Assembly of an active microbial consortium by engineering compatible combinations containing foreign and native biocontrol bacteria of kiwifruit

Assembling functional bacterial biocontrol consortia is expected to expand the scope and efficiency of agents. Generally, interspecies interactions lead incompatibility events, as bacteria can produce antibacterial compounds and/or assemble contact-dependent killing (CDK) devices. Here, we aimed a consortium comprising Lysobacter enzymogenes OH11 Bacillus safensis ZK-1 for synergistic control fungal diseases kiwifruit. ZK-1, native kiwifruit bacterium, effective against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) that causes canker, but has weak antifungal activity. foreign agent with strong While was unable anti-Gram-negative metabolites, this strain could utilize type IV secretion system an CDK weapon. We first observed inhibit growth by generating diffusible anti-Gram-positive antibiotic WAP-8294A2, whereas failed generate compound OH11. To disrupt incompatibility, generated transgenic OH11-derived strain, OH11W, deleting WAP-8294A2 biosynthetic gene found OH11W did not kill ZK-1. further when were co-inoculated on agar plates, no effect between them, co-culture or Psa plates resulted in killing, suggesting L. B. weapons pathogens, these affect compatibility Based findings, assembled OH11W/ZK-1 dependent shown be controlling canker several representative