1
|
Mukherjee A, Singh BN, Kaur S, Sharma M, Ferreira de Araújo AS, Pereira APDA, Morya R, Puopolo G, Melo VMM, Verma JP. Unearthing the power of microbes as plant microbiome for sustainable agriculture. Microbiol Res 2024; 286:127780. [PMID: 38970905 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, research into the complex interactions and crosstalk between plants and their associated microbiota, collectively known as the plant microbiome has revealed the pivotal role of microbial communities for promoting plant growth and health. Plants have evolved intricate relationships with a diverse array of microorganisms inhabiting their roots, leaves, and other plant tissues. This microbiota mainly includes bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoans, and viruses, forming a dynamic and interconnected network within and around the plant. Through mutualistic or cooperative interactions, these microbes contribute to various aspects of plant health and development. The direct mechanisms of the plant microbiome include the enhancement of plant growth and development through nutrient acquisition. Microbes have the ability to solubilize essential minerals, fix atmospheric nitrogen, and convert organic matter into accessible forms, thereby augmenting the nutrient pool available to the plant. Additionally, the microbiome helps plants to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses, such as pathogen attacks and adverse environmental conditions, by priming the plant's immune responses, antagonizing phytopathogens, and improving stress tolerance. Furthermore, the plant microbiome plays a vital role in phytohormone regulation, facilitating hormonal balance within the plant. This regulation influences various growth processes, including root development, flowering, and fruiting. Microbial communities can also produce secondary metabolites, which directly or indirectly promote plant growth, development, and health. Understanding the functional potential of the plant microbiome has led to innovative agricultural practices, such as microbiome-based biofertilizers and biopesticides, which harness the power of beneficial microorganisms to enhance crop yields while reducing the dependency on chemical inputs. In the present review, we discuss and highlight research gaps regarding the plant microbiome and how the plant microbiome can be used as a source of single and synthetic bioinoculants for plant growth and health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arpan Mukherjee
- Plant-Microbe Interaction Lab, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India
| | - Bansh Narayan Singh
- Plant-Microbe Interaction Lab, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India
| | - Simranjit Kaur
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia; Crop Research Centre, Oak Park, Carlow, Ireland
| | - Minaxi Sharma
- CARAH ASBL, Rue Pal Pastur 11, Ath 7800, Belgium; China Beacons of Excellence Research and Innovation Institute (CBI), University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315000, China
| | | | | | - Raj Morya
- Department of Civil and Environmental engineering, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Gerardo Puopolo
- Center Agriculture Food Environment (C3A), University of Trento, Via Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige 38098, Italy; Research and Innovation center, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michelle all'Adige 38098, Italy
| | - Vânia Maria Maciel Melo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Federal University of Ceará, Pici, Fortaleza, Ceará 60020-181, Brazil
| | - Jay Prakash Verma
- Plant-Microbe Interaction Lab, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gupta G, Labrie S, Filteau M. Systematic Evaluation of Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Antifungal Microorganism Screening. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1396. [PMID: 39065164 PMCID: PMC11279232 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12071396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms have significant potential to control fungal contamination in various foods. However, the identification of strains that exhibit robust antifungal activity poses challenges due to highly context-dependent responses. Therefore, to fully exploit the potential of isolates as antifungal agents, it is crucial to systematically evaluate them in a variety of biotic and abiotic contexts. Here, we present an adaptable and scalable method using a robotic platform to study the properties of 1022 isolates obtained from maple sap. We tested the antifungal activity of isolates alone or in pairs on M17 + lactose (LM17), plate count agar (PCA), and sucrose-allantoin (SALN) culture media against Kluyveromyces lactis, Candida boidinii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microorganisms exhibited less often antifungal activity on SALN and PCA than LM17, suggesting that the latter is a better screening medium. We also analyzed the results of ecological interactions between pairs. Isolates that showed consistent competitive behaviors were more likely to show antifungal activity than expected by chance. However, co-culture rarely improved antifungal activity. In fact, an interaction-mediated suppression of activity was more prevalent in our dataset. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating both biotic and abiotic factors into systematic screening designs for the bioprospection of microorganisms with environmentally robust antifungal activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gunjan Gupta
- Département des Sciences des Aliments, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (G.G.); (S.L.)
- Institut sur la Nutrition et les Aliments Fonctionnels (INAF), Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Steve Labrie
- Département des Sciences des Aliments, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (G.G.); (S.L.)
- Institut sur la Nutrition et les Aliments Fonctionnels (INAF), Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Marie Filteau
- Département des Sciences des Aliments, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (G.G.); (S.L.)
- Institut sur la Nutrition et les Aliments Fonctionnels (INAF), Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Richter A, Blei F, Hu G, Schwitalla JW, Lozano-Andrade CN, Xie J, Jarmusch SA, Wibowo M, Kjeldgaard B, Surabhi S, Xu X, Jautzus T, Phippen CBW, Tyc O, Arentshorst M, Wang Y, Garbeva P, Larsen TO, Ram AFJ, van den Hondel CAM, Maróti G, Kovács ÁT. Enhanced surface colonisation and competition during bacterial adaptation to a fungus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4486. [PMID: 38802389 PMCID: PMC11130161 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48812-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial-fungal interactions influence microbial community performance of most ecosystems and elicit specific microbial behaviours, including stimulating specialised metabolite production. Here, we use a co-culture experimental evolution approach to investigate bacterial adaptation to the presence of a fungus, using a simple model of bacterial-fungal interactions encompassing the bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the fungus Aspergillus niger. We find in one evolving population that B. subtilis was selected for enhanced production of the lipopeptide surfactin and accelerated surface spreading ability, leading to inhibition of fungal expansion and acidification of the environment. These phenotypes were explained by specific mutations in the DegS-DegU two-component system. In the presence of surfactin, fungal hyphae exhibited bulging cells with delocalised secretory vesicles possibly provoking an RlmA-dependent cell wall stress. Thus, our results indicate that the presence of the fungus selects for increased surfactin production, which inhibits fungal growth and facilitates the competitive success of the bacterium.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Richter
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Felix Blei
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany
| | - Guohai Hu
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environmental Microbial Genomics and Application, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jan W Schwitalla
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Carlos N Lozano-Andrade
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jiyu Xie
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Scott A Jarmusch
- Natural Product Discovery Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mario Wibowo
- Natural Product Discovery Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Bodil Kjeldgaard
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Surabhi Surabhi
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Xinming Xu
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Theresa Jautzus
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Christopher B W Phippen
- Natural Product Discovery Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Olaf Tyc
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mark Arentshorst
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Yue Wang
- China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Paolina Garbeva
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Ostenfeld Larsen
- Natural Product Discovery Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Arthur F J Ram
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Gergely Maróti
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ákos T Kovács
- Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby, Denmark.
- Terrestrial Biofilms Group, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wockenfuss A, Chan K, Cooper JG, Chaya T, Mauriello MA, Yannarell SM, Maresca JA, Donofrio NM. A Bacillus velezensis strain shows antimicrobial activity against soilborne and foliar fungi and oomycetes. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2024; 5:1332755. [PMID: 38465255 PMCID: PMC10920214 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2024.1332755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Biological control uses naturally occurring antagonists such as bacteria or fungi for environmentally friendly control of plant pathogens. Bacillus spp. have been used for biocontrol of numerous plant and insect pests and are well-known to synthesize a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites. We hypothesized that bacteria isolated from agricultural soil would be effective antagonists of soilborne fungal pathogens. Here, we show that the Delaware soil isolate Bacillus velezensis strain S4 has in vitro activity against soilborne and foliar plant pathogenic fungi, including two with a large host range, and one oomycete. Further, this strain shows putative protease and cellulase activity, consistent with our prior finding that the genome of this organism is highly enriched in antifungal and antimicrobial biosynthetic gene clusters. We demonstrate that this bacterium causes changes to the fungal and oomycete hyphae at the inhibition zone, with some of the hyphae forming bubble-like structures and irregular branching. We tested strain S4 against Magnaporthe oryzae spores, which typically form germ tubes and penetration structures called appressoria, on the surface of the leaf. Our results suggest that after 12 hours of incubation with the bacterium, fungal spores form germ tubes, but instead of producing appressoria, they appear to form rounded, bubble-like structures. Future work will investigate whether a single antifungal molecule induces all these effects, or if they are the result of a combination of bacterially produced antimicrobials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wockenfuss
- Microbiology Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Kevin Chan
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Jessica G. Cooper
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Timothy Chaya
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Megan A. Mauriello
- Microbiology Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Sarah M. Yannarell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Julia A. Maresca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Nicole M. Donofrio
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| |
Collapse
|