Identification and Characterization of Novel Biocontrol Bacterial Strains

Research in Plant Disease 2014;20(3):182-188.
Published online December 15, 2014.

Seung Hwan Lee, In Seon Kim and Young Cheol Kim*

Institute of Environmentally-Friendly Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, Korea

Correspondence: <p>Young Cheol Kim</p><p>Tel : +,

Young Cheol Kim

Tel : +82-62-530-2071
Fax: +82-62-530-0208
Email: yckimyc@jnu.ac.kr

Received: June 16, 2014 Revised: August 19, 2014 Accepted: August 26, 2014

Abstract

Because bacterial isolates from only a few genera have been developed commercially as biopesticides, discovery and characterization of novel bacterial strains will be a key to market expansion. Our previous screen using plant bioassays identified 24 novel biocontrol isolates representing 12 different genera. In this study, we characterized the 3 isolates showing the best biocontrol activities. The isolates were Pantoea dispersa WCU35, Proteus myxofaciens WCU244, and Exiguobacterium acetylicum WCU292 based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The isolates showed differential production of extracellular enzymes, antimicrobial activity against various fungal or bacterial plant pathogens, and induced systemic resistance activity against tomato gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea. E. acetylicum WCU292 lacked strong in vitro antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens, but induced systemic resistance against tomato gray mold disease. These results confirm that the trait of biological control is found in a wide variety of bacterial genera.

Key Words: Biocontrol, Gray mold, Induced systemic resistance