Isolation and identification of a novel Bacillus velezensis strain JIN4 and its potential for biocontrol of kiwifruit bacterial canker caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae

Xin Zhao; Yang Zhai; Lin Wei; Fei Xia; Yuanru Yang; Yongjian Yi; Hongying Wang; Caisheng Qiu; Feng Wang; Liangbin Zeng

doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1513438

Isolation and identification of a novel Bacillus velezensis strain JIN4 and its potential for biocontrol of kiwifruit bacterial canker caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae

Front Plant Sci. 2024 Dec 23:15:1513438. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1513438. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Xin Zhao^#¹, Yang Zhai^#¹, Lin Wei², Fei Xia³, Yuanru Yang¹, Yongjian Yi¹, Hongying Wang¹, Caisheng Qiu¹, Feng Wang⁴, Liangbin Zeng¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China.
² Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China.
³ College of Computer and Mathematics, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China.
⁴ Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guizhou, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Bacterial canker is a devastating disease in kiwifruit production, primarily caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. In this study, a strain of Bacillus velezensis named JIN4, isolated from a kiwifruit branch, showed antagonistic activity. The B. velezensis JIN4 strain was identified based on its morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, 16S rDNA, and gyrA sequences. Furthermore, the complete genome of the strain was elucidated, revealing the presence of three genes that confer resistance to antibiotics, including tetracycline, lincomycin, and streptomycin. Additionally, a cluster of nine secondary metabolite synthesis genes was identified. In the laboratory, the JIN4 strain exhibited nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) production, demonstrating plant growth-promoting and broad-spectrum inhibitory activities against pathogenic fungi and bacteria. In the field, the JIN4 strain demonstrated effective colonization of kiwifruit, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, induced resistance in kiwifruit plants, and achieved a control efficiency of 60.22% against kiwifruit bacterial canker. These results indicate that B. velezensis JIN4 is a potential biocontrol agent against kiwifruit bacterial canker.

Keywords: Bacillus velezensis; antibacterial activity; biocontrol agent; kiwifruit bacterial canker; whole genome sequencing.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the Major Science and Technology Program of China Tobacco Corporation (No. 110202201019 (LS-03)), the Hunan of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Innovation Fund (No. 2022CX67), and the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (No. CAAS-ASTIP-IBFC08).