{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T16:31:20Z","timestamp":1791822680642,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,3,8]],"date-time":"2018-03-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1520467200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Non-cultivated plants carry microbial endophytes that may be used to enhance development and disease resistance of crop species where growth-promoting and protective microbes may have been lost. During seedling establishment, seedlings may be infected by several fungal pathogens that are seed or soil borne. Several species of Fusarium, Pythium and other water moulds cause seed rots during germination. Fusarium blights of seedlings are also very common and significantly affect seedling development. In the present study we screened nine endophytic bacteria isolated from the seeds of invasive Phragmites australis by inoculating onto rice, Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), or annual bluegrass (Poa annua) seeds to evaluate plant growth promotion and protection from disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum. We found that three bacteria belonging to genus Pseudomonas spp. (SLB4-P. fluorescens, SLB6-Pseudomonas sp. and SY1-Pseudomonas sp.) promoted seedling development, including enhancement of root and shoot growth, and stimulation of root hair formation. These bacteria were also found to increase phosphate solubilization in in vitro experiments. Pseudomonas sp. (SY1) significantly protected grass seedlings from Fusarium infection. In co-culture experiments, strain SY1 strongly inhibited fungal pathogens with 85.71% growth inhibition of F. oxysporum, 86.33% growth inhibition of Curvularia sp. and 82.14% growth inhibition of Alternaria sp. Seedlings previously treated with bacteria were found much less infected by F. oxysporum in comparison to non-treated controls. On microscopic observation we found that bacteria appeared to degrade fungal mycelia actively. Metabolite products of strain SY1 in agar were also found to inhibit fungal growth on nutrient media. Pseudomonas sp. (SY1) was found to produce antifungal volatiles. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using specific primers for pyrrolnitirin synthesis and HCN (hydrogen cyanide) production suggested presence of genes for both compounds in the genome of SY1. HCN was detected in cultures of SY1. We conclude that microbes from non-cultivated plants may provide disease protection and promote growth of crop plants.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms6010021","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,3,8]],"date-time":"2018-03-08T12:07:33Z","timestamp":1520510853000},"page":"21","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":77,"title":["Fungal Disease Prevention in Seedlings of Rice (Oryza sativa) and Other Grasses by Growth-Promoting Seed-Associated Endophytic Bacteria from Invasive Phragmites australis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Satish","family":"Verma","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA"},{"name":"Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP 221004, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kathryn","family":"Kingsley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marshall","family":"Bergen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8424-4701","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kurt","family":"Kowalski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2807, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6780-7066","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"James","family":"White","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,3,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1334","DOI":"10.1094\/PD-67-1334","article-title":"Rice seed borne fungi and their effect on seed germination","volume":"67","author":"Imolehin","year":"1983","journal-title":"Plant Dis."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1066","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2015.01066","article-title":"Rice heath rot: An emerging ubiquitous destructive disease complex","volume":"6","author":"Bigirimana","year":"2015","journal-title":"Front. Plant Sci."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Spence, C., Alff, E., Johnson, C., Ramos, C., Donofrio, N., Sundaresan, V., and Bais, H. (2014). Natural rice rhizospheric microbes suppress rice blast infections. BMC Plant Biol., 14.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2229-14-130"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kandel, S.L., Joubert, P.M., and Doty, L.S. (2017). Bacterial endophyte colonization and distribution within plants. Microorganisms, 5.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms5040077"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4951","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.71.9.4951-4959.2005","article-title":"Use of plant growth-promoting bacteria for biocontrol of plant diseases: Principles, mechanisms of action, and future prospects","volume":"71","author":"Compant","year":"2005","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"404","DOI":"10.1038\/ismej.2007.106","article-title":"Stress tolerance in plants via habitat-adapted symbiosis","volume":"2","author":"Rodriguez","year":"2008","journal-title":"ISME J."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"314","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-8137.2009.02773.x","article-title":"Fungal endophytes: Diversity and functional roles","volume":"182","author":"Rodriguez","year":"2009","journal-title":"New Phytol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"402","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envexpbot.2009.04.007","article-title":"Endophytic bacteria in cacti seeds can improve the development of cactus seedlings","volume":"66","author":"Puente","year":"2009","journal-title":"Environ. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1007\/s11104-016-3169-6","article-title":"Disease protection and allelopathic interactions of seed-transmitted endophytic Pseudomonads of invasive seed grass (Phragmites australis)","volume":"422","author":"White","year":"2018","journal-title":"Plant Soil"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"652","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1574-6976.2011.00269.x","article-title":"Pseudomonas genomes: Diverse and adaptable","volume":"35","author":"Silby","year":"2011","journal-title":"FEMS Microbiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"133","DOI":"10.1007\/s13199-015-0348-9","article-title":"Effect of bacterial endophyte on expression of defense genes in Indian popcorn against Fusarium moniliforme","volume":"66","author":"Gond","year":"2015","journal-title":"Symbiosis"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1017","DOI":"10.1104\/pp.103.026583","article-title":"Bacterial volatiles induce systemic resistance in Arabidopsis","volume":"134","author":"Ryu","year":"2004","journal-title":"Plant Physiol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"435","DOI":"10.1007\/s00248-011-9827-6","article-title":"Root hairs play a key role in the endophytic colonization of olive roots by Pseudomonas spp. with biocontrol activity","volume":"62","author":"Prieto","year":"2011","journal-title":"Microb. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.1007\/s00299-011-1165-0","article-title":"Exudation: An expanding technique for continuous production and release of secondary metabolites from plant cell suspension and hairy root cultures","volume":"31","author":"Cai","year":"2012","journal-title":"Plant Cell Rep."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"362","article-title":"Mobilization of phosphorus in soil connection with the vital activity of some microbial species","volume":"17","author":"Pikovskaya","year":"1948","journal-title":"Microbiologiya"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/S0065-2296(08)60119-6","article-title":"Developments in the biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens","volume":"26","author":"Whipps","year":"1997","journal-title":"Adv. Bot. Res."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1016\/0038-0717(87)90037-X","article-title":"Microbial cyanide production in the rhizosphere in relation to potato yield reduction and Pseudomonas spp.-mediated plant growth-stimulation","volume":"19","author":"Bakker","year":"1987","journal-title":"Soil Biol. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"plu093","DOI":"10.1093\/aobpla\/plu093","article-title":"Collaboration between grass seedlings and rhizobacteria to scavenge organic nitrogen in soils","volume":"7","author":"White","year":"2015","journal-title":"AoB PLANTS"},{"key":"ref_19","first-page":"21","article-title":"Polymor-phisms within the prnD, and pltC genes from pyrrolnitrin and pyoluteorin-producing Pseudomonas and Burkholderia spp.","volume":"43","author":"Raaijmakers","year":"2003","journal-title":"FEMS Microbiol. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"866","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.02009-09","article-title":"Diversity and evolution of the phenazine biosynthesis pathway","volume":"76","author":"Mavrodi","year":"2010","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"8","article-title":"Application of PCR primer sets for detection of Pseudomonas sp. functional genes in the plant rhizosphere","volume":"2","author":"Kim","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Agric. Chem. Environ."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1094\/MPMI.2002.15.3.233","article-title":"Azoarcus grass endo-phytes contribute fixed nitrogen to the plant in an unculturable state","volume":"15","author":"Hurek","year":"2002","journal-title":"Mol. Plant Microbe Interact."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.00050-14","article-title":"The hidden world within plants: Ecological and evolutionary considerations for defining functioning of microbial endophytes","volume":"79","author":"Hardoim","year":"2015","journal-title":"Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"428","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1751-7915.2009.00109.x","article-title":"Developing microbe\u2013plant interactions for applications in plant-growth promotion and disease control, production of useful compounds, remediation and carbon sequestration","volume":"2","author":"Wu","year":"2009","journal-title":"Microb. Biotechnol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1680","DOI":"10.1111\/jam.13463","article-title":"Seed-vectored endophytic bacteria modulate development of rice seedlings","volume":"122","author":"Verma","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"442","DOI":"10.1038\/nature01485","article-title":"Reactive oxygen species produced by NADPH oxidase regulate plant cell growth","volume":"422","author":"Foreman","year":"2003","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3699","DOI":"10.1093\/jxb\/erw115","article-title":"Root hair formation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) differs between root types and is altered in artificial growth conditions","volume":"67","author":"Nestler","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. Exp. Bot."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"de Briujn, F.J. (2013). Rhizophagy\u2014A new dimension of plant-microbe interactions. Molecular Microbial Ecology of the Rhizosphere, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.","DOI":"10.1002\/9781118297674"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1007\/s11104-012-1212-9","article-title":"Bacterial endophytes and root hairs","volume":"361","author":"Prieto","year":"2012","journal-title":"Plant Soil"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"532","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1472-765X.2011.03036.x","article-title":"Production of the antifungal compounds phenazine and pyrrolnitrin from Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 is differentially regulated by glucose","volume":"52","author":"Park","year":"2011","journal-title":"Lett. Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1966","DOI":"10.1080\/03235408.2013.782223","article-title":"Characterization, genetic diversity and antagonistic potential of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol producing Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates in groundnut-based cropping systems of Andhra Pradesh, India","volume":"46","author":"Asadhi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Arch. Phytopathol. Plant Prot."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mandal, S.M., Sharma, S., Pinnaka, A.K., Kumari, A., and Korpole, S. (2013). Isolation and characterization of diverse antimicrobial lipopeptides produced by Citrobacter and Enterobacter. BMC Microbiol., 13.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2180-13-152"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"955","DOI":"10.1016\/j.soilbio.2004.10.021","article-title":"Identification and use of potential bacterial organic antifungal volatiles in biocontrol","volume":"37","author":"Fernando","year":"2005","journal-title":"Soil Biol. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1357","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.02014-07","article-title":"A Rhodococcus qsdA-encoded enzyme defines a novel class of large-spectrum quorum-quenching lactonases","volume":"74","author":"Uroz","year":"2008","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."}],"container-title":["Microorganisms"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/6\/1\/21\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T14:58:01Z","timestamp":1760194681000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/6\/1\/21"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,3,8]]},"references-count":34,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,3]]}},"alternative-id":["microorganisms6010021"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/microorganisms6010021","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2607"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2607","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,3,8]]}}}