• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.346-359
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• 2018

Xanthomonas oryzae, a bacterial pathogen causing leaf blight disease (BLB) in rice, can cause widespread disease and has caused epidemics globally, resulting in severe crop losses of 50% in Asia. The pathogen is seed-borne and is transmitted through seeds. Thus, control of BLB requires the elimination of the pathogen from seeds. Concern about environment-friendly organic production has spurred improvements in a variety of biological disease control methods, including the use of bacteriophages, against bacterial plant pathogens. The present study explored the potential of bacteriophages isolated from diseased plant leaves and soil samples in killing the bacterial pathogen in rice seeds. Eight different phages were isolated and evaluated for their bacteriolytic activity against different pathogenic X. oryzae strains. Of these, a phage designated ${\varphi}XOF4$ killed all the pathogenic X. oryzae strains and showed the broadest host range. Transmission electron microscopy of ${\varphi}XOF4$ revealed it to be a tailed phage with an icosahedral head. The virus was assigned to the family Siphoviridae, order Caudovirales. Seedlings raised from the seeds treated with $1{\times}10^8pfu/ml$ of ${\varphi}XOF4$ phage displayed reduced incidence of BLB disease and complete bacterial growth inhibition. The findings indicate the potential of the ${\varphi}XOF4$ phage as a potential biological control agent against BLB disease in rice.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2017

Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) causes bacterial wilt, and it is one of the most important soil-borne plant pathogenic bacteria. RSSC has a large host range of more than 50 botanical families, which represent more than 200 plant species, including tomato. It is difficult to control bacterial wilt due to following reasons: the bacterial wilt pathogen can grow inside the plant tissue, and it can also survive in soil for a long period; moreover, it has a wide host range and biological diversity. In most previous studies, scientists have focused on developing biological control agents, such as antagonistic microorganisms and botanical materials. However, biocontrol attempts are not successful. Plant-derived metabolites and extracts have been promising candidates to environmentally friendly control bacterial wilt diseases. Therefore, we review the plant extracts, essential oils, and secondary metabolites that show potent in vivo antibacterial activities (in potted plants or in field) against tomato bacterial wilt, which is caused by RSSC.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.229-235
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• 2024

Background: Plant health is directly related to the change in native microbial diversity and changes in soil health have been implicated as one of the main cause of root rot. However, scarce information is present regarding allelopathic relationship of Panax notoginseng root exudates and pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum in a continuous cropping system. Methods: We analyzed P. notoginseng root exudate in the planting soil for three successive years to determine phenolic acid concentration using GC-MS and HPLC followed by effect on the microbial community assembly. Antioxidant enzymes were checked in the roots to confirm possible resistance in P. notoginseng. Results: Total 29 allelochemicals in the planting soil extract was found with highest concentration (10.54 %) of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The HPLC showing a year-by-year decrease in p-hydroxybenzoic acid content in soil of different planting years, and an increase in population of F. oxysporum. Moreover, community analysis displayed negative correlation with 2.22 mmol. L^-1 of p-hydroxybenzoic acid correspond to an 18.1 % population of F. oxysporum. Furthermore, in vitro plate assay indicates that medium dose of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (2.5-5 mmol. L^-1) can stimulate the growth of F. oxysporum colonies and the production of macroconidia, as well as cell wall-degrading enzymes. We found that 2-3 mmol. L^-1 of p-hydroxybenzoic acid significantly increased the population of F. oxysporum. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study suggested that p-hydroxybenzoic acid have negative effect on the root system and modified the rhizosphere microbiome so that the host plant became more susceptible to root rot disease.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.25 no.1 s.80
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• pp.10-19
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• 1997

Fusarium wilt of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is caused by the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. raphani (FOR) which mainly attacks Raphanus spp. The pathogen is a soil-borne and forms chlamydospores in infected plant residues in soil. Infected pathogen colonizes the vascular tissue, leading to necrosis of the vascular tissue. Growth promoting beneficial organisms such as Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS374 (strain WCS374), P. putida RE10 (strain RE10) and Pseudomonas sp. EN415 (strain EN415) were used for microorganisms-mediated induction of systemic resistance in radish against Fusarium wilt. In this bioassy, the pathogens and bacteria were treated into soil separately or concurrently, and mixed the bacteria with the different level of combination. Significant suppression of the disease by bacterial treatments was generally observed in pot bioassy. The disease incidence of the control recorded 46.5% in the internal observation and 21.1% in the external observation, respectively. The disease incidence of P. putida RE10 recorded 12.2% in the internal observation and 7.8% in the external observation, respectively. However, the disease incidence of P. fluorescens WCS374 which was proved to be highly suppressive to Fusarium wilt indicated 45.6% in the internal observation and 27.8% in the external observation, respectively. The disease incidence of P. putida RE10 mixed with P. fluorescens WCS374 or Pseudomonas sp. EN415 was in the range of 10.0-22.1%. On the other hand, the disease incidence of P. putida RE10 mixed with Pseudomonas sp. EN415 was in the range of 7.8-20.2%. The colonization by FOR was observed in the range of $2.4-5.1{\times}10^3/g$ on the root surface and $0.7-1.3{\times}10^3/g$ in the soil, but the numbers were not statistically different. As compared with $3.8{\times}10^3/g$ root of the control, the colonization of infested ROR indicated $2.9{\times}10^3/g$ root in separate treatments of P. putida RE10, and less than $3.8{\times}10^3/g$ root of the control. Also, the colonization of FOR recorded $5.1{\times}10^3/g$ root in mixed treatments of 3 bacterial strains such as P. putida RE10, P. fluorescens WCS374 and Pseudomonas sp. EN415. The colonization of FOR in soil was less than that of FOR in root part. Based on soil or root part, the colonization of ROR didn't indicate a significant difference. The colonization of introduced 3 fluorescent pseudomonads was observed in the range of $2.3-4.0{\times}10^7/g$ in the root surface and $0.9-1.8{\times}10^7/g$ in soil, but the bacterial densities were significantly different. When growth promoting organisms were introduced into the soil, the population of Pseudomonas sp. in the root part treated with P. putida RE10 was similar in number to the control and recorded the low numerical value as compared with any other treatments. The population density of Pseudomonas sp. in the treatment of P. putida RE10 indicated significant differences in the root part, but didn't show significant differences in soil. The population densities of infested FOR and introduced bacteria on the root were high in contrast to those of soil. P. putida RE10 and Pseudomonas sp. EN415 used in this experiment appeared to induce the resistance of the host against Fusarium wilt.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2005

Cylindrocarpon destructans is a soil-borne plant pathogenic fungus causing root rot on ginseng and trees. Rapid and exact detection of this pathogen was practiced on ginseng seedlings by nested PCR using speciesspecific primer set. The second round of PCR amplification by Dest 1 and Dest 4 primer set formed 400 bp of species-specific fragment of C. destructans from the product of first round of amplification by ITS 1 and ITS 4 primer set. In the PCR sensitivity test based on DNA density, nested PCR detected to the limit of one fg and it meant the nested PCR could detect up to a few spores of C. destructans. Also, nested PCR made it possible to detect the pathogen from ginseng seedlings infected by replantation on artificial infested soil. Our nested PCR results using species-specific primer set could be utilized for diagnosis of root rot disease in ginseng cultivation.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.498-511
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• 2024

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a destructive disease that affects potato production, leading to severe yield losses. Currently, little is known about the changes in the assembly and functional adaptation of potato rhizosphere microbial communities during different stages of R. solanacearum infection. In this study, using amplicon and metagenomic sequencing approaches, we analyzed the changes in the composition and functions of bacterial and fungal communities in the potato rhizosphere across four stages of R. solanacearum infection. The results showed that R. solanacearum infection led to significant changes in the composition and functions of bacterial and fungal communities in the potato rhizosphere, with various microbial properties (including α,β-diversity, species composition, and community ecological functions) all being driven by R. solanacearum infection. The relative abundance of some beneficial microorganisms in the potato rhizosphere, including Firmicutes, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Mortierella, decreased as the duration of infection increased. Moreover, the related microbial communities played a significant role in basic metabolism and signal transduction; however, the functions involved in soil C, N, and P transformation weakened. This study provides new insights into the dynamic changes in the composition and functions of potato rhizosphere microbial communities at different stages of R. solanacearum infection to adapt to the growth promotion or disease suppression strategies of host plants, which may provide guidance for formulating future strategies to regulate microbial communities for the integrated control of soil-borne plant diseases.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.324-332
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• 2011

Soil-borne barley yellow mosaic disease caused by Barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) or Barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV) gives a serious threat to the winter barley cultivated in the southern regions in Korea. It is important to develop resistant varieties for stable and high-yield production. The objectives of this study were to evaluate 22 genotypes of exotic barley germplasms carrying the resistance genes rym1 through rym12, with the exception of rym10, and to determine the genes that confer resistance to BaYMV or BaMMV in Korea. Using the traditional visual scoring of symptoms at 4 locations over 3 years, average disease rate values differed (P < 0.001) among the genotypes. ELISA test revealed the presence of both BaYMV and BaMMV in all of the field sites but Jinju and significantly different rates of infection among genotypes and years. Barley genotypes differed in how virus quantities and pathogen-induced symptoms were correlated, especially in response to BaYMV. Disease incidence was affected by the climatic conditions present during the early growing stage before overwintering. A Chinese landrace, 'Mokusekko 3', carrying rym1 and rym5 was comparatively resistant at all locations studied. The barley genotypes carrying either rym6 or rym9 were susceptible to the viral strains. The genotypes carrying rym5 were resistant in Jinju and Milyang but susceptible in Iksan and Naju. The resistance genes rym2 and rym3 were effective in local strains and would be potent contributors to disease resistance.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.249-257
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• 2002

Pseudomonas fluorescens GL20 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium that produces a large amount of hydroxamate siderophore under iron-limited conditions. The strain GL20 considerably inhibited the spore germination and hyphal growth of a plant pathogenic fungus, Fusarium solani, when iron was limited, significantly suppressed the root-rot disease on beans caused by F. solani, and enhanced the plant growth. The mechanism for the beneficial effect of strain GL20 on the disease suppression was due to the siderophore production, evidenced by mutant strains derived from the strain. Analysis of the outer membrane protein profile revealed that the growth of strain GL20 induced the synthesis of specific iron-regulated outer membrane proteins with molecular masses of 85- and 90 kDa as the high-affinity receptors for the ferric siderophore. In addition, a cross-feeding assay revealed the presence of multiple inducible receptors for heterologous siderophores in the strain. In order to induce increased efficacy and potential in biological control of plant disease, a siderophore-overproducing mutant, GL20-S207, was prepared by NTG mutagenesis. The mutant GL20-S207 produced nearly 2.3 times more siderophore than the parent strain. In pot trials of beans with F. solani, the mutant increased plant growth up to 1.5 times compared with that of the parent strain. These results suggest that the plant growth-promoting P. fluorescens GL20 and the genetically bred P. fluorescens GL20-S207 can play an important role in the biological control of soil-borne plant diseases in the rhizosphere.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.212-219
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• 2022

Fusarium root rot caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium solani is one of the most important fungal diseases of cassava in Thailand, resulting in high yield losses of more than 80%. This study aimed to investigate if the exogenous application of salicylic acid formulations (Zacha) can induce resistance in cassava against Fusarium root rot and observe the biochemical changes in induced cassava leaf tissues through synchrotron radiation based on Fourier-transform infrared (SR-FTIR) microspectroscopy. We demonstrated that the application of Zacha11 prototype formulations could induce resistance against Fusarium root rot in cassava. The in vitro experimental results showed that Zacha11 prototype formulations inhibited the growth of F. solani at approximately 34.83%. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the disease severity of Fusarium root rot disease at 60 days after challenge inoculation was observed in cassava plants treated with Zacha11 at a concentration of 500 ppm (9.0%). Population densities of F. solani were determined at 7 days after inoculation. Treatment of the Zacha11 at a concentration of 500 ppm resulted in reduced populations compared with the distilled water control and differences among treatment means at each assay date. Moreover, the SR-FTIR spectral changes of Zacha11-treated epidermal tissues of leaves had higher integral areas of lipids, lignins, and pectins (1,770-1,700/cm), amide I (1,700-1,600/cm), amide II (1,600-1,500/cm), hemicellulose, lignin (1,300-1,200/cm), and cellulose (1,155/cm). Therefore, alteration in defensive carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins contributed to generate barriers against Fusarium invasion in cassava roots, leading to lower the root rot disease severity.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.337-346
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• 1992

Trichoderma spp. are an effective control agent for damping-off or other plant diseases. The interaction between. T. hamatum and Rhizoctonia solani on the rhizosphere or surface soil were examined to assess the possible roles of antibiosis or competition in the mechanisms of biological control agents as a basic research. In a proportional comparison, total bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and Trichoderma spp were 65%, 8.8%, 25.9% and 0.28% respectively in their distribution in the soil. Among Trichoderma spp isolated, the 5 species of Trichoderma spp were indentified as T. koninggii, T. pseudokoninggii, T. aureoviridi, T. hamatum and T. viride respectively. In a mycoparasitic test, one isolate of T. hamatum strain Tr-5 showed an enzymatic ability to break fungal hyphae into piecies and infected on the R. solani hyphae showing a parasitism. Spore germination of the all isolates of Trichoderma spp showed a 1.7-7.3% of germination in natural soil conditions, but the percentage was high in sterile soil indicating all the natural soil were fungistatic on conidia of Trichoderma spp. In rhizosphere competent assay in pea plant, the antagonistic T. hamatum, T. viride, T. koninggii, T. pseudokoninggii showed a colonizing upper soil depth in rhizosphere around 1-3 cm in root zone, but the colonizing ability was much reduced along the deeper the soil depth. Propagule density was decreased in deeper the soil layer. Disease development rate treated alone with plant pathogens, Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani, Cylindrocarpon destructans increased, but disease incidence rate reduced in treatment with combinations with antagonistic T. hamatum strain Tr-5.