Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #72458
Title: THE DETERMINATION OF THE MECHANISM(S) OF BACTERIAL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF FUSARIUM DRY ROT

Author
item CHASE, M - MONMOUTH COLLEGE MONMOUTH
item BOEHM, M - MONMOUTH COLLEGE MONMOUTH
item Schisler, David

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/7/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Previous research demonstrated the use of Enterobacter cloacae strains as effective biological control agents to control Fusarium dry rot of potato caused by Fusarium sambucinum. In these studies, biological control was most pronounced for E. cloacae strains capable of synthesizing a variety of antifungal metabolites. The goal of this research was to further our understanding of the genes involved in the biological control of fusarium dry rot by E. cloacae. Transposon Tn5 mutagenesis of an antifungal metabolite producing strain of E. cloacae yielded approximately 6,000 putative Tn5 mutants. All putative Tn5 mutants were similar to the parental wild type strain in their ability to produce a volatile antifungal compound which effectively inhibits the germination of macroconidia produced by F. sambucinum. The forgoing suggests that the disruption of genes governing the expression of this volatile compound may be lethal. Twenty of the putative Tn5 mutants displayed reduced motility as compared to the parental wild type strain.