Control of litchi downy blight by zeamines produced by Dickeya zeae.
Zeamines (ZMS), a class of polyamine-polyketide-nonribosomal peptide produced by bacterial isolate Dickeya zeae, were shown recently to be potent antibiotics against some bacterial pathogens. In this study, the results indicated that ZMS showed antifungal activity against Peronophythora litchii and other fungal pathogens. The activity of ZMS against the oomycete pathogen P. litchi, which causes the devastating litchi downy blight, was further investigated under in vitro and in vivo conditions. ZMS displayed potent inhibitory activity against the mycelial growth and sporangia germination of P. litchii. At a concentration of 2 μg/mL, about 99% of the sporangia germination was inhibited. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses showed that treatment with ZMS could cause substantial damages to the oomycete endomembrane system. Furthermore, treatment of litchi fruits with ZMS solution significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the fruits decay and peel browning caused by P. litchii infection during storage at 28 °C. Taken together, our results provide useful clues on the antifungal mechanisms of ZMS, and highlight the promising potentials of ZMS as a fungicide, which in particular, may be useful for prevention and control of litchi fruits decay and browning caused by P. litchii infection during storage and transportation.
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.|Guangdong Innovative and Entepreneurial Research Team of Sociomicrobiology Basic Science and Frontier Technology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Lisheng
L
Liao
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.
Jianuan
J
Zhou
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.
Huishan
H
Wang
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.
Fei
F
He
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.
Shiyin
S
Liu
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.
Zide
Z
Jiang
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.|Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore.
Shaohua
S
Chen
Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Peoples' Republic of China.|Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore.|Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
Lian-Hui
LH
Zhang
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects; D032125:Litchi / Q000382:microbiology*; D018942:Macrolides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010838:Phytophthora / Q000187:drug effects; D011073:Polyamines / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058432:Sporangia / Q000187:drug effects
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D018942:Macrolides; D011073:Polyamines; C547236:zeamine