title: Antagonism of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (a sugarcane endosymbiont) against Xanthomonas albilineans (pathogen) studied in alginate-immobilized sugarcane stalk tissues.
abstract: Xanthomonas albilineans, a pathogenic bacterium that produces leaf scald disease of sugarcane, secretes a xanthan-like gum that invades both xylem and phloem of the host. Xanthan production has been verified after experimental infection of stalk segments of healthy plants. Moreover, Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus is a nitrogen-fixing endosymbiont of sugarcane plants that antagonizes with X. albilineans by impeding the production of the bacterial gum. The physiological basis of this antagonism has been studied using tissues of sugarcane stalks previously inoculated with the endosymbiont, then immobilized in calcium alginate and maintained in a culture medium for Gluconacetobacter. Under these conditions, bacteria infecting immobilized tissues are able to secrete to the medium a lysozyme-like bacteriocin that inhibits the growth of X. albilineans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, José Antonio Novais Av., 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blanch
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piñón
authors.forename: María-Estrella
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Legaz
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vicente
mesh_terms: D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D041821:Gluconacetobacter / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000382:microbiology*; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D031786:Saccharum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology; D014974:Xanthomonas / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001430:Bacteriocins