Publications by authors named "XueWen Gao"

Plant-beneficial Pseudomonas and Bacillus have been extensively studied and applied in biocontrol of plant diseases. However, there is less known about their interaction within two-strain synthetic communities (SynCom). Our study revealed that Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 inhibits the growth of several Bacillus species, including Bacillus velezensis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Bacterial blight, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycines (Psg), significantly affects soybean, with resistance genes Rpg1 to Rpg4 identified but lacking clarity on quantitative resistance mechanisms.
  • A study phenotyped soybean association panels (573 and 213 lines) from 2014-2016 and used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with FarmCPU and BLINK models to find 14 new quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to Psg resistance across 12 chromosomes.
  • The research also pinpointed 46 candidate resistance genes and highlighted a synteny region with potential resistance functions, offering valuable insights into the genetic basis of Psg resistance in soybeans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Activation of immune responses in rice enhances beneficial microbes in the rice panicle.
  • Researchers identified specific enriched microbial units that inhibit fungal pathogens and created a simplified synthetic community (SynCom) of three beneficial microbes.
  • The application of this SynCom demonstrated a protective effect against fungal infections in rice plants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Gray mold disease, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, is a significant threat to fruits like strawberries and tomatoes, prompting research on using Bacillus spp. volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as eco-friendly biocontrol agents.
  • In vitro tests showed that VOCs from Bacillus sp. LNXM12 were the most effective, inhibiting fungal growth by 61.2% and demonstrating a higher control efficacy on infected fruits compared to other strains.
  • Further analysis identified 22 VOCs, with synthetic compounds ethyloctynol and 3-methyl-2-pentanone (3M2P) showing strong inhibition of fungal growth and downregulating virulence genes in B. cinerea
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aquaculture pond sediments have a notable influence on the ecosystem balance and farmed animal health. In this study, microalgal-bacterial immobilization (MBI) was designed to improve aquaculture pond sediments via synergistic interactions. The physicochemical characteristics, bacterial communities, and the removal efficiencies of emerging pollutants were systematically investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how doping stanene with sulfur (S) atoms affects its electronic and optical properties, showing that S-doping transforms stanene from a quasi-metal with zero bandgap into a semiconductor with an opened bandgap.
  • - It was found that charge transfer between S and Sn atoms increases with higher doping concentrations, reaching a peak at about 9.38%, which significantly influences the material's absorption and reflection characteristics.
  • - The research utilizes advanced computational methods based on density functional theory (DFT) to simulate and analyze these properties, aiming to enhance the practical use of stanene in optoelectronic devices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) of many gram-negative bacteria injects toxic effectors into adjacent cells to manipulate host cells during pathogenesis or to kill competing bacteria. However, the identification and function of the T6SS effectors remains only partly known. Pantoea ananatis, a gram-negative bacterium, is commonly found in various plants and natural environments, including water and soil.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The plant rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) peptides function as key regulators in cell growth and immune responses through the receptor kinase FERONIA (FER). In this study, we report that the transcription factor FgPacC binds directly to the promoter of FgRALF gene, which encodes a functional homologue of the plant RALF peptides from the wheat head blight fungus Fusarium graminearum (FgRALF). More importantly, FgPacC promotes fungal infection via host immune suppression by activating the expression of FgRALF.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bacillus spp. has been widely used as a biocontrol agent to control plant diseases. However, little is known about mechanisms of the protein MAMP secreted by Bacillus spp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bivalent histone modifications, including functionally opposite H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 marks simultaneously on the same nucleosome, control various cellular processes by fine-tuning the gene expression in eukaryotes. However, the role of bivalent histone modifications in fungal virulence remains elusive. By mapping the genome-wide landscape of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 dynamic modifications in Fusarium graminearum (Fg) during invasion, we identify the infection-related bivalent chromatin-marked genes (BCGs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Plants cannot avoid environmental challenges and are constantly threatened by diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. However, plants have developed a unique immune system to defend themselves against the invasion of various pathogens. Melatonin, N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine has positive physiological effects in plants that are involved in disease resistance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Rhizoctonia solani and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) are major rice diseases, and Bacillus spp. VOCs show promising antimicrobial effects, reducing their impact significantly in lab tests.
  • Synthetic VOCs also effectively inhibit these pathogens, with high inhibition rates observed compared to controls.
  • Microscopic analysis indicated that VOC treatments caused damaging morphological changes in the pathogens, while greenhouse experiments confirmed reduced disease severity and increased activation of plant defenses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), produced by a variety of microbial species and used as biological agents, have been demonstrated to play a significant role in controlling phytopathogens. In continuation of our previous studies, we aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and pathways involved in interactions between pathogens and microbial VOCs. In the current study, we tested how VOCs produced by Bacillus velezensis FZB42 affect the growth of Ralstonia solanacearum TBBS1 in vitro.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Context: In this paper, the electronic and optical properties of Cr-doped monolayer MoS under uniaxial tensile strain are investigated by first-principle calculations. It is shown that uniaxial tensile strain can significantly change the electronic and optical properties of Cr-doped monolayer MoS, and the bandgap value of the intrinsic MoS system gradually decreases with the increase of tensile strain, while the bandgap value of the Cr-doped MoS system is relatively stable. However, when the stretching reaches a certain degree, both the intrinsic and doped systems become metallic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The gram-positive bacterium Bacillus velezensis strain DMW1 produces a high level of antimicrobial metabolites that can suppress the growth of phytopathogens. We investigated the mechanism used by degQ and the degS/degU two-component system to regulate the biocontrol characteristics of DMW1. When degQ and degU were deleted, the biofilm formation, cell motility, colonization activities, and antifungal abilities of ΔdegQ and ΔdegU were significantly reduced compared to wild-type DMW1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The interaction between plant and bacterial VOCs has been extensively studied, but the role of VOCs in growth promotion still needs to be explored. In the current study, we aim to explore the growth promotion mechanisms of cold-tolerant strains GBAC46 and RJGP41 and the well-known PGPR strain FZB42 and their VOCs on tomato plants. The result showed that the activity of phytohormone (IAA) production was greatly improved in GBAC46 and RJGP41 as compared to FZB42 strains.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Agrochemical science prioritizes the discovery and effective synthesis of innovative and promising lead compounds. Herein, we developed an efficient column chromatography-free synthesis for βcarboline 1-hydrazides via a mild CuBr-catalyzed oxidation and investigated the antifungal and antibacterial activities and mechanisms for these compounds. In our study, compounds (EC = 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Onion crops in Saudi Arabia experienced significant health issues in late 2020, with symptoms such as wilting and bulb rot affecting 30-65% of plants in the surveyed fields.
  • The pathogen was identified as Fusarium oxysporum through a series of laboratory tests, including sanitization of diseased plant tissues and culturing on specific media that revealed characteristic fungal growth.
  • Further confirmation of the pathogen's identity involved DNA extraction and sequencing of various nuclear regions, contributing to the understanding of its genetic makeup and potential impacts on onion cultivation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The genus is one of the most important genera for the biological control of plant diseases that are caused by various phytopathogens. The endophytic strain DMW1 was isolated from the inner tissues of potato tubers and exhibited strong biocontrol activity. Based on its whole-genome sequence, DMW1 belongs to the Bacillus velezensis species, and it is similar to the model strain FZB42.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The plant parasitic nematode Aphelenchoides besseyi is a significant threat to crops, and this study explores using Bacillus spp. volatiles as biocontrol agents against it.
  • Bacillus strains GBSC56, SYST2, and FZB42 demonstrated high nematicidal effectiveness, achieving killing rates of over 60% in controlled experiments.
  • The synthetic volatile compounds tested showed even stronger activity against A. besseyi, highlighting their potential to improve plant growth and activate defense mechanisms in rice, suggesting a viable method to combat nematode infestations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rice ( L.) is a major cereal and staple food crop worldwide, and its growth and production are affected by several fungal and bacterial phytopathogens. Bacterial blight (BB) is one of the world's most devastating rice diseases, caused by pv.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Soil salinity is a major constraint adversely affecting agricultural crops including wheat worldwide. The use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to alleviate salt stress in crops has attracted the focus of many researchers due to its safe and eco-friendly nature. The current study aimed to study the genetic potential of high halophilic strains, isolated from the rhizosphere in the extreme environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau region of China, to reduce salt stress in wheat plants.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Malnutrition results from inadequate intake or use of energy and nutrients, affecting both physical and mental health, especially in the elderly, and leading to poor clinical outcomes.
  • It's a widespread issue among older adults, significantly straining medical resources and society due to various risk factors such as demographics, chronic diseases, and psychosocial issues.
  • The current recommendations for addressing malnutrition in China's elderly population are inconsistent, prompting efforts to develop standardized prevention and intervention strategies based on global evidence and local clinical experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Soil salinity is a major environmental stress that has been negatively affecting the growth and productivity of rice. However, various salt-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been known to promote plant growth and alleviate the damaging effects of salt stress mitigating physio-biochemical and molecular characteristics. This study was conducted to examine the salt stress potential of strains identified from harsh environments of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau region of China.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Bacterial wilt (BW) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (RS) is considered as one of the most destructive plant diseases. An avirulent strain of RS, FJAT1458, is a potential biocontrol agent of BW. In this study, the mechanism of FJAT1458 against BW was evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF