• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.549-557
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• 2016

Aphids are a large group of hemipteran pests that affect the physiology, growth, and development of plants by using piercing mouthparts to consume fluids from the host. Based an recent data, aphids modulate the microbiomes of plants and thereby affect the overall outcome of the biological interaction. However, in a few reports, aboveground aphids manipulate the metabolism of the host and facilitate infestations by rhizosphere bacteria (rhizobacteria). In this study, we evaluated whether aphids alter the plant resistance that is mediated by the bacterial community of the root system. The rhizobacteria were affected by aphid infestation of pepper, and a large population of gram-positive bacteria was detected. Notably, Paenibacillus spp. were the unique gram-positive bacteria to respond to changes induced by the aphids. Paenibacillus polymyxa E681 was used as a rhizobacterium model to assess the recruitment of bacteria to the rhizosphere by the phloem-sucking of aphids and to test the effect of P. polymyxa on the susceptibility of plants to aphids. The root exudates secreted from peppers infested with aphids increased the growth rate of P. polymyxa E681. The application of P. polymyxa E681 to pepper roots promoted the colonization of aphids within 2 days of inoculation. Collectively, our results suggest that aphid infestation modulated the root exudation, which led to the recruitment of rhizobacteria that manipulated the resistance of peppers to aphids. In this study, new information is provided on how the infestation of insects is facilitated through insect-derived modulation of plant resistance with the attraction of gram-positive rhizobacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.777-790
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• 2011

To elucidate the biodiversity of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in Korea, 7,638 bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of plant species growing in many different regions were screened. A large number of PGPR were identified by testing the ability of each isolate to promote the growth of cucumber seedlings. After redundant rhizobacteria were removed via amplified rDNA restriction analysis, 90 strains were finally selected as PGPR. On the basis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences, 68 Gram-positive (76%) and 22 Gram-negative (24%) isolates were assigned to 21 genera and 47 species. Of these genera, Bacillus (32 species) made up the largest complement, followed by Paenibacillus (19) and Pseudomonas (11). Phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the Grampositive PGPR fell into two categories: low- and high- G+C (Actinobacteria) strains. The Gram-negative PGPR were distributed in three categories: ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria, ${\beta}$- proteobacteria, and ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria. To our knowledge, this is the largest screening study designed to isolate diverse PGPR. The enlarged understanding of PGPR genetic diversity provided herein will expand the knowledge base regarding beneficial plant-microbe interactions. The outcome of this research may have a practical effect on crop production methodologies.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.217-224
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• 2021

Rice blast caused by Pyricularia oryzae, which is a major threat to food security worldwide, markedly decreases the yield of rice. Some rhizobacteria called 'plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria' inhibit plant pathogens and improve plant growth by secreting iron-chelating siderophores. The decreased availability of iron adversely affects the survival of pathogens, especially fungal pathogens, in the rhizosphere. This study aimed to determine the morphological diversity of siderophore-producing bacteria, analyze the type of siderophores produced by the bacteria, and examine their growth-inhibitory activity against Pyricularia oryzae. The rhizobacteria were isolated from the rhizosphere of Sembada Hitam variety of black rice plants in Pakem, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In total, 12 distinct isolates were screened for the production of siderophores. It was found that 9 out of 12 bacteria produced siderophore and most of them were Gram positive bacteria. The best siderophore-producing isolates with different type of siderophore were used in further studies. The IS3 and IS14 isolates were found to be the best siderophore producer that produced hydroxamate and mixed type of hydroxamate-carboxylate type of siderophore, respectively. In the dual culture assay, IS14 showed a strong antagonistic effect against Pyricularia oryzae by the 81.17% inhibition.