Genetic enhancement of Trichoderma asperellum biocontrol potentials and carbendazim tolerance for chickpea dry root rot disease management

Abstract

Advances in biocontrol potentials and fungicide resistance are highly desirable for Trichoderma. Thus, it is profitable to use mutagenic agents to develop superior strains with enhanced biocontrol properties and fungicide tolerance in Trichoderma. This study investigates the N-methyl-n-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) (100 mg/L) induced mutants of Trichoderma asperellum. Six NTG (3 each from 1st & 2nd round) induced mutants were developed and evaluated their biocontrol activities and carbendazim tolerance. Among the mutant N2-3, N2-1, N1 and N2-2 gave the best antagonistic and volatile metabolite activities on inhibition of chickpea F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, B. cinerea and R. bataticola mycelium under in vitro condition. Mutant N2-2 (5626.40 μg/ml) showed the highest EC50 value against carbendazim followed by N2-3 (206.36 μg/ml) and N2-1 (16.41 μg/ml); and succeeded to sporulate even at 2000 μg/ml of carbendazim. The biocontrol activity of N2-2 and N2 with half-dose of carbendazim was evaluated on chickpea dry root rot under controlled environment. Disease reduction and progress of the dry root rot was extremely low in T7 (N2-2 + with half-dose of carbendazim) treatment. Further, carbendazim resistant mutants demonstrated mutation in tub2 gene of β-tubulin family which was suggested through the 37 and 183 residue changes in the superimposed protein structures encoded by tub2 gene in N2 and N2-2 with WT respectively. This study conclusively implies that the enhanced carbendazim tolerance in N2-2 mutant did not affect the mycoparasitism and plant growth activity of Trichoderma. These mutants were as good as the wild-type with respect to all inherent attributes.

Isolation of a Novel Pythium Species, P. thermoculicivorax, and Trichoderma sp. from Natural Enzootic Mosquito Larval Infections

“…A number of Trichoderma species have been identified as insect pathogens [ 74 ], although thus far, this does not include T. strigosum , which has apparently been mainly isolated from soil as a potential plant-protective species [ 75 , 76 , 77 ]. Isolates of T. asperellum appear to be more diverse in their biology, with several characterized as displaying plant-protective qualities capable of offering protection against plant pathogenic fungi including Fusarium , Botrytis , and Phellinus sp., that cause various rot, wilt, and mildew diseases in agricultural crops and trees [ 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 ]. Trichoderma asperellum has been applied in conjunction with the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv, 1835) in attempts to protect maize from the Asian corn borer ( Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee, 1854)) [ 83 ], and its nematocidal potential has also been reported [ 84 ].…”

Biocontrol of Trichoderma gamsii induces soil suppressive and growth‐promoting impacts and rot disease‐protecting activities

“…Fungi from the genus Trichoderma produced volatile and nonvolatile organic compounds and most of these compounds were polyketides or peptaibols type [51]. Trichoderma is largely considered a biocontrol agent because of the production of peptaibols, nonproteinogenic amino acids, peptaibols, antibiotics by the agriculturally important species such as Trichoderma reesei , Trichoderma longibrachiatum produced various metabolites, including, suzukacillins, trichocellins, trichosporins, and brevicelsins [52].…”

“…Fungi from the genus Trichoderma produced volatile and nonvolatile organic compounds and most of these compounds were polyketides or peptaibols type [51].…”

Trichoderma atroviride suppresses Fusarium graminearum by altering primary and secondary metabolite biosynthesis profiling

“…This study revealed that a total of 87 different gene clusters involved in the biosynthesis of known or unknown secondary metabolites Dual culture tests including F. graminearum against T. gamsii concluded at the sensing phase of fungi (Zapparata et al, 2021). Unlike the mycoparasitism strategy (dual confrontation cultures, "before contact") used by Zapparata et al (2021), sandwich cultures, which have been preferred in previous studies (Ramangouda et al, 2023;Yörük et al, 2022), were used in this study. These cultures can suppress in vitro growth of F. graminearum by up to 40%-50% for 7 days.…”

“…gamsii concluded at the sensing phase of fungi (Zapparata et al, 2021). Unlike the mycoparasitism strategy (dual confrontation cultures, "before contact") used by Zapparata et al (2021), sandwich cultures, which have been preferred in previous studies (Ramangouda et al, 2023; Yörük et al, 2022), were used in this study. These cultures can suppress in vitro growth of F .…”