Attenuating virulence of Pectobacterium carotovorum by beneficial bacterial volatiles
S. LEE (1), G. Song (2), C. Ryu (2) (1) Korea Research Insititute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, South Korea; (2) Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, South Korea

Among diverse signaling molecules, volatile compounds are recognized as a broad spectrum signals across kingdoms. Little is known on the role of volatile compounds within same kingdom like bacteria to bacteria. Previous our results provide that bacterial volatile compounds (BVCs) significantly changed bacterial physiology including motility and antibiotic resistance. We broaden our knowledge to evaluate whether volatiles from a rhizosphere bacterium Bacillus subtilis GB03 can modulate virulence of a soft-rot pathogen bacterium, Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Under in vitro condition using I-plate, the motility of the pathogen was decreased by volatile emission from B. subtilis. Unexpectedly, exposure of BVCs from B. subtilis to P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum significantly attenuates soft-rot symptom on potato and Chinese cabbage. B. subtilis GB03 produced more than thirty low molecular-weight BVCs, of which 2,3-butanedione and 2,3-butanediol was shown similar level of plant protection as total BVC bouquet. Further examination revealed that 3-butanedione and 2,3-butanediol modulate Pectobacterium virulence factors related to symptom development. Our results provide new evidence that beneficial BVCs can be new resources to protect crop plants against the pathogenic bacteria by modifying virulence.

Abstract Number: P3-77
Session Type: Poster