Biochemical characterisation and production kinetics of high molecular-weight (HMW) putative antibacterial proteins of insect pathogenic Brevibacillus laterosporus isolates.

Background: Bacterial genomes often encode structures similar to phage capsids (encapsulins) and phage tails which can be induced spontaneously or using genotoxic compounds such as mitomycin C. These high molecular-weight (HMW) putative antibacterial proteins (ABPs) are used against the competitive strains under natural environment. Previously, it was unknown whether these HMW putative ABPs originating from the insect pathogenic Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium Brevibacillus laterosporus (Bl) isolates (1821L, 1951) are spontaneously induced during the growth and pose a detrimental effect on their own survival.

Linocin M18 protein from the insect pathogenic bacterium Brevibacillus laterosporus isolates.

Brevibacillus laterosporus (Bl) is a Gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium. Insect pathogenic strains have been characterised in New Zealand, and two isolates, Bl 1821L and Bl 1951, are under development for use in biopesticides. However, growth in culture is sometimes disrupted, affecting mass production.

Lysis Cassette-Mediated Exoprotein Release in Yersinia entomophaga Is Controlled by a PhoB-Like Regulator.

Secretion of exoproteins is a key component of bacterial virulence, and is tightly regulated in response to environmental stimuli and host-dependent signals. The entomopathogenic bacterium Yersinia entomophaga MH96 produces a wide range of exoproteins including its main virulence factor, the 2.46 MDa insecticidal Yen-Tc toxin complex.

You are what you eat: fungal metabolites and host plant affect the susceptibility of diamondback moth to entomopathogenic fungi.

Background: are entomopathogenic fungi of a broad range of arthropod pests. Many strains of have been developed and marketed as biopesticides. species are well-suited as the active ingredient within biopesticides because of their ease of mass production, ability to kill a wide range of pest species, consistency in different conditions, and safety with respect to human health.

A single fungal strain was the unexpected cause of a mass aspergillosis outbreak in the world's largest and only flightless parrot.

Kākāpō are a critically endangered species of parrots restricted to a few islands off the coast of New Zealand. Kākāpō are very closely monitored, especially during nesting seasons. In 2019, during a highly successful nesting season, an outbreak of aspergillosis affected 21 individuals and led to the deaths of 9, leaving a population of only 211 kākāpō.

Genome sequence of the entomopathogenic Serratia entomophila isolate 626 and characterisation of the species specific itaconate degradation pathway.

Background: Isolates of Serratia entomophila and S. proteamaculans (Yersiniaceae) cause disease specific to the endemic New Zealand pasture pest, Costelytra giveni (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Previous genomic profiling has shown that S.

Isolation, Purification, and Characterisation of a Phage Tail-Like Bacteriocin from the Insect Pathogenic Bacterium .

The Gram-positive and spore-forming bacterium Brevibacillus laterosporus (Bl) belongs to the Brevibacillus brevis phylogenetic cluster. Isolates of the species have demonstrated pesticidal potency against a wide range of invertebrate pests and plant diseases. Two New Zealand isolates, Bl 1821L and Bl 1951, are under development as biopesticides for control of diamondback moth and other pests.

Biological Control of Diamondback Moth-Increased Efficacy with Mixtures of Fungi.

Diamondback moth (DBM) is an important horticultural pest worldwide as the larvae of these moths feed on the leaves of cruciferous vegetables. As DBM has developed resistance to more than 100 classes of synthetic insecticides, new biological control options are urgently required. species are entomopathogenic fungi recognized as the most important fungal genus for controlling a wide range of agricultural, forestry, and veterinary arthropod pests.

Identification of genes involved in exoprotein release using a high-throughput exoproteome screening assay in Yersinia entomophaga.

Bacterial protein secretion is crucial to the maintenance of viability and pathogenicity. Although many bacterial secretion systems have been identified, the underlying mechanisms regulating their expression are less well explored. Yersinia entomophaga MH96, an entomopathogenic bacterium, releases an abundance of proteins including the Yen-Tc into the growth medium when cultured in Luria Bertani broth at ≤ 25°C.

Characterization of a new strain of with potential to be developed as a biopesticide.

The fungal species , that occurs only in New Zealand and Australia has been poorly studied.  In this work, a new strain of isolated from a larva of sp. is described based on morphology, genomic multilocus (ITS, EF-1α and β-tubulin) phylogeny, growth in different culture media and insecticidal activity.

Development of Plant-Fungal Endophyte Associations to Suppress Phoma Stem Canker in .

Endophytic microorganisms are found within the tissues of many plants species, with some conferring several benefits to the host plant including resistance to plant diseases. In this study, two putative endophytic fungi that were previously isolated from wild seeds of , identified as and , were inoculated into cultivars of three species-, and . Both fungal endophytes were reisolated from above- and below-ground tissues of inoculated plants at four different plant-growth stages, including cotyledon, one-leaf, two-leaf, and four-leaf stages.

Biosynthesis and beneficial effects of microbial gibberellins on crops for sustainable agriculture.

Soil microbes promote plant growth through several mechanisms such as secretion of chemical compounds including plant growth hormones. Among the phytohormones, auxins, ethylene, cytokinins, abscisic acid and gibberellins are the best understood compounds. Gibberellins were first isolated in 1935 from the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi and are synthesized by several soil microbes.

Environmental and plant community drivers of plant pathogen composition and richness.

Interactions between individual plant pathogens and their environment have been described many times. However, the relative contribution of different environmental parameters as controls of pathogen communities remains largely unknown. Here we investigate the importance of environmental factors, including geomorphology, climate, land use, soil and plant community composition, for a broad range of aboveground and belowground fungal, oomycete and bacterial plant pathogens.

Evolution of virulence in a novel family of transmissible mega-plasmids.

Some Serratia entomophila isolates have been successfully exploited in biopesticides due to their ability to cause amber disease in larvae of the Aotearoa (New Zealand) endemic pasture pest, Costelytra giveni. Anti-feeding prophage and ABC toxin complex virulence determinants are encoded by a 153-kb single-copy conjugative plasmid (pADAP; amber disease-associated plasmid). Despite growing understanding of the S.

Mitochondrial evolution in the entomopathogenic fungal genus Beauveria.

Species in the fungal genus Beauveria are pathogens of invertebrates and have been commonly used as the active agent in biopesticides. After many decades with few species described, recent molecular approaches to classification have led to over 25 species now delimited. Little attention has been given to the mitochondrial genomes of Beauveria but better understanding may led to insights into the nature of species and evolution in this important genus.

Auxins of microbial origin and their use in agriculture.

To maintain the world population demand, a sustainable agriculture is needed. Since current global vision is more friendly with the environment, eco-friendly alternatives are desirable. In this sense, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria could be the choice for the management of soil-borne diseases of crop plants.

A Tale of Two Grass Species: Temperature Affects the Symbiosis of a Mutualistic Endophyte in Both Tall Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass.

Many cool-season grasses form permanent, mutualistic symbioses with asexual endophytes. These fungal symbionts often perform a protective role within the association as many strains produce secondary metabolites that deter certain mammalian and invertebrate herbivores. Although initially a serious issue for agriculture, due to mammalian toxins that manifested in major animal health issues, selected strains that provide abiotic stress protection to plants with minimal ill effects to livestock are now commercialized and routinely used to enhance pasture performance in many farming systems.

Lack of involvement of chitinase in direct toxicity of Beauveria bassiana cultures to the aphid Myzus persicae.

The fungal insect pathogen Beauveria bassiana produces a range of insecticidal metabolites and enzymes, including chitinases and proteases, which may assist the disease progression. The enzymes often play a predominant role in the pathogenicity pathway and both chitinases and proteases have previously been shown to be important in host infection. Spray application of supernatants of B.

Oosporein, an abundant metabolite in Beauveria caledonica, with a feedback induction mechanism and a role in insect virulence.

Oosporein was first identified from the insect pathogen Beauveria bassiana >50 y ago. Here, we investigate the insecticidal, anti-feedant and immunomodulation effects of oosporein produced by Beauveria caledonica on the forestry pest Hylobius abietis and model insect Galleria mellonella. We report a novel feedback induction mechanism regulating oosporein production in B.

Corrigendum: Transcriptional Reprogramming of Defence Pathways by the Entomopathogen Correlates With Resistance Against a Fungal Pathogen but Not Against Insects.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.

Land use is a determinant of plant pathogen alpha- but not beta-diversity.

Little is known about the diversity patterns of plant pathogens and how they change with land use at a broad scale. We employed DNA metabarcoding to describe the diversity and composition of putative plant pathogen communities in three substrates (soil, roots, and leaves) across five major land uses at a national scale. Almost all plant pathogen communities (fungi, oomycetes, and bacteria) showed strong responses to land use and substrate type.

Phylogenetic determinants of toxin gene distribution in genomes of Brevibacillus laterosporus.

Brevibacillus laterosporus is a globally ubiquitous, spore forming bacterium, strains of which have shown toxic activity against invertebrates and microbes and several have been patented due to their commercial potential. Relatively little is known about this bacterium. Here, we examined the genomes of six published and five newly determined genomes of B.

Endophytic ability of the insecticidal bacterium Brevibacillus laterosporus in Brassica.

Brevibacillus laterosporus (Bl), is an insecticidal bacterium recorded as toxic to a range of invertebrates after ingestion. Isolates of Bl, which were initially recovered from surface-sterilised cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) seeds, were able to colonise brassica plants in the laboratory and field.