title: The Potential ofStreptomycesas Biocontrol Agents against the Rice Blast Fungus,Magnaporthe oryzae(Pyricularia oryzae).
abstract: Rice is a staple food source for more than three billion people worldwide. However, rice is vulnerable to diseases, the most destructive among them being rice blast, which is caused by the fungusMagnaporthe oryzae(anamorphPyricularia oryzae). This fungus attacks rice plants at all stages of development, causing annual losses of approximately 10-30% in various rice producing regions. Synthetic fungicides are often able to effectively control plant diseases, but some fungicides result in serious environmental and health problems. Therefore, there is growing interest in discovering and developing new, improved fungicides based on natural products as well as introducing alternative measures such as biocontrol agents to manage plant diseases.Streptomyces bacteria appear to be promising biocontrol agents against a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi, which is not surprising given their ability to produce various bioactive compounds. This review provides insight into the biocontrol potential ofStreptomycesagainst the rice blast fungus,M. oryzae. The ability of various Streptomycesspp. to act as biocontrol agents of rice blast disease has been studied by researchers under both laboratory and greenhouse/growth chamber conditions. Laboratory studies have shown thatStreptomycesexhibit inhibitory activity againstM. oryzae. In greenhouse studies, infected rice seedlings treated withStreptomycesresulted in up to 88.3% disease reduction of rice blast. Studies clearly show thatStreptomycesspp. have the potential to be used as highly effective biocontrol agents against rice blast disease; however, the efficacy of any biocontrol agent may be affected by several factors including environmental conditions and methods of application. In order to fully exploit their potential, further studies on the isolation, formulation and application methods ofStreptomycesalong with field experiments are required to establish them as effective biocontrol agents.
authors.affiliation: Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jodi Woan-Fei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Law
authors.affiliation: Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hooi-Leng
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Ser
authors.affiliation: Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University MalaysiaBandar Sunway, Malaysia; Department of Pharmacy, Absyn University PeshawarPeshawar, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Tahir M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Lay-Hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Chuah
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Laboratory, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Priyia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pusparajah
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kok-Gan
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University MalaysiaBandar Sunway, Malaysia; Center of Health Outcomes Research and Therapeutic Safety, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of PhayaoPhayao, Thailand.
authors.forename: Bey-Hing
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.affiliation: Novel Bacteria and Drug Discovery Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University MalaysiaBandar Sunway, Malaysia; Center of Health Outcomes Research and Therapeutic Safety, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of PhayaoPhayao, Thailand.
authors.forename: Learn-Han
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Streptomyces; antifungal; biocontrol; disease; rice