Contribution of macrolactin in Bacillus velezensis CLA178 to the antagonistic activities against Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58

Beneficial rhizobacteria can inhibit soilborne pathogens by secreting an array of polyketides, lipopeptides and dipeptides, but the effect of polyketides on crown gall disease caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 is unclear. In this study, the antagonistic compounds of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Bacillus velezensis CLA178 was sorted with different organic phases, purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography, and detected by a liquid chromatography ionization-mass spectrometry system. Macrolactins were found to be the compounds with antagonistic activity against A. tumefaciens C58. When the macrolactin synthesis pathway was disrupted, the mutant omlnA only showed slight antagonistic activity against A. tumefaciens C58. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the inhibition of C58 cell division by cell-free culture from the mutant omlnA was weaker than that by cell-free culture from CLA178. The mutant deficient in production of macrolactin showed a weaker transcription of genes involved in attachment of C58 to plant and lower biocontrol of crown gall disease in rose than the wild-type strain CLA178. The effect of macrolactins on pathogen C58 has been also confirmed by the purified macrolactins. These results reveal that macrolactins contribute to the biocontrol activity of C58 by inhibiting cell division and downregulating the transcription of chvB and chvE.

Automated summary

This study identified macrolactins as antagonistic compounds of Bacillus velezensis CLA178 against Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58, showing significant inhibitory effects on C58 cell division and transcription of genes involved in attachment to plants. The disruption of macrolactin production resulted in weaker biocontrol activity of C58, highlighting the importance of macrolactins in the biocontrol mechanisms of Bacillus velezensis CLA178.