Project description:Naturally produced by aromatic plants, essential oils (EO) contain a wide range of volatile molecules, including mostly secondary metabolites, which possess several biological activities. Essential oils properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities are known for a long time and hence widely used in traditional medicines, cosmetics and food industries. However, despite their effects against many phytopathogenic fungi, oomycetes and bacteria as well as weeds, their use in agriculture remains surprisingly scarce. The purpose of the present review is to gather and discuss up-to-date biological activities of EO against weeds, plant pathogenic fungi, oomycetes and bacteria, reported in the scientific literature. Innovative methods, potentially valuable to improve the efficiency and reliability of EO, have been investigated. In particular, their use towards a more sustainable agriculture has been discussed, aiming at encouraging the use of alternative products to substitute synthetic pesticides to control weeds and plant diseases, without significantly affecting crop yields. An overview of the market and the recent advances on the regulation of these products as well as future challenges to promote their development and wider use in disease management programs is described. Because of several recent reviews on EO insecticidal properties, this topic is not covered in the present review.
Project description:Plant pathogens cause severe losses or damage to crops worldwide and thereby significantly reduce the quality and quantity of agricultural commodities. World tendencies are shifting towards reducing the usage of chemically synthesized pesticides, while various biocontrol methods, strategies and approaches are being used in plant disease management. Fungal antagonists play a significant role in controlling plant pathogens and diseases and they are used as Biocontrol Agents (BCAs) throughout the world. This review provides a comprehensive list of fungal BCAs used against fungal plant pathogens according to modern taxonomic concepts, and clarifies their phylogenetic relationships because thewrong names are frequently used in the literature of biocontrol. Details of approximately 300 fungal antagonists belonging to 13 classes and 113 genera are listed together with the target pathogens and corresponding plant diseases. Trichoderma is identified as the genus with greatest potential comprising 25 biocontrol agents that have been used against a number of plant fungal diseases. In addition to Trichoderma, nine genera are recognized as significant comprising five or more known antagonistic species, namely, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Candida, Fusarium, Penicillium, Pichia, Pythium, Talaromyces, and Verticillium. A phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of the 28S nrRNA gene (LSU) of fungal antagonists was performed to establish their phylogenetic relationships.
Project description:A first line of defense against pathogen infections is the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), leading to PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are primarily known as central regulators of plant development, but a few have also been connected to immunity. We have found that several fungal pathogens lead to a reduction in miR396 levels, suggesting that miR396 are negative regulators of downstream defense responses. In agreement with such as scenario, constitutive attenuation of miR396 activity enhances resistance to infection by fungal pathogens, while increased miR396 activity reduces pathogen resistance. We conclude that constitutive reduction of miR396 levels confer a primed state for enhanced defense reactions
Project description:The free-living soil fungus Trichoderma hamatum GD12 is notable amongst other Trichoderma strains in exhibiting both biocontrol and plant growth promotion (PGP) activities, which are coincident with a markedly expanded genome when compared to other characterised biocontrol and PGP isolates. Here, we make direct comparisons of T. hamatum GD12 transcription during PGP, and during antagonism of the root-infecting pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, in peat-based microcosms. An extensive mRNA-seq analysis sampling six time-points, 1, 2, 4, 7, 10 and 15 days after microcosm establishment revealed dynamic and biphasic signatures in the transcriptional responses of T. hamatum GD12 during Sclerotinia biocontrol and lettuce growth promotion. Functional analysis of differentially expressed genes demonstrated up-regulation of transportation and oxidation-reduction genes during both processes. Sclerotinia biocontrol is most likely mediated by the synthesis and secretion of antifungal compounds. Notably, the biphasic response during biocontrol was further characterised by the expression of a number of uncharacterised GD12 genes, small-secreted cysteine rich proteins and secondary metabolite producing gene clusters. This work demonstrates that T. hamatum GD12 harnesses a reservoir of uncharacterised genes that are actively engaged during effective biological control of a plurivorous plant pathogen.
Project description:Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) are a major challenge to the grape industry worldwide. GTDs are responsible for considerable loss of quality, production, and vineyard longevity. Seventy-five percent of Chilean vineyards are estimated to be affected by GTDs. GTDs are complex diseases caused by several fungi species, including members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family and Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, considered some of the most important causal agents for these diseases in Chile. In this study, we isolated 169 endophytic and 209 rhizospheric fungi from grapevines grown under organic and conventional farming in Chile. Multiple isolates of Chaetomium sp., Cladosporium sp., Clonostachys rosea, Epicoccum nigrum, Purpureocillium lilacinum, and Trichoderma sp. were evaluated for their potential of biocontrol activity against Diplodia seriata, Neofusicoccum parvum, and Pa. chlamydospora. Tests of antagonism were carried out using two dual-culture-plate methods with multiple media types, including agar containing grapevine wood extract to simulate in planta nutrient conditions. Significant pathogen growth inhibition was observed by all isolates tested. Clonostachys rosea showed 98.2% inhibition of all pathogens in the presence of grapevine wood extract. We observed 100% pathogen growth inhibition when autoclaved lignified grapevine shoots were pre-inoculated with either C. rosea strains or Trichoderma sp. Overall, these results show that C. rosea strains isolated from grapevines are promising biocontrol agents against GTDs.
Project description:Plant pathogens require lethal virulence factors, susceptible hosts, and optimal environmental conditions for disease establishment. High soil salinity, exacerbated by climate change, significantly impacts agro-biological ecosystems. However, the overall interactions between plant pathogens and salt stress are not fully characterized or understood. This study examines the effects of salt stress on representative plant pathogens: Burkholderia gladioli, Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, and Ralstonia solanacearum. Using pan-genome-based comparative transcriptomics, we analyzed the comprehensive alterations within the biological systems of plant pathogens when treated with 200 mM NaCl. Our results highlight the differential responses between salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant pathogens to salt stress.
Project description:The increasing emergence and dissemination of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens accelerate the desires for new antibiotics. Natural products dominate the preferred chemical scaffolds for the discovery of antibacterial agents. Here, the potential of natural flavonoids from plants against MDR bacteria, is demonstrated. Structure-activity relationship analysis shows the prenylation modulates the activity of flavonoids and obtains two compounds, α-mangostin (AMG) and isobavachalcone (IBC). AMG and IBC not only display rapid bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria, but also restore the susceptibility of colistin against Gram-negative pathogens. Mechanistic studies generally show such compounds bind to the phospholipids of bacterial membrane, and result in the dissipation of proton motive force and metabolic perturbations, through distinctive modes of action. The efficacy of AMG and IBC in four models associated with infection or contamination, is demonstrated. These results suggest that natural products of plants may be a promising and underappreciated reservoir to circumvent the existing antibiotic resistance.
Project description:The increasing level of hazardous residues in the environment and food chains has led the European Union to restrict the use of chemical fungicides. Thus, exploiting new natural antagonistic microorganisms against fungal diseases could serve the agricultural production to reduce pre- and post-harvest losses, to boost safer practices for workers and to protect the consumers' health. The main aim of this work was to evaluate the antagonistic potential of epiphytic yeasts against Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus carbonarius, and Penicillium expansum pathogen species. In particular, yeast isolation was carried out from grape berries of Vitis vinifera ssp sylvestris populations, of the Eurasian area, and V. vinifera ssp vinifera cultivars from three different farming systems (organic, biodynamic, and conventional). Strains able to inhibit or slow the growth of pathogens were selected by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The most effective antagonist yeast strains were subsequently assayed for their capability to colonize the grape berries. Finally, possible modes of action, such as nutrients and space competition, iron depletion, cell wall degrading enzymes, diffusible and volatile antimicrobial compounds, and biofilm formation, were investigated as well. Two hundred and thirty-one yeast strains belonging to 26 different species were isolated; 20 of them, ascribed to eight species, showed antagonistic action against all molds. Yeasts isolated from V. vinifera ssp sylvestris were more effective (up to 50%) against B. cinerea rather than those isolated from V. vinifera ssp vinifera. Six strains, all isolated from wild vines, belonging to four species (Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Hanseniaspora clermontiae, and Pichia kluyveri) revealed one or more phenotypical characteristics associated to the analyzed modes of antagonistic action.