Pseudomonas Lipopeptide-Mediated Biocontrol: Chemotaxonomy and Biological Activity

Author: mycolabadmin
2022-01-07
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Summary

This research explores how certain bacteria produce natural compounds called lipopeptides that can protect plants from diseases. These compounds act as natural pesticides and could help reduce the need for chemical pesticides in agriculture. Here’s how this research impacts everyday life: • Could lead to more environmentally friendly crop protection methods • May help develop new natural alternatives to chemical pesticides • Could improve food security by protecting crops from diseases • May reduce chemical residues in food products • Could help farmers reduce costs associated with chemical pesticides

Background

Pseudomonas lipopeptides (Ps-LPs) play crucial roles in bacterial physiology, host-microbe interactions and plant disease control. These beneficial LP producers have mainly been isolated from the rhizosphere, phyllosphere and bulk soils. Despite their wide geographic distribution and host range, emerging evidence suggests that LP-producing pseudomonads and their corresponding molecules display tight specificity and follow a phylogenetic distribution.

Objective

To highlight and discuss the production of beneficial Ps-LPs by strains situated within unique taxonomic groups and the lineage-specificity and coevolution of this relationship. Additionally, to chronicle the antimicrobial activity demonstrated by these biomolecules in limited plant systems compared with multiple in vitro assays.

Results

The study found a good correlation between taxonomy and LP type produced. Pseudomonas biocontrol strains and their respective LPs are largely associated with strains situated in the P. fluorescens and P. putida group. Within the P. fluorescens group, diverse beneficial LPs are produced by strains belonging to multiple subgroups, with P. koreensis and P. fluorescens SG recording the largest LP diversity. The research demonstrated that different LPs showed varying levels of effectiveness against plant pathogens in both in vitro and in planta studies.

Conclusion

The tight linkage of LPs within specific taxonomic groups irrespective of the plant host reinforces the idea of a rapidly evolving system that develops new molecules by randomly shuffling and swapping domains and modules. The possibility of matching chemistry to taxonomy provides a starting point for LP predictions once the phylogenic affiliation of a biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas strain has been deciphered. However, more systematic approaches are needed to test biocontrol efficacy of LP-producing strains versus mutants against diverse pathogens and on different plant hosts.

Published in:Molecules,
Study Type:Review,
Source: 10.3390/molecules27020372