• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.218-235
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• 2018

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and endophytic bacteria were isolated from different varieties of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) from South India. Totally 50 strains representing, 30 PGPR and 20 endophytic bacteria were identified based on biochemical assays and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The isolates were screened for antagonistic activity against Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp., and Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn., causing rhizome rot and leaf blight diseases in turmeric, by dual culture and liquid culture assays. Results revealed that only five isolates of PGPR and four endophytic bacteria showed more than 70% suppression of test pathogens in both assays. The SEM studies of interaction zone showed significant ultrastructural changes of the hyphae like shriveling, breakage and desication of the pathogens by PGPR B. cereus (RBacDOB-S24) and endophyte P. aeruginosa (BacDOB-E19). Selected isolates showed multiple Plant growth promoting traits. The rhizome bacterization followed by soil application of B. cereus (RBacDOB-S24) showed lowest Percent Disease Incidence (PDI) of rhizome rot and leaf blight, 16.4% and 15.5% respectively. Similarly, P. aeruginosa (BacDOB-E19) recorded PDI of rhizome rot (17.5%) and leaf blight (17.7%). The treatment of these promising isolates exhibited significant increase in plant height and fresh rhizome yield/plant in comparison with untreated control under greenhouse condition. Thereby, these isolates can be exploited as a potential biocontrol agent for suppressing rhizome rot and leaf blight diseases in turmeric.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.403-412
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• 2021

This study aimed to identify plant growth-promoting activity, phytopathogenic fungi growth inhibitory activity, mineral solubilization ability, and extracellular enzyme activity of the genus Bacillus in soil and the rhizosphere. With regards to antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi, DDP257 showed antifungal activity against all 10 pathogenic fungi tested. ANG20 showed the highest ability to produce indole-3-acetic acid, a plant growth-promoting factor (70.97 ㎍/ml). In addition, 10 species were identified to have 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase production ability, and most isolates showed nitrogen fixation and siderophore production abilities. Thereafter, the isolated strains' ability to solubilize minerals such as phosphate, calcite, and zinc was identified. With extracellular enzyme activity, the activity appeared in most enzymes. In particular, all the strains showed similar abilities for alkaline phosphatase, esterase (C4), acid phosphatase, and naphtol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase production. This result was observed because the genus Bacillus secreted various organic substances, antibiotics, and extracellular enzymes. Therefore, through the results of this study, we suggest the possibility of using strains contributing to the improvement of the soil environment as microbial agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1724-1734
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• 2010

A phosphate-solubilizing bacterial strain isolated from Hippophae rhamnoides rhizosphere was identified as Rahnella sp. based on its phenotypic features and 16S rRNA gene sequence. The bacterial strain showed the growth characteristics of a cold-adapted psychrotroph, with the multiple plant growth-promoting traits of inorganic and organic phosphate solubilization, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate-deaminase activity, ammonia generation, and siderophore production. The strain also produced indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-acetaldehyde, indole-3-acetamide, indole-3-acetonitrile, indole-3-lactic acid, and indole-3-pyruvic acid in tryptophan-supplemented nutrient broth. Gluconic, citric and isocitric acids were the major organic acids detected during tricalcium phosphate solubilization. A rifampicin-resistant mutant of the strain exhibited high rhizosphere competence without disturbance to the resident microbial populations in pea rhizosphere. Seed bacterization with a charcoal-based inoculum significantly increased growth in barley, chickpea, pea, and maize under the controlled environment. Microplot testing of the inoculum at two different locations in pea also showed significant increase in growth and yield. The attributes of cold-tolerance, high rhizosphere competence, and broad-spectrum plant growth-promoting activity exhibited the potential of Rahnella sp. BIHB 783 for increasing agriculture productivity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.587-593
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• 2010

Three hundred and seventy-four rhizobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere soil (RS) or rhizoplane (RP) of Echinochloa crus-galli, Carex leiorhyncha, Commelina communis, Persicaria lapathifolia, Carex kobomugi, and Equisetum arvense, grown in contaminated soil with petroleum and heavy metals. The isolates were screened for plant growth-promoting trait (PGPT), including indole acetic acid (IAA) productivity, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase activity, and siderophore(s) synthesis ability. IAA production was detected in 86 isolates (23.0%), ACC deaminase activity in 168 isolates (44.9%), and siderophore(s) synthesis in 213 isolates (57.0%). Among the rhizobacteria showing PGPT, 162 isolates had multiple traits showing more than two types of PGPT. The PGPT-possesing rhizobacteria were more abundant in the RP (82%) samples than the RS (75%). There was a negative correlation (-0.656, p<0.05) between the IAA producers and the ACC deaminase producers. Clustering analysis by principal component analysis showed that RP was the most important factor influencing the ecological distribution and physiological characterization of PGPT-possesing rhizobacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.668-680
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• 2020

Bacillus velezensis is an important plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium with immense potential in agriculture development. In the present study, Bacillus velezensis Lle-9 was isolated from the bulbs of Lilium leucanthum. The isolated strain showed antifungal activities against plant pathogens like Botryosphaeria dothidea, Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium fujikuroi. The highest percentage of growth inhibition i.e., 68.56±2.35% was observed against Fusarium oxysporum followed by 63.12 ± 2.83%, 61.67 ± 3.39% and 55.82 ± 2.76% against Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Fusarium fujikuroi, respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction revealed a number of bioactive compounds and several were identified as antimicrobial agents such as diketopiperazines, cyclo-peptides, linear peptides, latrunculin A, 5α-hydroxy-6-ketocholesterol, (R)-S-lactoylglutathione, triamterene, rubiadin, moxifloxacin, 9-hydroxy-5Z,7E,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid, D-erythro-C18-Sphingosine, citrinin, and 2-arachidonoyllysophosphatidylcholine. The presence of these antimicrobial compounds in the bacterial culture might have contributed to the antifungal activities of the isolated B. velezensis Lle-9. The strain showed plant growth-promoting traits such as production of organic acids, ACC deaminase, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization. IAA production was accelerated with application of exogenous tryptophan concentrations in the medium. Further, the lily plants upon inoculation with Lle-9 exhibited improved vegetative growth, more flowering shoots and longer roots than control plants under greenhouse condition. The isolated B. velezensis strain Lle-9 possessed broad-spectrum antifungal activities and multiple plant growth-promoting traits and thus may play an important role in promoting sustainable agriculture. This strain could be developed and applied in field experiments in order to promote plant growth and control disease pathogens.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2015

Aquatic plant Hydrocharis dubia (Blume) Backer was collected from the Dalsung wetland in Daegu. Sixteen endophytic fungi with different colony morphologies were isolated from the roots of aquatic plants. Waito-c rice (WR) seedlings were treated with fungal culture filtrates (FCF) for screening plant growth-promoting activity. In the results, HD1008 strain isolated from aquatic plant showed highest plant growth-promoting activity. The FCF of HD1008 strain was analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with selected ion monitoring (SIM). Analysis of the FCF of HD1008 strain found that it contained gibberellins (GA) ($GA_1$, 1.2 ng/100 mL; $GA_4$, 5 ng/100 mL). Phylogenetic tree of HD1008 strain was constructed by partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial beta-tubulin gene sequences. Therefore, we describe HD1008 strain as a new gibberellin-producing Penicillium trzebinskii based on morphological and molecular characteristics.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.64-71
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• 2002

Plant growth promoting activity of quinolinone metabolites, 2-(2-hepteny)-3-methyl-4-quinolinone (1), 2-heptyl-3-methyl-4-quinolinone, and 2-nonyl-3-methyl-4-quinolinone, produced by Pseudomonas cepacia and ethyl 2-methyl-3-alkyl-4-quinolinone carboxylates chemically synthesized were tested by using seed-germination assay, growth increments in plant height after foliar applications. Plant height increment, fresh weight, and the number of fruits were measured after seed-soaking and drench treatment. Compound 1 among the natural products showed a consistent growth promoting effect in seed-germination and plant height after a foliar application. After a seed-soaking and drench treatment, compound 1 and synthetic ethyl 2-methyl-4-quinolinone-3-carboxylate (5) showed a significant enhancement in fresh weight and the number of fruits after harvest. Compound 1 and 5 increased the number of fruits per plant by 44% and 84% over the control, respectively.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.137-148
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• 2019

In search of an effective biological control agent against the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, rhizospheric soil samples were collected from eight agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh. Among the bacteria isolated from soil, 24 isolates were randomly selected and evaluated for their antagonistic activity against F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. The two promising antagonistic isolates were identified as Brevundimonas olei and Bacillus methylotrophicus based on morphological, biochemical and molecular characteristics. These two isolates were evaluated for their biocontrol activity and growth promotion of two tomato cultivars (cv. Pusa Rubi and Ratan) for two consecutive years. Treatment of Pusa Rubi and Ratan seeds with B. olei prior to inoculation of pathogen caused 44.99% and 41.91% disease inhibition respectively compared to the untreated but pathogen-inoculated control plants. However, treatment of Pusa Rubi and Ratan seeds with B. methylotrophicus caused 24.99% and 39.20% disease inhibition respectively. Furthermore, both the isolates enhanced the growth of tomato plants. The study revealed that these indigenous bacterial isolates can be used as an effective biocontrol agent against Fusarium wilt of tomato.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2001

Twelve antagonistic strains against Fusarium wilt of watermelon-rootstock gourd were selected from 54 bacterial isolates which were isolated from the rhizosphere of crop plants growing in various locations. They showed strong inhibitory effects on growth of Fusarium osysporum f. sp. niveum, the causal agent of watermelon-rootstock gourd Fusarium wilt. Among these antagonists, the isolate YJ-3 was the most pronounced in growth-promoting ability for watermelon-rootstock gourd. The growth of watermelon-rootstock gourd in bed soil inoculated with YJ-3 was better by 46 and 13% than those in commercial bed soil alone and in bed soil inoculated with commercial microbial inoculant, respectively. The antagonistic plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium, strain No. YJ-3, was identified as Bacillus sp. on MIDI system. Furthermore, Bacillus sp. YJ-3 showed antifungal activity on growth against Alternaria cucumerina, Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum orbiculare, Didymella bryoniae, Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.394-403
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• 2023

In the pursuit of sustainable and environmentally-friendly agricultural practices, we conducted an extensive study on the rhizosphere bacteria inhabiting soils that have been devoid of chemical fertilizers for an extended period exceeding 40 years. Through this investigation, we isolated a total of 80 species of plant growth-promoting rhizosphere bacteria and assessed their potential to enhance plant growth. Among these isolates, Burkholderia cepacia CD2 displayed remarkable plant growth-promoting activity, making it an optimal candidate for further analysis. Burkholderia cepacia CD2 exhibited a range of beneficial characteristics conducive to plant growth, including phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, denitrification, nitrate utilization, and urease activity. These attributes are well-known to positively influence the growth and development of plants. To validate the taxonomic classification of the strain, 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed its placement within the Burkholderia genus, providing further insights into its phylogenetic relationship. To delve deeper into the potential mechanisms underlying its plant growth-promoting properties, we sought to confirm the presence of specific genes associated with plant growth promotion in CD2. To achieve this, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed by Plasmidsaurus Inc. (USA) utilizing Oxford Nanopore technology (Abingdon, UK). The WGS analysis of the genome of CD2 revealed the existence of a subsystem function, which is thought to be a pivotal factor contributing to improved plant growth. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that Burkholderia cepacia CD2 has the potential to serve as a microbial fertilizer, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical fertilizers.