Comparative Insights into Bacterial Endophytome and Antifungal Metabolites in Fusarium Wilt-Resistant and -Susceptible Banana Cultivars Unveil the Resistance Toward Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense
Aug 2026· Pathogens· Vol 15· 0 citations· 65 references
Medicine
Abstract
India contributes 26% of global banana production, yet cultivation is severely threatened by Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, Foc), necessitating sustainable, eco-friendly management strategies. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of endophytic bacteria isolated from Foc-resistant and -susceptible banana cultivars. Isolates from the pseudostem, corm, and root of the resistant cultivar showed significantly greater inhibitory activity than those from the susceptible cultivar, underscoring the role of host genotype in shaping functionally competent endophytic communities. Among all isolates, Bacillus sp. from the corm of cv. Rose (AB) showed the highest mycelial inhibition of Foc (70.37–76.54%) in vitro. GC-MS-based metabolite profiling revealed a chemically diverse array of secondary metabolites, fatty acid esters, steroids, terpenoids, siloxanes, and nitrogenous compounds. Corm-associated endophytes exhibited membrane-disruptive and cytotoxic activity, while root-associated endophytes contributed protective, defense-modulatory effects. Halomonas sp. RoRo2 and B. subtilis RoC1 showed the highest inhibition in both agar-well and in planta assays, with unsaturated fatty acids and organic acid derivatives implicated as key antifungal effectors acting through multiple biochemical pathways. These findings identify metabolically versatile endophytes as promising candidates for developing efficient, environmentally compatible bioinoculants as sustainable alternatives to chemical control of Fusarium wilt in banana.
Genome mining revealed eight biosynthetic gene clusters associated with antimicrobial secondary metabolites, supporting the genomic characterization of strain BS01 and identifying its biosynthetic potential and identifying its biosynthetic potential.
Van T. Tran, P. D. Tran, Don D. Le et al.· Journal of plant diseases an...· 0 citations
The identification of C. globosum HKH_AMG from the susceptible cultivar Taichung 29 highlights the untapped potential of seed-associated fungal microbiota for the sustainable management of STB.
Hamideh Khavasi, Seema S. Rathore, M. A. Ghanbari et al.· Scientific Reports· 0 citations
Introduction Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (Foc TR4), poses a serious threat to the safety and sustainable development of the banana industry. Biological control represents one of the most environmentally friendly approaches for managing this disease. Methods In this study, Streptomyces violaceusniger WZS5–6 antifungal activity against Foc TR4 has been investigated through an integrated approach combining antifungal assays, genome analysis, and metabolomic profiling. For the purpose, the effects of the bacterial strain and its cell-free extract on morphological and ultrastructural changes on pathogenic fungal hyphae and spores were assessed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. LC–MS analysis was used to identify the metabolites responsible for antifungal activity. We further explored the potential of S. violaceusniger WZS5–6 against Foc TR4 through in planta validation. Results Streptomyces violaceusniger WZS5–6 exhibited a strong inhibition rate of 91.57% on Foc TR4. The cell-free extract obtained from S. violaceusniger WZS5–6 strongly inhibited Foc TR4 with an EC50 value of 91.62 µg·mL-1, indicating the presence of antifungal bioactive metabolites. The results showed that S. violaceusniger WZS5–6 significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of Foc TR4 and induced alterations in spore morphology, mycelial ultrastructure, and cell membrane leakage. Metabolomic profiling of the S. violaceusniger WZS5–6 extracts revealed numerous antifungal metabolites, among which the key metabolites, viz., citronellic acid and furanodienone, exhibited strong inhibitory effects on Foc TR4, with antifungal activity of 61.13% and 57.44%, respectively. Moreover, strain WZS5–6 not only demonstrated 61.54% control efficacy against FWB in a pot experiment but also showed promising growth-promoting effects on banana plants. Discussion This study demonstrates that S. violaceusniger WZS5–6 inhibits Foc TR4 through a multi-level mechanism involving cellular disruption, metabolic adaptation, and activation of host defense responses. These findings highlight the potential of S. violaceusniger WZS5–6 as a promising novel candidate strain to be employed as a biological control agent of FWB.
Wen-Jing Ge, Tao Jing, Xiaoping Zang et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum is a destructive soilborne pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt in cucumbers. This study evaluated the antagonistic activity of the endophytic fungus Trichoderma viride TVa199 against F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum and the mechanisms underlying its suppression of fungal virulence. TVa199 exhibited strong activity against F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, achieving 96.03 % inhibition in a dual culture assay. The culture filtrate, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts of T. viride effectively inhibited mycelial growth, spore germination, and germ tube elongation of F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. The ethyl acetate extract caused severe damage to the morphology and ultrastructure of the hyphae and conidia of the pathogen, as evidenced by SEM and TEM observations. GC-MS analysis identified various bioactive secondary metabolites. Molecular docking predicted strong interactions between representative metabolites and virulence-associated proteins, including Avr2, M36 metalloprotease, and feruloyl esterase C. In the greenhouse experiments, the incidence of Fusarium wilt was reduced by 89.9 %, with a control efficacy of 87.5 % following the application of T. viride culture filtrate at 80 %. It also enhanced host defense by increasing phenolic content and defense-related enzyme activities while reducing oxidative stress markers. These results demonstrate that T. viride TVa199 suppresses F. oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum via a multi-target mechanism involving direct microbial antagonism, disruption of fungal cellular integrity, and metabolite-mediated interference with virulence-associated proteins. This study provides mechanistic evidence that fungal secondary metabolites contribute to the suppression of pathogen virulence. These findings expand the current understanding of microbial antagonism beyond conventional growth inhibition and support the development of sustainable biocontrol strategies against Fusarium wilt.
Aya A. Elemam, F. Migahed, A. Gebreil et al.· Microbial Pathogenesis· 0 citations
This study introduces L. aquatilis strain MC3 as an emerging candidate for bioinoculant development and one of the first reports for identification of L. aquatilis as multifunctional PGPR from Himalayan ecosystems.
S. Devi, Riya Chandel, D. Thakur et al.· Frontiers in Systems Biology· 0 citations
Background/Objectives: Wheat root and crown rot, caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, Fusarium graminearum, and Bipolaris sorokiniana, are devastating soil-borne diseases that cause substantial yield losses worldwide. Endophytic fungi are promising sources of bioactive metabolites for agricultural applications. This study aimed to isolate and characterize an endophytic fungus with antifungal activity against major wheat pathogens, identify its active compound, and investigate the underlying transcriptional response. Methods: An endophytic strain Y2 was isolated from Hedyotis diffusa leaves and identified through morphological and phylogenetic analysis based on TEF-1α and RPB2 sequences. Pathogenicity of strain Y2 was evaluated on wheat stem bases. The bioactive compound was purified by HPLC and identified by HR-ESI-MS and NMR. Antifungal activity was assessed using dual-culture and microbroth dilution assays. Transcriptomic analysis (RNA-seq) was performed on F. pseudograminearum treated with equisetin, with qRT-PCR validation of seven representative differentially expressed genes. Results: Strain Y2 was identified as Fusarium incarnatum or a closely related member of the F. incarnatum–equiseti species complex (FIESC) and confirmed to be non-pathogenic to wheat. The purified bioactive compound was characterized as equisetin, which exhibited significant antifungal activity with MIC values of 16, 32, and 64 μg/mL against F. pseudograminearum, B. sorokiniana, and F. graminearum, respectively. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that equisetin treatment induced a polarized transcriptional response in F. pseudograminearum, characterized by strong upregulation of ribosome and translation-related genes and widespread downregulation of other metabolic pathways, particularly nitrogen metabolism. qRT-PCR validation of seven representative genes confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq data. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that equisetin is the active antifungal metabolite produced by F. incarnatum Y2, with potent in vitro activity against major wheat root and crown rot pathogens. The transcriptomic data provide insights into the potential mechanism of action, while the non-pathogenic nature of strain Y2 supports its biosafety. Although these results highlight equisetin as a promising lead compound for antifungal development, further in planta efficacy and safety studies are required before it can be considered for practical biocontrol.
Miao Liu, Feifan Wang, Luying Han et al.· Genes· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
