Bacillus velezensis FZB42 in 2018: The Gram-Positive Model Strain for Plant Growth Promotion and Biocontrol

Abstract

Bacillus velezensis FZB42, the model strain for Gram-positive plant-growth-promoting and biocontrol rhizobacteria, has been isolated in 1998 and sequenced in 2007. In order to celebrate these anniversaries, we summarize here the recent knowledge about FZB42. In last 20 years, more than 140 articles devoted to FZB42 have been published. At first, research was mainly focused on antimicrobial compounds, apparently responsible for biocontrol effects against plant pathogens, recent research is increasingly directed to expression of genes involved in bacteria–plant interaction, regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs), and on modification of enzymes involved in synthesis of antimicrobial compounds by processes such as acetylation and malonylation. Till now, 13 gene clusters involved in non-ribosomal and ribosomal synthesis of secondary metabolites with putative antimicrobial action have been identified within the genome of FZB42. These gene clusters cover around 10% of the whole genome. Antimicrobial compounds suppress not only growth of plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but could also stimulate induced systemic resistance (ISR) in plants. It has been found that besides secondary metabolites also volatile organic compounds are involved in the biocontrol effect exerted by FZB42 under biotic (plant pathogens) and abiotic stress conditions. In order to facilitate easy access to the genomic data, we have established an integrating data bank ‘AmyloWiki’ containing accumulated information about the genes present in FZB42, available mutant strains, and other aspects of FZB42 research, which is structured similar as the famous SubtiWiki data bank.

Cold‐adapted Bacilli isolated from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are able to promote plant growth in extreme environments

“…In B. subtilis , gene products of the bspA‐bspB operon were functionally characterized, and found to be involved in synthesis of triketide pyrones. Type III‐PKS (chalcone synthase) was also detected in the genomes of B. amyloliquefaciens DSM7 T and B. velezensis FZB42 (Fan et al ., ). We detected type III‐PKS (chalcone synthase) encoding gene clusters in a large range of strains, but not in representatives of the B. cereus group (Fig.…”

“…Five of the cold‐adapted strains, B. wiedmannii NMSL88 [b], and GBAC46 [a], B. safensis GBSW22 [d], B. pumilus LNXM70 [b] and Bacillus sp. NMCN6 [c] performed better than FZB42 [f], the model strain for plant growth promotion and biocontrol (Fan et al ., ).…”

“…Out of the 45 strains investigated here, 15 Bacillus strains stimulated plant growth (Fig. S10) (Fan et al, 2018).…”

Bacillusspecies in soil as a natural resource for plant health and nutrition

“…Bacillus subtilis with the ability to produce IAA was shown to influence the plant growth and yield of onion (Čolo et al ). Bacillus velezensis FZB42, a model for plant growth promoting, and biocontrol strains of Bacillus have been shown to promote growth and suppress diseases in various crops like potato, cotton, wheat, tomato, strawberry and lettuce (Fan et al ). The role of Bacillus as PGPR has also been reported in various other crops like cotton, pepper, soybean, green gram and sunflower (Passari et al ; Zahir et al ).…”

“…Several species of the genus Bacillus like B. megaterium , B. circulans , B. coagulans , B. subtilis , B. azotofixans , B. macerans , B. velezensis , etc. are reported as PGPR (Goswami et al ; Fan et al ). The various direct and indirect mechanisms of plant growth promotion by Bacillus spp.…”