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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wenatchee, Washington » Physiology and Pathology of Tree Fruits Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #256355
Title: Antibiotic production by soil bacteria: diversity, activity and natural functions

Author
item RAAIJMAKERS, JOS - Wageningen Agricultural University
item SONG, CHUNXU - Wageningen University And Research Center
item MENDES, PODRIGO - Wageningen University And Research Center
item VAN DE MORTEL, JUDITH - Wageningen University And Research Center
item DE BRUIJN, IRENE - Wageningen University And Research Center
item Loper, Joyce
item Mazzola, Mark

Submitted to: Microbial Ecology International Symposium
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2010
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The living components of soils, the micro- and macrobiota, play an essential role in several life support functions as they enable soils to recycle nutrients, inactive contaminants, suppress plant pathogens and serve as a suitable substrate for plant growth. Beneficial bacteria occur naturally in soil and are highly abundant on plant surfaces. They utilize nutrients released from plant tissues and in return stimulate root development, promote growth and protect plants from infection by pathogens. To proliferate and survive in soil and plant-associated environments, bacteria produce diverse antimicrobial compounds with specific or braod-spectrum activities. Bioinformatic analyses of bacterial genomes have revealed a large number of orphan gene clusters, i.e. biosynthetic loci for which the corresponding metabolites are yet unknown. Interestingly, analysis of the genomes of well-studied bacterial species have indicated that the number of orphan pathways outnumbers the number of antimicrobial compounds currently known for these bacteria. In this presentation, we provide an overview of the diversity and activity of antimicrobial compounds produced by beneficial soil bacteria. Specific attention is given to lipopeptides, a group of structurally diverse compounds with versatile natural functions, including a role in antimicrobial activity, defense against protozoan predators, cell differentiation and communication, biofilm formation and swarming motility.