Towards Biological Control of Aspergillus carbonarius and Botrytis cinerea in Grapevine Berries and Transcriptomic Changes of Genes Encoding Pathogenesis-Related (PR) Proteins

Abstract

Grapevine bunch rot, caused by Botrytis cinerea and Aspergillus carbonarius, causes important economic losses every year in grape production. In the present study, we examined the plant protective activity of the biological control agents, Paenibacillus alvei K165, Blastobotrys sp. FP12 and Arthrobacter sp. FP15 against B. cinerea and A. carbonarius on grapes. The in vitro experiments showed that strain K165 significantly reduced the growth of both fungi, while FP15 restricted the growth of A. carbonarius and FP12 was ineffective. Following the in vitro experiments, we conducted in planta experiments on grape berries. It was shown that K165, FP12 and FP15 reduced A. carbonarius rot severity by 81%, 57% and 37%, respectively, compared to the control, whereas, in the case of B. cinerea, the only protective treatment was that with K165, which reduced rot by 75%. The transcriptomic analysis of the genes encoding the pathogenesis-related proteins PR2, PR3, PR4 and PR5 indicates the activation of multiple defense responses involved in the biocontrol activity of the examined biocontrol agents.

Microbial consortium mediated acceleration of the defense response in potato against Alternaria solani through prodigious inflation in phenylpropanoid derivatives and redox homeostasis

“…Recently, it has been demonstrated by transcriptomic analysis of the genes encoding the pathogenesis-related proteins showed that genes PR 2 and PR 3 was found to be upregulated by Paenibacillus alvei K165 and Blastobotrys sp. FP12 inoculation in grape berries, which encode the β-1,3-glucanase and chitinase, respectively, which indicates the activation of the defense response against grapevine bunch rot caused by Botrytis cinerea [ 117 ]. Yadav et al [ 102 ] reported that two pathogenesis-related genes ( PR-2 and PR-5 ) were significantly expressed in chilli bioprimed seeds under Colletotrichum truncatum -challenged conditions.…”

Biocontrol of Mycotoxigenic Fungi Using Bacteria Isolated from Ecological Vineyard Soils

“…The isolates of this genus are, therefore, of interest for study as potential BCAs; in fact, Arthrobacter sp. strains such as FP15 have been found to secrete compounds that efficiently inhibit A. carbonarius growth [29]. Other species are known to secrete chitinase and antibiotic compounds with inhibitory effects on a wide range of plant pathogenic or xylophagous fungi [30][31][32].…”

Biological Control of Plant Pathogens: A Global Perspective

“…This includes the stimulation of defense-related genes in plants, such as pathogen resistance genes (PR proteins), as well as the expression of genes encoding specific metabolites or proteins that are involved in the defense setup of the plant system ( Figure 3 ) [ 140 ]. For example, the activation of multiple defense responses in the biocontrol activity of several examined BCAs to combat grapevine bunch rot caused by B. cinerea and Aspergillus carbonarius is indicated by transcriptomic analysis of genes encoding pathogenesis-related proteins PR2, PR3, PR4, and PR5 [ 141 ]. Beneficial microbes cause early plant ISR events such as increased expression of pathogenesis-related PR genes, increased activity of defense-related substances such as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, β-1,3, glucanase, chitinase, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species [ 142 , 143 ].…”