AUTHOR=Wang Youyou , Liang Jiao , Zhang Congying , Wang Le , Gao Wenbin , Jiang Jizhi 

TITLE=Bacillus megaterium WL-3 Lipopeptides Collaborate Against Phytophthora infestans to Control Potato Late Blight and Promote Potato Plant Growth

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.01602

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2020.01602

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Oomycete <italic>Phytophthora infestans</italic> [(Mont.) de Bary] is the cause of potato late blight, a plant disease which poses a serious threat to our global food security and is responsible for huge economic losses worldwide. Lipopeptides produced by <italic>Bacillus</italic> species are known to be potent antibacterial compounds against many plant pathogens. In this study, we show that <italic>Bacillus megaterium</italic> WL-3 has an antagonistic effect against potato late blight. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) revealed that lipopeptides derived from the WL-3 strain contained three subfamilies, surfactin (C<sub>13</sub> – C<sub>15</sub>), Iturin A (C<sub>14</sub> – C<sub>16</sub>), and Fengycin A (C<sub>15</sub> – C<sub>19</sub>). The Iturin A and Fengycin A lipopeptide families were each confirmed to have anti-oomycete effects against <italic>P. infestans</italic> mycelium growth as well as obvious controlling effects against potato late blight in greenhouse experiments and field assays. Furthermore, Iturin A and Fengycin A were able to promote plant photosynthetic efficiency, plant growth, and potato yield. Most importantly, the combination of Iturin A and Fengycin A (I + F) was superior to individual lipopeptides in controlling potato late blight and in the promotion of plant growth. The results of this study indicate that <italic>B. megaterium</italic> WL-3 and its lipopeptides are potential candidates for the control of late blight and the promotion of potato plant growth.</p>