Citrus-friendly bacteria make natural weapons against greening disease
Vieira FC, Ramasamy M, Mandadi K, Esteves MB, de Souza A
Crop Improvement
If you've ever enjoyed a fresh orange or grapefruit, this research targets the disease that has wiped out groves across Florida and threatens citrus everywhere else, pointing toward a spray-free way to protect the trees.
Citrus greening disease is an incurable bacterial infection spread by a tiny insect, and it has already destroyed huge numbers of orange and grapefruit trees. Researchers tested 18 strains of Bacillus bacteria that naturally live on citrus plants and found that some of them produce compounds called surfactins and bacilysin that can slow down or kill the disease-causing bacterium. These friendly bacteria could eventually be turned into a plant-protecting treatment that farmers spray or inject instead of relying only on antibiotics.
Key Findings
Among 18 Bacillus isolates screened, Bacillus velezensis showed the strongest and broadest antagonistic activity against the citrus greening pathogen and related citrus root pathogens (Phytophthora and Fusarium species).
Bacilysin and surfactin biosynthetic gene clusters were conserved across all isolates that inhibited the Liberibacter pathogen, pointing to these compounds as key suppressive agents.
Surfactins detected in bioactive fractions from B. velezensis (CB0027, CB0909) and B. subtilis (CB0893) directly inhibited growth of Liberibacter crescens in lab tests.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found friendly soil bacteria that produce natural compounds capable of fighting the bacterium behind citrus greening disease, a problem that has devastated orange and grapefruit groves worldwide with no cure currently available.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Chemical diversity analysis identifies inhibitory compounds in the secretomes of citrus-associated Bacillus spp. to the Huanglongbing pathogen, "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus," and citrus root pathogens.
Huanglongbing (HLB) is a devastating and incurable citrus disease associated with the gram-negative, phloem-limited, and unculturable bacterium "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" (CLas), transmitt...
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Citrus is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, such as citrons, mandarins, and pomelos. Many important citrus crops have been developed through extensive hybridization, including oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes, all of wh...