Characterising the proteomic response of mushroom pathogen Lecanicillium fungicola to Bacillus velezensis QST 713 and Kos biocontrol agents

Abstract

AbstractThe fungal pathogenLecanicillium fungicolacauses dry bubble disease inAgaricus bisporuscultivation and affected mushrooms significantly reduce the yield and revenue for mushroom growers. Biocontrol agents may represent an alternative and more environmentally friendly treatment option to help control dry bubble on mushroom farms. Serenade ® is a commercially available biocontrol product used for disease treatment in plant crops. In this work, the in vitro response ofL. fungicolato the bacterial strain active in Serenade,Bacillus velezensis(QST 713) and a newly isolatedB. velezensisstrain (Kos) was assessed.B. velezensis(QST713 and Kos) both produced zones of inhibition on plate cultures ofL. fungicola, reduced the mycelium growth in liquid cultures and damaged the morphology and structure ofL. fungicolahyphae. The proteomic response of the pathogen against these biocontrol strains was also investigated. Proteins involved in growth and translation such as 60S ribosomal protein L21-A (−32-fold) and 40S ribosomal protein S30 (−17-fold) were reduced in abundance inB. velezensisQST 713 treated samples, while proteins involved in a stress response were increased (norsolorinic acid reductase B (47-fold), isocitrate lyase (11-fold) and isovaleryl-CoA dehydrogenase (8-fold).L. fungicolawas found to have a similar proteomic response when exposed toB. velezensis(Kos). This work provides information on the response ofL. fungicolatoB. velezensis(QST 713) and indicates the potential ofB. velezensisKos as a novel biocontrol agent.