overall CHA0-Rif had a small and transient impact on the population of resident pseudomonads and the effect was essentially the same for the genetically engineered derivative CHA0-Rif/pME3424.

Functional Analysis of the Post-transcriptional Regulator RsmA Reveals a Novel RNA-binding Site

The RsmA family of RNA-binding proteins are global post-transcriptional regulators that mediate extensive changes in gene expression in bacteria. They bind to, and affect the translation rate of target mRNAs, a function that is further modulated by one or more, small, untranslated competitive regulatory RNAs. To gain new insights into the nature of this protein/RNA interaction, we used X-ray crystallography to solve the structure of the Yersinia enterocolitica RsmA homologue. RsmA consists of a dimeric beta barrel from which two alpha helices are projected. From structure-based alignments of the RsmA protein family from diverse bacteria, we identified key amino acid residues likely to be involved in RNA-binding. Site-specific mutagenesis revealed that arginine at position 44, located at the N terminus of the alpha helix is essential for biological activity in vivo and RNA-binding in vitro. Mutation of this site affects swarming motility, exoenzyme and secondary metabolite production in the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, carbon metabolism in Escherichia coli, and hydrogen cyanide production in the plant beneficial strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0. R44A mutants are also unable to interact with the small untranslated RNA, RsmZ. Thus, although possessing a motif similar to the KH domain of some eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins, RsmA differs substantially and incorporates a novel class of RNA-binding site.

Use of green fluorescent protein-based reporters to monitor balanced production of antifungal compounds in the biocontrol agentPseudomonas fluorescensCHA0

To develop reporter constructs based on stable and unstable variants of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) for monitoring balanced production of antifungal compounds that are crucial for the capacity of the root-colonizing Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0 to control plant diseases caused by soil-borne pathogenic fungi. Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 produces the three antifungal metabolites 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), pyoluteorin (PLT) and pyrrolnitrin (PRN). The gfp[mut3] and gfp[AAV] reporter genes were fused to the promoter regions of the DAPG, PLT and PRN biosynthetic genes. The reporter fusions were then used to follow the kinetics of expression of the three antifungal metabolites in a microplate assay. DAPG and PLT were found to display an inverse relationship in which each metabolite activates its own biosynthesis while repressing the synthesis of the other metabolite. PRN appears not to be involved in this balance. However, the microbial and plant phenolic metabolite salicylate was found to interfere with the expression of both DAPG and PLT. The results obtained provide evidence that P. fluorescens CHA0 may keep the antifungal compounds DAPG and PLT at a fine-tuned balance that can be affected by certain microbial and plant phenolics. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to use stable and unstable GFP variants to study antibiotic gene expression in a biocontrol pseudomonad. The developed reporter fusions will be a highly valuable tool to study in situ expression of this bacterial biocontrol trait on plant roots, i.e. at the site of pathogen suppression.

Posttranscriptional repression of GacS/GacA-controlled genes by the RNA-binding protein RsmE acting together with RsmA in the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0.

In the plant-beneficial soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0, the production of biocontrol factors (antifungal secondary metabolites and exoenzymes) is controlled at a posttranscriptional level by the GacS/GacA signal transduction pathway involving RNA-binding protein RsmA as a key regulatory element. This protein is assumed to bind to the ribosome-binding site of target mRNAs and to block their translation. RsmA-mediated repression is relieved at the end of exponential growth by two GacS/GacA-controlled regulatory RNAs RsmY and RsmZ, which bind and sequester the RsmA protein. A gene (rsmE) encoding a 64-amino-acid RsmA homolog was identified and characterized in strain CHA0. Overexpression of rsmE strongly reduced the expression of target genes (hcnA, for a hydrogen cyanide synthase subunit; aprA, for the main exoprotease; and phlA, for a component of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol biosynthesis). Single null mutations in either rsmA or rsmE resulted in a slight increase in the expression of hcnA, aprA, and phlA. By contrast, an rsmA rsmE double mutation led to strongly increased and advanced expression of these target genes and completely suppressed a gacS mutation. Both the RsmE and RsmA levels increased with increasing cell population densities in strain CHA0; however, the amount of RsmA showed less variability during growth. Expression of rsmE was controlled positively by GacA and negatively by RsmA and RsmE. Mobility shift assays demonstrated specific binding of RsmE to RsmY and RsmZ RNAs. The transcription and stability of both regulatory RNAs were strongly reduced in the rsmA rsmE double mutant. In conclusion, RsmA and RsmE together account for maximal repression in the GacS/GacA cascade of strain CHA0.

Phenylacetic acid-producing Rhizoctonia solani represses the biosynthesis of nematicidal compounds in vitro and influences biocontrol of Meloidogyne incognita in tomato by Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0 and its GM derivatives

The aim of the present investigation was to determine the influence of Rhizoctonia solani and its pathogenicity factor on the production of nematicidal agent(s) by Pseudomonas fluorescens strain CHA0 and its GM derivatives in vitro and nematode biocontrol potential by bacterial inoculants in tomato. One (Rs7) of the nine R. solani isolates from infected tomato roots inhibited seedling emergence and caused root rot in tomato. Thin layer chromatography revealed that culture filtrates of two isolates (Rs3 and Rs7) produced brown spots at Rf-values closely similar to synthetic phenylacetic acid (PAA), a phytotoxic factor. Filtrates from isolate Rs7, amended with the growth medium of P. fluorescens, markedly repressed nematicidal activity and PhlA'-'LacZ reporter gene expression of the bacteria in vitro. On the contrary, isolate Rs4 enhanced nematicidal potential of a 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol overproducing mutant, CHA0/pME3424, of P. fluorescens strain CHA0 in vitro. Therefore, R. solani isolates Rs4 and Rs7 were tested more rigorously for their potential to influence biocontrol effectiveness of the bacterial agents. Methanol extract of the culture filtrates of PAA-producing isolate Rs7 resulting from medium amended with phenylalanine enhanced fungal repression of the production of nematicidal agents by bacteria, while amendments with zinc or molybdenum eliminated such fungal repression, thereby restoring bacterial potential to cause nematode mortality in vitro. A pot experiment was carried out, 3-week-old tomato seedlings were infested with R. solani isolates Rs4 or Rs7 and/or inoculated with Meloidogyne incognita, the root-knot nematode. The infested soil was treated with aqueous cell suspensions (10(8) CFU) of P. fluorescens strain CHA0 or its GM derivatives or left untreated (as a control). Observations taken 45 days after nematode inoculation revealed that, irrespective of the bacterial treatments, galling intensity per gram of fresh tomato roots was markedly higher in soil amended with isolate Rs4 than in Rs7-amended soils. Soil amendments with R. solani and the bacterial antagonists resulted in substantial reductions of the number of galls per gram of root. These results are contradictory to those obtained under in vitro conditions where culture filtrates of PAA-positive Rs7 repressed the production of nematicidal compounds. Plants grown in Rs7-amended soils, with or without bacterial inoculants, had lesser shoot and root weights than plants grown in nonamended or Rs4-amended soils. Moreover, amendments with Rs7 substantially retarded root growth and produced necrotic lesions that reduced the number of entry sites for invasion and subsequent infection by nematodes. Populations of P. fluorescens in the tomato rhizosphere were markedly higher in Rs7-amended soils. PAA-producing virulent R. solani drastically affects the potential of P. fluorescens to cause death of M. incognita juveniles in vitro and influences bacterial effectiveness to suppress nematodes in tomato roots. As most agricultural soils are infested with root-infecting fungi, including R. solani, it is likely that some PAA-producing isolates of the fungus may also be isolated from such soils. The inhibitory effect of PAA-producing R. solani on the biosynthesis of nematicidal agent(s) critical in biocontrol may reduce or even eliminate the effectiveness of fluorescent pseudomonads against root-knot nematodes, both in nursery beds and in field conditions. Introduction of bacterial inoculants, for the control of any plant pathogen, should be avoided in soils infested with PAA-producing R. solani. Alternatively, the agents could be applied together with an appropriate quantity of fungicide or chemicals such as zinc to create an environment more favourable for bacterial biocontrol action.