Author
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Roberts, Daniel |
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KOBAYASHI, DONALD - RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, NJ |
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Submitted to: Encyclopedia of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Popular Publication Publication Acceptance Date: 2/22/2000 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: N/A Technical Abstract: One of the interactions between populations of microorganisms in natural environments is lysis, one species eliminating the other through the dissolution of cells or hyphae of the other. The ability of natural soil to lyse structures of fungi is associated with the presence of certain soil microorganisms, including species of bacteria, actinomycetes, and other fungi. These microbes are thought to transform soils to their lytic natur by the production of extracellular, lytic enzymes that degrade the cell walls and cell membranes of fungi. Attempts to utilize hyphal lysis for biocontrol purposes have focused primarily on two different approaches: identification of microbes that produce lytic enzymes, and identification of microorganisms that form destructive, parasitic relationships with fungi. Studies on the mechanisms of hyphal lysis have focused primarily on chitinases and glucanases, enzymes which degrade the major structural components of cell walls. A variety of different chitinases and glucanase have been described from a number of microorganisms. The preponderance of evidence indicates that lytic enzymes have the potential to lyse hyphae of plant pathogenic fungi, and that these enzymes are involved in biocontrol. However, studies have not demonstrated that hyphal lysis either occurs or is required for biocontrol under natural conditions. Since many biocontrol agents that produce lytic enzymes also produce other antifungal compounds it is likely that disease suppression resulting from these microbes occurs via the combined activities of lytic enzymes with other forms of antagonism. |
