Plant growth promotion and biological control of Pythium aphanidermatum, a pathogen of cucumber, by endophytic actinomycetes

Aims:  To evaluate the potential of Actinoplanes campanulatus , Micromonospora chalcea and Streptomyces spiralis endophytic in cucumber roots, to promote plant growth and to protect seedlings and mature plants of cucumber from diseases caused by Pythium aphanidermatum , under greenhouse conditions.
Methods and Results:  Three endophytic isolates, out of 29, were selected through tests aimed at understanding their mechanisms of action as biocontrol agents and plant growth promoters. When applied individually or in combination, they significantly promoted plant growth and reduced damping-off and crown and root rot of cucumber. The combination of the three isolates resulted in significantly better suppression of diseases and plant growth promotion, than where the plants were exposed to individual strains.
Conclusions:  The three selected actinomycete isolates colonized cucumber roots endophytically for 8 weeks, promoted plant growth and suppressed pathogenic activities of P. aphanidermatum on seedling and mature cucumber plants.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  The results clearly show that the endophytic, glucanase-producing actinomycetes used, especially as a combined treatment, could replace metalaxyl, which is the currently recommended fungicide for Pythium diseases in the United Arab Emirates. These endophytic isolates also have the potential to perform as plant growth promoters, which is a useful attribute for crop production in nutrient impoverished soils.     

Aerobic capacity influences the spatial position of individuals within fish schools

The schooling behaviour of fish is of great biological importance, playing a crucial role in the foraging and predator avoidance of numerous species. The extent to which physiological performance traits affect the spatial positioning of individual fish within schools is completely unknown. Schools of juvenile mullet Liza aurata were filmed at three swim speeds in a swim tunnel, with one focal fish from each school then also measured for standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximal metabolic rate (MMR), aerobic scope (AS) and maximum aerobic swim speed. At faster speeds, fish with lower MMR and AS swam near the rear of schools. These trailing fish required fewer tail beats to swim at the same speed as individuals at the front of schools, indicating that posterior positions provide hydrodynamic benefits that reduce swimming costs. Conversely, fish with high aerobic capacity can withstand increased drag at the leading edge of schools, where they could maximize food intake while possibly retaining sufficient AS for other physiological functions. SMR was never related to position, suggesting that high maintenance costs do not necessarily motivate individuals to occupy frontal positions. In the wild, shifting of individuals to optimal spatial positions during changing conditions could influence structure or movement of entire schools.     

Detection of virulence and pathogenicity genes in selected phytopathovars

Plant pathogenic organisms are known to infect host cell using various range of secretory proteins. Amongst all other secretion systems, type III secretion system (T3SS) is a key mechanism for bacterial pathogenesis for establishing and maintaining infection into the host. Expression levels of seven genes viz. avrXacE1, avrXacE2, hpaA and hrpG along with bacterial endogenous control lrp (leucine-responsive protein) were studied. The pathogenic organisms selected for the present study includes Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter spp., Pantoea ananatis, Xanthomonas campestris pv. Citri, Pantoea agglomerans, Ochrobactrum anthropi and Erwinia chrysanthemi. P. agglomerans and Enterobacter spp. gave high expression of above-mentioned virulence genes compared to Xanthomonas, while E. cloacae and P. ananatis showed similar expression with that of Xanthomonas. The detailed relationship of the expression profiles with respect to the selected organisms is discussed.     

Influence of plant developmental stage on microbial community structure and activity in the rhizosphere of three field crops

Seasonal shifts in rhizosphere microbial populations were investigated to follow the influence of plant developmental stage. A field study of indigenous microbial rhizosphere communities was undertaken on pea (Pisum satvium var. quincy), wheat (Triticum aestivum var. pena wawa) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris var. amythyst). Rhizosphere community diversity and substrate utilization patterns were followed throughout a growing season, by culturing, rRNA gene density gradient gel electrophoresis and BIOLOG. Culturable bacterial and fungal rhizosphere community densities were stable in pea and wheat rhizospheres, with dynamic shifts observed in the sugar beet rhizosphere. Successional shifts in bacterial and fungal diversity as plants mature demonstrated that different plants select and define their own functional rhizosphere communities. Assessment of metabolic activity and resource utilization by bacterial community-level physiological profiling demonstrated greater similarities between different plant species rhizosphere communities at the same than at different developmental stages. Marked temporal shifts in diversity and relative activity were observed in rhizosphere bacterial communities with developmental stage for all plant species studied. Shifts in the diversity of fungal and bacterial communities were more pronounced in maturing pea and sugar beet plants. This detailed study demonstrates that plant species select for specialized microbial communities that change in response to plant growth and plant inputs.     

石油烃生物降解过程的研究进展

石油烃污染物属于难降解混合物,生物修复已经成为石油烃污染环境的主要修复方法.文中简述了微生物对石油烃的间期适应过程和转运过程,并通过对部分典型石油烃成分的微生物降解机理和代谢路径的梳理和综述,阐释了石油烃生物降解过程中的菌株、基因、代谢路径等研究进展.此外,利用基因工程和代谢工程等手段,可对野生型石油烃降解菌进行改造,...     

Bacterial ecology, antibiotics and selection for virulence

The evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is well known. Here I describe possible mechanisms by which an increased rate of re-colonization of vertebrate guts by microbes caused by antibiotic use could lead to selection for increased virulence in currently mutualistic or benign microbes. The importance of understanding both the source and the frequency of colonization in such mutualisms is stressed and the possible importance of pseudo-vertical transmission in the evolution of these systems is discussed. A number of areas requiring experimental investigation are identified.     

代谢工程在维生素生产中的应用及研究进展

维生素是维持人体生命活动必需的一类有机物质,机体本身一般不能合成或合成量不足,因此需经食物或其他强化产品获取。目前,维生素产品已广泛应用于医药、食品添加剂、饲料添加剂、化妆品等领域,而且全球对维生素的需求也是呈逐年增长态势。维生素的生产方法主要包括化学合成法和生物合成法。化学合成法通常安全隐患大、反应条件严苛、废物污染严重,相比之下,代谢工程生产维生素绿色环保安全、能耗低,因此建立微生物细胞工厂具有重大的科学意义和应用需求。文中回顾了近30年来代谢工程在维生素生产领域的研究进展,详细阐述了水溶性维生素(维生素B1、B2、B3、B5、B6、B7、B9、B12和维生素C的前体)和脂溶性维生素(维生素A、维生素D的前体、维生素E和维生素K)的生物合成研究现状,并对其发酵生产的瓶颈进行了探讨,最后对合成生物技术创建维生素生产菌种进行了展望。     

合成微生物群落构建及其在聚羟基脂肪酸酯生物合成中的应用

合成微生物群落是由多种遗传背景清晰的微生物构成的人工系统,具有复杂度低、可控性高、稳定性强等优势,适用于工业生产、人类健康和环境修复等领域。本文在综述合成微生物群落的设计原理和构建方法基础上,特别聚焦其在聚羟基脂肪酸酯(polyhydroxyalkanoate, PHA)生物合成中的应用。作为合成生态学的核心内容、合成生物学的新兴前沿,构建高效、稳定、可控的合成微生物群落需要制定相应策略来调控微生物相互作用、空间结构组装、鲁棒性维持和生物防护。近年来,合成微生物群落已应用于生产药物、生物燃料、生物材料等高价值化学品,其中PHA作为传统塑料的理想替代品受到密切关注。提升并扩大PHA合成菌株的碳源利用能力和范围,降低PHA生产成本,成为合成微生物群落应用于PHA生物合成的研究重点。     

根际微生物群落功能与调控的研究进展

根际微生物群落是随植物长期进化及地球生境变迁而形成的动态微生物系统。随着多组学技术的不断发展,人们对根际微生物群落结构与功能的研究日益深入。根际微生物群落中的功能微生物类群,如植物促生细菌、植物促生真菌等,通过与植物建立紧密的物质、能量与信息联系,参与植物激素合成、难溶营养物解离、生物固氮、微生物拮抗、生长因子供应等系列生物学过程,从而提高植物营养物质吸收与抗逆能力,为植物的健康和高效生长提供重要保障。这些微生物中的某些成员已被开发成微生物刺激剂,广泛应用于作物增产抗逆与农田地力提升。近年来,多学科的交叉融合为根际微生物群落结构-功能-调控策略的交互式研究提供新的机遇,推动了基于合成生物学与材料科学技术的合成微生物组的发展。尤其是在核心微生物互作方面,人工蛋白创制、磁性组装、生物炭强化等策略能够增强核心微生物与目标植物之间的物理连接作用,大幅提高合成微生物组的工作效率和稳定性,从而有效驱动作物增产增收,提高污染修复效率。因此,根际微生物群落结构、功能与调控的深入研究,必将为绿色农业发展提供不竭动力。     

植物源二萜类化合物微生物合成研究进展

植物源二萜类天然产物结构复杂且功能多样,具有抗癌、抗炎和抗菌等多种药理活性,在药品、化妆品和食品添加剂等方面广泛应用。近年来,基于植物源二萜类化合物(diterpenoids)生物合成途径中功能基因的逐步揭示和合成生物技术的发展,科研人员采用代谢工程技术构建了多种二萜类化合物的微生物细胞工厂,且多个化合物达到克级产量。本文对植物源二萜类化合物微生物细胞工厂的构建情况进行综述,介绍并探讨植物源二萜类化合物微生物合成的研究进展和改造策略,为高产二萜类化合物细胞工厂构建和工业化生产提供参考。     

微生物法生产烷烃研究进展

烷烃在自然界中广泛存在。它不仅是化石能源的主要组成部分,而且在润滑剂、化妆品、水果保藏、植物防护等方面具有广泛的应用价值。本文概述了天然产烷烃的微生物及其烷烃的天然合成途径及其途径中关键酶催化的作用机理,并对近几年国内外运用代谢工程手段改造微生物使其细胞合成烷烃的研究进展作了介绍。微生物生产烷烃可以通过改造烷烃的天然合成菌株或通过在模式微生物中引入异源烷烃合成途径两种方法来强化。最后文章讨论了微生物法生产烷烃存在的不足和今后研究的方向与展望。