An alternative biocontrol agent of soil-borne phytopathogens: a new antifungal compound produced by a plant growth promoting bacterium isolated from North Algeria
Publication date: Available online 10 February 2019Source: Microbiological ResearchAuthor(s): Bruna Agrillo, Sara Mirino, Rosarita Tatè, Lorena Gratino, Marta Gogliettino, Ennio Cocca, Nassira Tabli, Elhafid Nabti, Gianna PalmieriAbstractBacteria isolated from different environments can be exploited for biocontrol purposes by the identification of the molecules involved in the antifungal activity. The present study was aimed at investigating antifungal protein compounds purified from a previously identified plant growth promoting bacterium, Pseudomonas protegens N isolated from agricultural land in northern Algeria. Therefore, a novel protein was purified by chromatographic and ultrafiltration steps and its antifungal activity together with growth-inhibition mechanism was evaluated against different fungi by plate-based assays. In addition, stereomicroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed to explore the inhibition activity of the compound on spore germination processes. The protein, showing a molecular mass of about 100 kDa under native conditions, was revealed to be in the surface-membrane fraction and displayed an efficient activity against a variety of phytopathogenic fungi, being Alternaria the best target towards which it exhibited a marked fungicidal action and inhibition of spore germination. Moreover, the compound was able to significantly decrease fungal infection on tomato fruits producing also morphological aberrations on conidia. The ob...
Source: Microbiological Research - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research
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