Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Vol.104, No.12, 5563-5578, 2020
beta-1,3-Glucanase production as an anti-fungal enzyme by phylogenetically different strains of the genus Clostridium isolated from anoxic soil that underwent biological disinfestation
Biological (or reductive) soil disinfestation (BSD or RSD) is a bioremediation process to control soil-borne plant pathogens using activities of indigenous bacteria in the soil. Three obligate anaerobic bacterial strains (TW1, TW10, and TB10), which were isolated from anoxic soil subjected to BSD treatments, were examined for their abilities to produce anti-fungal enzymes. All strains were affiliated with the different lineages of the genus Clostridium. The three strains decomposed beta-1,3-glucans (curdlan and laminarin), and beta-1,3-glucanase activities were detected from their culture supernatants with these glucans. The three strains also produced the enzyme with wheat bran as a growth substrate and killed the Fusarium pathogen (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. spinaciae) in the anaerobic co-incubation conditions. Observation by fluorescence microscopy of the pathogen cells showed that the three strains had degraded the fungal cells in different manners upon co-incubation with wheat bran. When the three strains were cultivated with the dead cells or the cell wall samples prepared from the Fusarium pathogen, strain TW1 utilized these materials as easily decomposable substrates by releasing beta-1,3-glucanase. When observed by fluorescence microscopy, it appeared that strain TW1 degraded the mycelial cell wall nearly thoroughly, with the septa remaining as undecomposed luminous rings. In contrast, the other two strains decomposed neither the dead cells nor the cell wall samples directly. The results indicate that the various anaerobic bacteria proliferated in the soil under the BSD treatments should play key roles as an organized bacterial community to eliminate fungal pathogens, namely by release of anti-fungal enzymes with different properties.center dot Three clostridial strains isolated from BSD-treated soils produced beta-1,3-glucanase.center dot All strains killed the Fusarium pathogen in the anaerobic co-incubation conditions.center dot One of the strains produced beta-1,3-glucanase with the fungal cell wall as a substrate.center dot The strain degraded the cell wall almost completely, except for the mycelial septa.
Keywords:Anaerobic bacteria;beta-1;3-glucanase;Biocontrol of soil-borne pathogen;Clostridium;Fusarium oxysporum f;sp;spinaciae;Reductive soil disinfestation