title: Characterization of Pseudomonas chlororaphis from Theobroma cacao L. rhizosphere with antagonistic activity against Phytophthora palmivora (Butler).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To isolate and characterize rhizobacteria from Theobroma cacao with antagonistic activity against Phytophthora palmivora, the causal agent of the black pod rot, which is one of the most important diseases of T. cacao.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 127 rhizobacteria isolated from cacao rhizosphere, three isolates (CP07, CP24 and CP30) identified as Pseudomonas chlororaphis, showed in vitro antagonistic activity against P. palmivora. Direct antagonism tested in cacao detached leaves revealed that the isolated rhizobacteria were able to reduce symptom severity upon infection with P. palmivora Mab1, with Ps. chlororaphis CP07 standing out as a potential biocontrol agent. Besides, reduced symptom severity on leaves was also observed in planta where cacao root system was pretreated with the isolated rhizobacteria followed by leaf infection with P. palmivora Mab1. The production of lytic enzymes, siderophores, biosurfactants and HCN, as well as the detection of genes encoding antibiotics, the formation of biofilm, and bacterial motility were also assessed for all three rhizobacterial strains. By using a mutant impaired in viscosin production, derived from CP07, it was found that this particular biosurfactant turned out to be crucial for both motility and biofilm formation, but not for the in vitro antagonism against Phytophthora, although it may contribute to the bioprotection of T. cacao.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the rhizosphere of T. cacao, there are rhizobacteria, such as Ps. chlororaphis, able to protect plants against P. palmivora.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a theoretical basis for the potential use of Ps. chlororaphis CP07 as a biocontrol agent for the protection of cacao plants from P. palmivora infection.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Plaza, Cuba.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Acebo-Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Plaza, Cuba.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernández-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vandeputte
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agroforestry, University of Guantanamo, Guantanamo, Cuba.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miguélez-Sierra
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Plaza, Cuba.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heydrich-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Research group Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and VIB Structural Biology, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Research group Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and VIB Structural Biology, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cornelis
authors.affiliation: Earth and Life Institute - Agronomy (ELI-A), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bertin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Jaziri
mesh_terms: D000898:Antibiosis; D002099:Cacao / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000502:physiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D058441:Rhizosphere
keywords: Phytophthora; Pseudomonas; antagonism; biocontrol; black pod rot; cacao; rhizobacteria; viscosin