Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production
Rhizopus rot is considered one of the most common diseases influencing global production and yield of horticulture commodities. However, the factors contributing to this pattern of prevalence are uncertain. Here, we focused on R. microsporus, which is known to rely on its endosymbiotic bacterium, My...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1508519/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832577736584986624 |
|---|---|
| author | Mmanoko Napo Alicia Kock Kazeem A. Alayande Michael Sulyok Michael Sulyok Chibundu N. Ezekiel Jessie Uehling Teresa E. Pawlowska Rasheed A. Adeleke |
| author_facet | Mmanoko Napo Alicia Kock Kazeem A. Alayande Michael Sulyok Michael Sulyok Chibundu N. Ezekiel Jessie Uehling Teresa E. Pawlowska Rasheed A. Adeleke |
| author_sort | Mmanoko Napo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Rhizopus rot is considered one of the most common diseases influencing global production and yield of horticulture commodities. However, the factors contributing to this pattern of prevalence are uncertain. Here, we focused on R. microsporus, which is known to rely on its endosymbiotic bacterium, Mycetohabitans, to produce toxins that interfere with plant development and inhibit the growth of other fungi. We assessed the impact of the symbiotic R. microsporus harboring its endosymbiont as well as the fungus cured of it on: (1) the magnitude of spoilage in tomato fruits, as evaluated by Koch's postulate for pathogenicity, (2) the shifts in native communities of endophytic fungi inhabiting these fruits, as examined by ITS rRNA gene metabarcoding and (3) secondary metabolites generated by these communities, as analyzed using multi-analyte LC-MS/MS. The pathogenicity test showed that the symbiotic endobacterium-containing R. microsporus W2-50 was able to cause tomato fruit spoilage. This was accompanied by decreased relative abundance of Alternaria spp. and an increase in the relative abundance of Penicillium spp. that may have facilitated the observed spoilage. In conclusion, symbiotic W2-50 appeared to facilitate fruit spoilage, possibly through successful colonization or toxin production by its endosymbiont. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-450e1543f8bc4cd09d43d6d4e379e45b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-450e1543f8bc4cd09d43d6d4e379e45b2025-01-30T16:03:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2025-01-011610.3389/fmicb.2025.15085191508519Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite productionMmanoko Napo0Alicia Kock1Kazeem A. Alayande2Michael Sulyok3Michael Sulyok4Chibundu N. Ezekiel5Jessie Uehling6Teresa E. Pawlowska7Rasheed A. Adeleke8Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaUnit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaUnit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaDepartment of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Tulln, AustriaFeed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation GmbH, Tulln, AustriaDepartment of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Bioanalytics and Agro-Metabolomics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Tulln, AustriaDepartment of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United StatesSchool of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United StatesUnit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaRhizopus rot is considered one of the most common diseases influencing global production and yield of horticulture commodities. However, the factors contributing to this pattern of prevalence are uncertain. Here, we focused on R. microsporus, which is known to rely on its endosymbiotic bacterium, Mycetohabitans, to produce toxins that interfere with plant development and inhibit the growth of other fungi. We assessed the impact of the symbiotic R. microsporus harboring its endosymbiont as well as the fungus cured of it on: (1) the magnitude of spoilage in tomato fruits, as evaluated by Koch's postulate for pathogenicity, (2) the shifts in native communities of endophytic fungi inhabiting these fruits, as examined by ITS rRNA gene metabarcoding and (3) secondary metabolites generated by these communities, as analyzed using multi-analyte LC-MS/MS. The pathogenicity test showed that the symbiotic endobacterium-containing R. microsporus W2-50 was able to cause tomato fruit spoilage. This was accompanied by decreased relative abundance of Alternaria spp. and an increase in the relative abundance of Penicillium spp. that may have facilitated the observed spoilage. In conclusion, symbiotic W2-50 appeared to facilitate fruit spoilage, possibly through successful colonization or toxin production by its endosymbiont.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1508519/fullfungal community shiftMycetohabitans endofungorumsecondary metabolitesRhizopus microsporusspoilage |
| spellingShingle | Mmanoko Napo Alicia Kock Kazeem A. Alayande Michael Sulyok Michael Sulyok Chibundu N. Ezekiel Jessie Uehling Teresa E. Pawlowska Rasheed A. Adeleke Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production Frontiers in Microbiology fungal community shift Mycetohabitans endofungorum secondary metabolites Rhizopus microsporus spoilage |
| title | Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production |
| title_full | Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production |
| title_fullStr | Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production |
| title_short | Tomato rot by Rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production |
| title_sort | tomato rot by rhizopus microsporus alters native fungal community composition and secondary metabolite production |
| topic | fungal community shift Mycetohabitans endofungorum secondary metabolites Rhizopus microsporus spoilage |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1508519/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mmanokonapo tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT aliciakock tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT kazeemaalayande tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT michaelsulyok tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT michaelsulyok tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT chibundunezekiel tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT jessieuehling tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT teresaepawlowska tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction AT rasheedaadeleke tomatorotbyrhizopusmicrosporusaltersnativefungalcommunitycompositionandsecondarymetaboliteproduction |