Effect of <i>Pseudomonas protegens</i> EMM-1 Against <i>Rhizopus oryzae</i> in Interactions with Mexican Autochthonous Red Maize
In the present study, the strain <i>Rhizopus oryzae</i> EMM was isolated from germinated autochthonous red maize seeds, which were harvested in a region of San Diego-Buenavista, Papalotla, Tlaxcala, Mexico, where cobs with fungal infections have been observed. This fungal strain caused w...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/4/554 |
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| Summary: | In the present study, the strain <i>Rhizopus oryzae</i> EMM was isolated from germinated autochthonous red maize seeds, which were harvested in a region of San Diego-Buenavista, Papalotla, Tlaxcala, Mexico, where cobs with fungal infections have been observed. This fungal strain caused wilting in the maize seedlings. <i>Pseudomonas protegens</i> EMM-1 was tested for its ability to inhibit <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM, both in culture media and in association with maize plantlets. <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 inhibited the growth of <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM under all culture media conditions explored. The ability of <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 to inhibit the growth of <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM associated with plants was evaluated in both a hydroponic system and in vermiculite. In both systems, <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 strongly inhibited the growth of <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM. The dry weight of root plants infected with <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM and inoculated with <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 increased to 0.43 g, while that of plants infected only with <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM reached just 0.19 g under hydroponic conditions. However, no differences were observed under vermiculite conditions. The dry weight of the aerial region of plants infected with <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM and inoculated with <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 was greater than that of plants infected only with <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM, both under hydroponic and vermiculite conditions. These results indicate that <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 inhibits the infection caused by <i>R. oryzae</i> EMM, thereby improving plant growth. Moreover, the genome analysis of <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 revealed the presence of several genes that potentially encode for antimicrobial compounds, which could strengthen the potential use of <i>P. protegens</i> EMM-1 as a biocontrol agent in maize plants. |
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| ISSN: | 2075-1729 |