Effect of marine bacterial polysaccharides on the germination of Hemileia vastatrix spores

Yanelis Avilés-Tamayo, Mauricio Luna-Rodríguez, Gabriel Díaz-Padilla, Carlos Roberto Cerdán Cabrera

Abstract


Background. As a result of intensive agricultural practices, the loss of agrobiodiversity, climate change and global trade, increasingly virulent strains and races of phytopathogens are emerging. These factors also promote their spread and increase crops susceptibility. Coffee, cultivated in more than 50 countries, has recently suffered significant damage caused by coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix). In Latin America, many plantations were replaced with leaf rust-resistant varieties, however these have lost their effectiveness within a few years. In this context, biotechnological tools based on the use of microorganisms, including their metabolites, represent sustainable alternatives for pathogen control. Marine microorganisms are promising sources of biologically active products. Objective. To evaluate in vitro the effect of crude polysaccharides extracts produced by marine bacteria on the germination of H. vastatrix spores, and to explore their potential for developing field application strategies. Methodology. Seven bacterial strains capable of producing capsules on nutrient agar supplemented with sodium chloride were selected from 12 samples of marine algae collected at La Mancha beach, Veracruz, Mexico. Crude polysaccharide extracts were obtained from the selected strains, and their activity on H. vastatrix spores was assessed in vitro. Results. Polysaccharide extracts of Leucobacter albus, Bacillus cereus, and Alcaligenes sp., isolated from the algae Caulerpa webbiana f. disticha, Fucus serratus, and Padina pavonica, respectively, inhibited H. vastatrix spore germination by 50–75%. Implications. The inhibitory effect of B. cereus extracts was observed across all tested dilutions, suggesting that this is primarily determined by the chemical composition of the extract. In contrast, the effects of extracts from L. albus and Alcaligenes sp. appeared to depend on the concentration of their components. Conclusions. Crude polysaccharide extracts from marine bacteria, particularly B. cereus, L. albus, and Alcaligenes sp. have potential for the development of biocontrol strategies against H. vastatrix through inhibition of spore germination.

Keywords


encapsulated bacteria; coffee rust biocontrol; seaweed.

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References


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URN: http://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/urn:ISSN:1870-0462-tsaes.v29i2.66970

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.56369/tsaes.6697

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