Modes of Action of Microbial Biocontrol in the Phyllosphere

Abstract

A fast-growing field of research focuses on microbial biocontrol in the phyllosphere. Phyllosphere microorganisms possess a wide range of adaptation and biocontrol factors, which allow them to adapt to the phyllosphere environment and inhibit the growth of microbial pathogens, thus sustaining plant health. These biocontrol factors can be categorized in direct, microbe-microbe, and indirect, host-microbe, interactions. This review gives an overview of the modes of action of microbial adaptation and biocontrol in the phyllosphere, the genetic basis of the mechanisms, and examples of experiments that can detect these mechanisms in laboratory and field experiments. Detailed insights in such mechanisms are key for the rational design of novel microbial biocontrol strategies and increase crop protection and production. Such novel biocontrol strategies are much needed, as ensuring sufficient and consistent food production for a growing world population, while protecting our environment, is one of the biggest challenges of our time.

Effects of ecological environment and host genotype on the phyllosphere bacterial communities of cigar tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

“…It is well established that structure of bacteria community in phyllosphere is affected by abiotic factor, such as environmental conditions (solar UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, relative humidity, and nutrition availability) and agronomic practices, and biotic factors, such as host plant species and genotypes (Grube et al., 2011 ; Gu et al., 2010 ; Legein et al., 2020 ; Vorholt, 2012 ). This study explored the influences of tobacco varieties and ecological regions on the composition and diversity of bacterial communities in phyllosphere of harvested tobacco using 16s rRNA gene sequencing.…”

“…Therefore, the dominance of genera Limnobacter and Brevundimonas in this study might be ascribed to nutrient scarcity on the surface of tobacco leaves. Pseudomonas can reach more favorable sites by flagellar motility, synthesize the biosurfactant osmoprotectants to keep water on the leaf surface, and apply effectors to make water from the cells leak into the apoplast (Legein et al., 2020 ). Therefore, its relative abundance remained stable among the groups in the study.…”

“…Plant phyllosphere is defined as the aerial part of plants and dominated by leaves (Vorholt, 2012 ), and the leaf surface is considered as one of the largest habitats for microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts, archaea, and fungi on earth (Legein et al., 2020 ; Wellner et al., 2011 ). Of these microorganisms, bacteria are the most prevalent colonizers in phyllosphere (Martirosyan et al., 2016 ).…”

“…Recently, numerous efforts have been attempted to reveal the diversity and composition of bacterial communities in plant phyllosphere (Chen et al., 2018 ). Previous studies have shown that bacterial community structure of phyllosphere was affected by both of the abiotic factors, such as environmental conditions (e.g., solar UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, and nutrient), geographic locations, and agronomic measures, and biotic factors, such as microbial interaction, leaf characteristics, and genotypes of host plant (Grube et al., 2011 ; Gu et al., 2010 ; Legein et al., 2020 ; Vorholt, 2012 ). Genotypes affect bacterial communities related to plant.…”

Predation Efficiency upon Clinical Isolates: Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is Prey Specific and Origin Dependent

“…This evolutionary reciprocity is the basis of coevolution, where adaptation by one player not only promotes change in its opponent, but the opponent's adaptation likewise generates selection as an evolutionary response to the first player (6). Increasing our understanding of how the microbiota community ecology is balanced will contribute to the selection of biocontrol agents that target pathogenic bacteria for which antibiotics are not an alternative due to multiresistance (7)(8)(9).…”