Jul 2026· New Phytologist· Vol 252, pp. 310-323· 0 citations· 55 references
Medicine
TL;DR
This study highlights pathogen‐triggered rhizomicrobiome reshaping, higher absolute bacterial abundance, and the suppressive role of Bacillus as key features linked to disease resistance in banana, providing insights into microbiome‐mediated disease suppression.
Abstract
Fusarium wilt of banana threatens banana production world‐wide. Although beneficial rhizomicrobiomes are linked to disease resistance, whether resistant cultivars systemically recruit disease‐suppressive rhizomicrobiomes after pathogen challenge remains unclear. Using a split‐root system combined with rhizomicrobiome transfer, we tested whether systemically recruited rhizomicrobiomes from different cultivars after pathogen challenge could alter disease development in a susceptible cultivar. Rhizosphere soil suspension from the pathogen‐challenged highly resistant cultivar GCTCV119 was the only donor treatment that significantly reduced the disease index in the susceptible recipient cultivar Guijiao No. 1. This effect was associated with pathogen‐induced enrichment of absolute bacterial abundance and absolute Bacillus abundance in the rhizosphere of GCTCV119, whereas such enrichment was not observed in the other donor cultivars. A syncom of seven Bacillus strains from the GCTCV119 rhizosphere most effectively reduced (by 90.20%) the disease index by the induction of plant resistance. Soil incubation showed that pathogen‐induced D‐sorbitol accumulation in GCTCV119 significantly increased total bacterial abundance and Bacillus abundance, and reduced the disease index. This study highlights pathogen‐triggered rhizomicrobiome reshaping, higher absolute bacterial abundance, and the suppressive role of Bacillus as key features linked to disease resistance in banana, providing insights into microbiome‐mediated disease suppression.
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
Soybean root rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum is an important soil-borne disease that affects soybean growth and disrupts rhizosphere microbial communities. However, how rhizosphere microbiomes respond to different levels of disease severity remains poorly understood. In this study, a five-level root rot severity gradient (F0–F4) was established using a carrier-matched inoculation design, and changes in soybean growth, rhizosphere soil properties, enzyme activities, microbial community composition, and functional potential were investigated using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Increasing disease severity reduced soybean growth, with leaf area decreasing from 312.98 cm2 in F0 to 32.45 cm2 in F4. Root rot progression altered rhizosphere microbial communities, with fungal communities showing stronger responses than bacterial communities. The bacterial Chao1 richness index increased by 34.6% in F4 compared with F0, whereas fungal Shannon diversity decreased by 46.7%. Taxonomic analysis revealed clear shifts in microbial community composition, with Fusarium becoming strongly enriched under diseased conditions, increasing from 16.9% in F0 to maximum relative abundance of 68.8% in F2 and remaining highly abundant at 61.5% in F4, while Trichoderma decreased from 7.3% to 2.2% and Rhizophagus declined from 38.1% to nearly undetectable levels. Metagenomic functional profiling revealed disease-associated changes in microbial functional potential, particularly in pathways related to metabolism, membrane transport, signal transduction, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. In addition, soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities varied across the disease severity gradient, indicating changes in the rhizosphere environment during disease development. Overall, soybean root rot progression was associated with coordinated changes in plant performance, soil biochemical characteristics, microbial community structure, and functional potential, with fungal communities exhibiting stronger responses to disease-associated disturbance than bacterial communities.
Mengshuang Li, Dengqin Wei, Yuanyuan Hu et al.· Agriculture· 0 citations
Pathogenic strains of Fusarium oxysporum are major soilborne fungal pathogens responsible for Fusarium wilt in tomato, leading to significant yield losses worldwide. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of rhizospheric bacterial isolates from argan (Argania spinosa) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus) soils through an integrated approach combining in vitro screening, greenhouse validation, and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 27 bacterial isolates were screened for antifungal activity using dual culture assays, of which ten exhibited more than 50% inhibition of fungal growth. Selected isolates were further evaluated for volatile organic compound (VOC)-mediated inhibition. Despite strong in vitro performance for several isolates, greenhouse experiments revealed that antifungal activity in vitro was not a reliable predictor of in planta efficacy. Among the tested isolates, BSA25, BSA23, and BSF8 significantly reduced disease severity and incidence under greenhouse conditions, with BSA25 achieving the greatest suppression. In addition to disease control, certain isolates promoted plant growth under pathogen stress, indicating dual functionality as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Molecular identification based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis (Neighbor-Joining, Kimura 2-parameter) revealed that the isolates belong to PGPR-associated genera, including Bacillus and Pseudomonas, while also highlighting functional variability among closely related taxa. Overall, this study demonstrates that multi-trait evaluation, integrating mechanistic screening and in planta validation, provides a more reliable framework for selecting effective biocontrol agents. The identified isolates, particularly BSA25, represent promising candidates for further evaluation for sustainable management of Fusarium wilt in tomato production systems.
Safouane Benjaa, R. Bouharroud, S. Chafiki et al.· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
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.
D. P. Mohite, Kavino Mathiyazhagan, Nakkeeran Sevugapperumal et al.· Pathogens· 0 citations
Introduction Rhizoctonia root rot has a wide host range and no resistant soybean cultivars exist, making it a serious problem. Methods The antifungal activity of 65 isolates of rhizobacteria against R. solani was evaluated. Results and Discussion The pathogen in the in vitro experiment was inhibited by nine rhizobacterial endophytes. The most effective rhizobacterial isolate was genus-level verified using 16S rDNA partial sequence analysis. The impact of the biocontrol isolate was investigated on R. solani infection in both greenhouse and field conditions. The rhizobacterial isolate considerably decreased the percentage of pre- and post-emergence damping-off and enhanced the plant survival compared to the untreated control grown in soil infected with R. solani. Lysinibacillus fusiformis treatment resulted in significantly stimulated antioxidant enzymes and total phenols. Transcript levels of the studied defense-related genes were considerably elevated after L. fusiformis treatment, according to quantitative RT-PCR data. Treatment of L. fusiformis in challenged plants achieved the highest levels of PR-1, PR-2, PR-10, and PR-12. The field experiments revealed that the biocontrol treatment method significantly reduced Rhizoctonia root rot incidence, stimulated plant growth, and increased yield. This research has uncovered a promising biocontrol bacterial isolate that might be used as a novel bioagent for controlling R. solani. After further toxicological and ecotoxicological evaluation, formulation development, and multi-location field trials, L. fusiformis may represent a promising candidate for development as a biocontrol agent.
Faisal Ay Alzahrani, Mehran Ullah, M. Elsharkawy· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
It is indicated that banana DMR6 functions as a negative regulator of plant immunity and is closely associated with susceptibility to Fusarium wilt, providing a molecular basis for future functional validation and support DMR6 as a potential target for precise genome editing to develop resistant banana cultivars.
Márcio Leandro da Silveira Fonseca, Luiz Carlos Bento de Souza, Fernanda dos SantosNascimento et al.· Molecular Biology Reports· 0 citations
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