The production of antifungal volatiles by Bacillus subtilis |
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| Authors: | PJ Fiddaman S Rossall |
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| Institution: | University of Nottingham, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Department of Physiology and Environmental Science, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leics, UK |
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| Abstract: | A strain of Bacillus subtilis which produces an antibiotic metabolite was also found to produce a volatile compound(s) which was antifungal to Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium ultimum.
Growth of the fungi was severely impaired in the presence of the volatiles and physiological abnormalities of the hyphae were observed, including hyphal distortion and vacuolation. A range of media were tested for volatile production and potato dextrose agar (PDA) was found to be the most active. Temperature had a considerable effect on antifungal volatile activity with the greatest inhibition occurring at 30°C. Addition of iron (III) chloride to Sabouraud's glucose agar (SGA) also enhanced the antifungal effect. The volatiles were found to be water soluble and remained active when trapped in SGA. |
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