Uncovering the antifungal activities of wild apple-associated bacteria against two canker-causing fungi, Cytospora mali and C. parasitica.

Cytospora canker has become a devastating disease of apple species worldwide, and in severe cases, it may cause dieback of entire trees. The aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of cultivable bacteria from the wild apple microbiota and to determine their antifungal ability against the canker-causing pathogenic fungi Cytospora mali and C. parasitica.

Wild Apple-Associated Fungi and Bacteria Compete to Colonize the Larval Gut of an Invasive Wood-Borer in Tianshan Forests.

The gut microflora of insects plays important roles throughout their lives. Different foods and geographic locations change gut bacterial communities. The invasive wood-borer causes extensive mortality of wild apple, , which is considered a progenitor of all cultivated apples, in Tianshan forests.