Study on the biocontrol effect and physiological mechanism of Hannaella sinensis on the blue mold decay of apples

Blue mold decay is a major postharvest disease of apples, causing considerable losses to the apple industry. In the early stage of this research, an antagonistic yeast, Hannaella sinensis, with a good control effect on the blue mold of apples, was selected. On this basis, the main purpose of this work was to study the biocontrol effect of H. sinensis on the blue mold of apples and the mechanisms involved. The results showed that H. sinensis could effectively control the blue mold decay of apples, reduce the rot rate and diameter, and the antagonistic effect strengthened with the increase of H. sinensis concentration (1 x 108 cells/mL). Further in vitro experiments proved that H. sinensis could significantly inhibit the spore germination and germ tube length of P. expansum. In addition, stable colonization of H. sinensis on apple wounds and surfaces confirmed the environmental adaptability and the ability to compete with other microbiota for nutrition and space. Moreover, H. sinensis induced the activities of resistance-related enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in apples and the content of the coding genes corresponding to these enzymes was also higher than that of the control group. Our results indicate that H. sinensis treatment could induce the disease resistance of apples. In summary, H. sinensis served as a promising antagonistic yeast for the prevention and treatment of postharvest blue mold decay of apples.

Automated summary

In this study, a yeast strain, Hannaella sinensis, was selected for its good control effect on blue mold decay in apples. The research aimed to investigate the biocontrol effect of H. sinensis on blue mold decay in apples and the underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that H. sinensis effectively controlled blue mold decay in apples and inhibited the germination of spores and growth of germ tubes of P. expansum. Furthermore, H. sinensis colonized apple wounds and surfaces, showing its environmental adaptability and ability to compete for resources with other microbiota. Additionally, H. sinensis induced the activities of resistance-related enzymes and the expression of corresponding genes in apples, leading to enhanced disease resistance. Overall, H. sinensis showed great potential as an antagonistic yeast for the prevention and treatment of postharvest blue mold decay in apples.