Quantification of FEND and ITUDI Anti-fungal Lipopeptide Gene Expression in Bacillus megaterium using RT-qPCR

Viviana Pamela Chiluisa-Utreras, Katherine Alejandra Medrano Jara, Andrés Sebastián Cadena Paredes, Ramiro Daniel Acurio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Phytopathogenic diseases are a major concern in modern agriculture, and for decades, pesticides have been used to prevent potential damage. Bacillus megaterium is proposed as a biological controlling agent, and gene expression of the lipopeptide genes FEND and ITUDI was assessed using RT-qPCR. Inhibition effects of B. megaterium on Alternaria sp. and Botrytis sp. were examined over a period of nine days, which confirmed the potential use of this bacterium to counteract these two pathogens. In addition, expression of FEND and ITUDI genes was assessed over nine days in the aforementioned dual cultures and inhibition tests. FEND expression in B. megaterium increased 20.16-fold in response to Alternaria sp., and ITUDI expression increased 3.20-fold in response to Botrytis sp. on day five of incubation. These results were corroborated by gene expression data obtained from B. megaterium during fermentation, where FEND and ITUDI gene expression increased 95.14- and 18.70-fold, respectively. In conclusion, B. megaterium can increase lipopeptide synthesis when exposed to these particular phytopathogens and can significantly increase the respective expression during fermentation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2339-2349
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Pure and Applied Microbiology
Volume14
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Antagonism
  • Antimicrobial genes
  • Gene expression
  • Plant pathogens

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