In the search for new natural resources crop protection, streptomycetes are gaining interest in agriculture as plant growth promoting bacteria and/or biological control agents. Because of their peculiar life cycle, which production secondary metabolites is synchronized with development aerial hyphae and sporulation, commonly used methods to screen bacterial antagonists need be adapted. The dual culture assay was standardized terms inoculation timing Streptomyces antagonist pathogen, rate...

Beneficial microorganisms are increasingly used in agriculture, but their efficacy often fails due to limited knowledge of interactions with plants and other present rhizosphere. We studied spatio-temporal colonization dynamics lettuce roots rhizosphere by genetically modified Streptomyces spp. Five strains, strongly inhibiting vitro the major soil-borne pathogen horticultural crops, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, were transformed pIJ8641 plasmid harboring an enhanced green fluorescent protein...

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae B. Couch sp. nov., is one of the most destructive rice diseases worldwide, causing substantial yield losses every year. In Italy, its management based mainly on use two fungicides, azoxystrobin and tricyclazole, that restrain disease progress. The aim this study was to investigate compare inhibitory effects fungicides growth, sporulation secondary infection M. oryzae.Magnaporthe mycelium growth inhibited at low concentrations relatively high while...

The global food supply has been facing increasing challenges during the first decades of 21st century. Disease in plants is an important constraint to worldwide crop production, accounting for 20–40% its annual harvest loss. Although use resistant varieties, good water management and agronomic practices are valid tools counteracting plant diseases, there still many pathosystems where fungicides widely used disease management. However, restrictive regulations concern regarding risk human...

Lettuce drop, caused by the soil borne pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of most common and serious diseases lettuce worldwide. Increased concerns about side effects chemical pesticides have resulted in greater interest developing biocontrol strategies against S. sclerotiorum. However, relatively little known mechanisms Streptomyces spp. as biological control agents sclerotiorum on lettuce. Two isolates, exfoliatus FT05W cyaneus ZEA17I, inhibit mycelial growth more than 75% vitro. We...

Selection of biological control agents (BCA) profits from an integrated study the tripartite interactions occurring among BCA, plant and pathogen. The environment plays a crucial role in efficacy therefore, selection process shall utmost mimic naturally conditions. To identify effective biocontrol strains against Fusarium graminearum, major cause head blight (FHB) wheat deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation grains, workflow consisting vitro vivo assays was set up. Twenty-one Streptomyces...

Abstract Background Plants have developed multiple chemical defence responses against pathogen attacks. The main mechanism of is based on a rapid transcriptional reprogramming genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes that synthesize specific secondary metabolites. Increasing evidence indicates phenylamides (PAs) as an important group bioactive compounds in food plants. Results We synthesized small collection ferulic acid-derived by chemoenzymatic approaches. were tested fungal and bacterial...

Arabidopsis METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (MET1) controls faithful maintenance of cytosine methylation at CG sites in repetitive regions and central body active genes. If MET1 is removed a mutant background, lost only restored specific heterochromatic that have maintained competence for re-methylation due to the presence small RNAs RNA-directed DNA pathway de novo functions. We analysed locus loses an met1 mutant. found this least partially when re-introduced into either via genetic cross or transfer....

Magnaporthe oryzae is the major pathogen of cultivated rice worldwide, which can cause substantial losses to production. Rice blast management based predominantly on application fungicides; however, only a little known about responses populations most widely used fungicides. In this work, baseline sensitivity Italian M. population tricyclazole and azoxystrobin in terms mycelium growth was determined, possible adaptation after several years repeated exposure fungicide treatments evaluated....

Streptomycetes are promising candidates for the biological control of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) in wheat. Studies involving use streptomycetes as agents (BCAs) have been limited to application when wheat plant is developed, close infection on spike during flowering. Here, we tested effects seed treatment with Streptomyces sp. DEF39 spores before sowing FHB symptoms' development. The protected from by graminearum 49% (p = 0.04). We traced organs using strain-specific primers here showing...

Metrafenone has been used in Europe integrated pest management programmes since 2006 to control powdery mildews, including Erysiphe necator. Its exact mode of action is not known, but it unique among fungicide classes mildew management. Recently, resistance metrafenone was reported Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. In this study we investigated necator northern Italy.

The rice-blast fungus

Background Polyadenylation of RNA has a decisive influence on stability. Depending the organisms or subcellular compartment, it either enhances transcript stability targets RNAs for degradation. In plant mitochondria, polyadenylation promotes degradation, and polyadenylated mitochondrial transcripts are therefore widely considered to be rare unstable. We followed up surprising observation that large number detectable in microarray experiments used poly(A)-specific probes, these levels...

The Arabidopsis genome contains a large number of gene pairs that encode sense and antisense transcripts with overlapping 3′ regions, indicative for potential role natural transcription in regulating expression or transcript processing. When we mapped poly(A) three plant long transcripts, identified an unusual composition two the pairs. Both genes encoded class short terminate within same polyadenylation region as by opposite strand. We find presence was not dependent on transcript. This...

Biocontrol microorganisms are emerging as an effective alternative to pesticides. Ideally, biocontrol agents (BCAs) for the control of fungal plant pathogens should be selected by in vitro method that is high-throughput and predictive planta efficacy, possibly considering environmental factors, natural diversity pathogen. The purpose our study was (1) assess effects Fusarium strain ( N = 5) culture media 6) on identification biological activity Streptomyces strains 20) against wheat (2)...

Abstract Crop disease management often implies repeated application of fungicides. However, the increasing emergence fungicide-resistant pathogens requires their rotation or combined use. Tank-mix combinations using fungicides with different modes action are hard to manage by farmers. An alternative and unexploited strategy bifunctional fungicides, i . e compounds resulting from conjugation pharmacophores mechanisms action. In this paper we describe a new approach antifungal treatments based...

Streptomyces spp. can be exploited as biocontrol agents (BCAs) against plant pathogens such Fusarium graminearum, the main causal agent of head blight (FHB) and contamination grains with deoxynivalenol (DON). In present research, four strains active F. graminearum in dual plate assays were characterized for their ability to colonize detached wheat presence limit DON production. The pathogen BCA abundance assessed by a quantitative real-time PCR, while production was HPLC quantification...

The increasing emergence of fungicide-resistant pathogens requires urgent solutions for crop disease management. Here, we describe a structural investigation new fungicides obtained by combining strobilurin and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor pharmacophores. We identified compounds endowed with very good activity against wild-type Pyricularia oryzae, combined in some cases promising strobilurin-resistant strains. first three-dimensional model P. oryzae cytochrome bc1 complex containing...

Ciborinia camelliae is the causal agent of camellia flower blight (CFB). It a hemibiotrophic pathogen, inoperculate Discomycete family Sclerotiniaceae. shows host and organ specificity infecting only flowers species belonging to genus Camellia, causing serious damage ornamental component plant. In this work, first mitochondrial genome reported. The mitogenome was obtained by combining Illumina short read Nanopore long technology. To resolve repetitive elements, specific primers were designed...

This study aimed to develop a new formulation of Cryphonectria parasitica hypovirulent mycelium suitable for inoculations tall trees from the ground. strains are widely used biological control chestnut blight. However, it is often inconsistent and ineffective not only reasons but also because current manual application on adult plants difficult, time-consuming expensive. Here, we propose an improved more effective mode strains, which could boost blight biocontrol.The Cp 4.2H strain was...

The fulfilment of the European "Farm to Fork" strategy requires a drastic reduction in use "at risk" synthetic pesticides; this exposes vulnerable agricultural sectors-among which is risiculture-to lack efficient means for management devastating diseases, thus endangering food security. Therefore, novel scaffolds need be identified synthesis new and more environmentally friendly fungicides. In present work, we employed our previously developed 3D model P. oryzae cytochrome bc1 (cyt bc1)...