Biological control potential of worrisome wheat blast disease by the seed endophytic bacilli

Authors: SUROVY, MUSRAT ZAHAN - Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (IBGE); DUTTA, SUDIPTA - Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (IBGE); MAHMUD, NUR UDDIN - Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (IBGE); GUPTA, DIPALI RANI - Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (IBGE); FARHANA, TARIN - Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (IBGE); PAUL, SANJAY KUMAR - Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (IBGE); WIN, JOE - Sainsbury Laboratory; Dunlap, Christopher; OLIVA, RICARDO - World Vegetable Center; RAHMAN, MAHFUZUR - West Virginia University; SHARPE, ANDREW - The Global Institute For Food Security; ISLAM, TOFAZZAL - Institute Of Biotechnology And Genetic Engineering (IBGE)

Submitted to: Frontiers in Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2024
Publication Date: 3/11/2024
Citation: Surovy, M., Dutta, S., Mahmud, N., Gupta, D., Farhana, T., Paul, S., Win, J., Dunlap, C.A., Oliva, R., Rahman, M., Sharpe, A.G., Islam, T. 2024. Biological control potential of worrisome wheat blast disease by the seed endophytic bacilli. Frontiers in Microbiology. 15-2024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1336515.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1336515

Interpretive Summary: Wheat blast is a fungal disease that causes significant wheat yield losses and is of significant concern to wheat producers around the world. In this research, we isolated and characterized three bacterial strains from wheat and rice seeds, and tested their ability to inhibit the growth of this plant pathogen. Greenhouse and laboratory experiments showed that these bacteria were effective in controlling this fungal pathogen and protecting wheat plants from the disease. This research benefits wheat producers and consumers by providing potential new crop protection methods for control of wheat blast disease.

Technical Abstract: Crop production often faces challenges from plant diseases, and biological control emerges as an effective, environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative to chemical control. Wheat blast disease caused by fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT), is a potential catastrophic threat to global food security. This study aimed to identify potential bacterial isolates from rice and wheat seeds with inhibitory effects against MoT. In dual culture and seedling assays, three bacterial isolates (BTS-3, BTS-4, and BTLK6A) demonstrated effective suppression of MoT growth and reduced wheat blast severity when artificially inoculated at the seedling stage. Genome phylogeny identified these isolates as Bacillus subtilis (BTS-3) and B. velezensis (BTS-4 and BTLK6A). Whole-genome analysis revealed the presence of genes responsible for controlling MoT through antimicrobial defense, antioxidant defense, cell wall degradation, and induced systemic resistance (ISR). Taken together, our results suggest that the suppression of wheat blast disease by seed endophytic B. subtilis (BTS-3) and B. velezensis (BTS-4 and BTLK6A) is liked with antibiosis and induced systemic resistance to wheat plants. A further field validation is needed before recommending these endophytic bacteria for biological control of wheat blast.