INTRODUCTION P. fluorescens is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacillus related to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Like other species of Pseudomonas, the organism is widespread in nature and is found in water, moist soil, and vegetation. Due to its low virulence, P. fluorescens is an infrequent cause of infections except for catheter-related bloodstream infections in cancer patients. From August 1, 2003 to M...

The efficacy of four fungal bioagents viz., Trichoderma hamatum, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viride, Gliocladium virens and two bacterial bioagents namely Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis were evaluated against the chickpea vascular wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri in vitro condition using Dual Culture Technique. Among the fungal bioagents, T. harzianum produce...

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.radicis-licopersici (Forl) is a soilborne pathogenic fungus which can cause tomato foot and root rot (TFRR). Tomato root exudate is a good source of nutrients for both Forl and the TFRR-suppressing biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens strain WCS365. Incubation of Forl microconidia in tomato root exudate stimulates their germination. This phenomenon is observed, t...

Interaction of pathogenic bacteria with human cells is usually an essential step in the infection process. The bacterial invasion is stimulated by microbial binding to mammalian extracellular matrix proteins such as vitronectin, fibronectin or integrins. We have recently shown that some strains isolated from a clinical environment are able to grow at/or above 37°C. In particular, we demonstrate...

Several bacteria were evaluated in greenhouse studies for their effectiveness at preventing formation of galls induced by Rhizobium vitis, the Gram negative bacterium that causes crown gall disease of grapevines. Three endophytic bacteria isolated from Malus domestica yielded promising results and were selected for further examination: Pseudomonas fluorescens isolate 1100-6, Bacillus subtilis i...

Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf0-1 exhibited chemotactic responses to l-malate, succinate, and fumarate. We constructed a plasmid library of 37 methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (MCP) genes of P. fluorescens Pf0-1. To identify a MCP for l-malate, the plasmid library was screened using the PA2652 mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, a mutant defective in chemotaxis to l-malate. The introduction o...

Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are widespread in Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas. These macromolecular machineries inject toxins directly into prokaryotic or eukaryotic prey cells. Hcp proteins are structural components of the extracellular part of this machinery. We recently reported that MFE01, an avirulent strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens, possesses at least two hcp genes, ...