Knockout of Diguanylate Cyclase Genes in Lysobacter enzymogenes to Improve Production of Antifungal Factor and Increase Its Application in Seed Coating

Curr Microbiol. 2020 Jun;77(6):1006-1015. doi: 10.1007/s00284-020-01902-x. Epub 2020 Jan 30.

Abstract

Heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF) is a broad-spectrum antifungal antibiotic produced by the biological control agent, Lysobacter enzymogenes. In our earlier works, we have applied HSAF to effectively control wheat and pear fungal disease. However, a major bottleneck in its practical application is the low HSAF production level; therefore, boosting its production is essential for its wide application. In the past, we find that c-di-GMP, a universal bacterial second messenger, is inhibitory to HSAF production. In this work, we further identified eight active diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) responsible for c-di-GMP synthesis in Lysobacter enzymogenes via both bioinformatics and genetic analyses. We generated a strain lacking seven active DGC genes and found that this DGC-modified strain, OH11LC, produced a higher HSAF amount in a c-di-GMP concentration-dependent manner. Subsequently, by employing OH11LC as the host fermentation strain, we could even produce a much higher HSAF amount (> 200-fold). After improving the HSAF production, we further developed a technique of seed coating method with HSAF, which turned out to be effective in fighting against the maize seed-borne filamentous pathogen, Pythium gramineacola. Overall, via combining strain modification and fermentation optimization, we demonstrated a good example of translating fundamental knowledge of bacterial c-di-GMP signaling into biological control application in which we relieved the inhibitory effect of c-di-GMP on HSAF biosynthesis by deleting a bunch of potentially active L. enzymogenes DGC genes to improve HSAF yield and to expand its usage in antifungal seed coating.

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / metabolism*
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cyclic GMP / analogs & derivatives
  • Cyclic GMP / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • Fermentation
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Lysobacter / genetics
  • Lysobacter / metabolism*
  • Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases / genetics*
  • Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases / metabolism
  • Plant Diseases / microbiology
  • Plant Diseases / prevention & control
  • Pythium / drug effects
  • Seeds / microbiology
  • Zea mays / microbiology

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid
  • Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases
  • diguanylate cyclase
  • Cyclic GMP

Supplementary concepts

  • Lysobacter enzymogenes