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Aims: This research was aimed at identifying and characterizing endophytic micro‐organisms associated with soybean that have antimicrobial activity towards soybean pathogens. Methods and Results: Soybean plants were collected from field trials in four locations of southern Brazil that were cultivated with conventional (C) and transgenic glyphosate‐resistant (GR) soybeans. Endophytic bacteria isolated from roots, stems and leaves of soybeans were evaluated for their capacity to inhibit fungal and bacterial plant pathogens and 13 micro‐organisms were identified with antagonistic activity. Approximately 230 bacteria were isolated and identified based on the 16S rRNA and rpoN gene sequences. Bacteria isolated from conventional and transgenic soybeans were significantly different not only in population diversity but also in their antagonistic capacity. Thirteen isolates showed in vitro antagonism against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Phomopsis sojae and Rhizoctonia solani. Bacillus sp. and Burkholderia sp. were the most effective isolates in controlling bacterial and fungal pathogens in vitro. Extracts and precipitates from culture supernatants of isolates showed different patterns of inhibitory activity on growth of fungal and bacterial pathogens. Conclusions: Bacillus sp. and Burkholderia sp. were the most effective isolates in controlling fungal pathogens in vitro, and the activity is mainly due to peptides. However, most of the studied bacteria showed the presence of antimicrobial compounds in the culture supernatant, either peptides, bacteriocins or secondary metabolites. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results could be significant to develop tools for the biological control of soybean diseases. The work brought to the identification of micro‐organisms such as Bacillus sp. and Burkholderia sp. that have the potential to protect crops in order to enhance a sustainable management system of crops. Furthermore, the study provides the first evidences of the influence of management as well as the genetics of glyphosate‐resistant soybean on the diversity of bacterial endophytes of soybean phytobiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening of 203 Bacillus sp. natural isolates for antimicrobial activity against phytopathogenic bacteria showed that 127 tested strains inhibit at least one sensitive strain, which illustrates their potential use as biocontrol agents. Among them, 104 isolates showed significant antagonism against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, and only one of these (VPS50.2) synthesizes bacteriocin. An additional screening tested whether 51 isolates contained genes involved in the biosynthesis of lipopeptides of the iturin and surfactin classes. Results show that 33 isolates harbour the operon for iturin biosynthesis, and six of them carry the sfp gene, responsible for the biosynthesis of surfactin. Lipopeptide purification from the supernatant of isolate SS12.9 (identified as B. subtilis or B. amyloliquefaciens) was performed using ethyl acetate extraction, ultrafiltration and reversed phase HPLC. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that isolate SS12.9 produces a substance of the iturin class with potential for biocontrol of X. oryzae pv. oryzae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactobacilli represent normal commensals of the human body, particularly in the gut and vagina where they protect these environments from incoming pathogens via a variety of mechanisms. The influence of the carbohydrate source present in reconstituted MRS growth medium on the different cell properties of two Lactobacillus rhamnosus strains were examined. Two human vaginal isolates, BGHV719 and exopolysaccharide producer strain BGHV954 were analyzed. The results demonstrated that unlike in reconstituted MRS with glucose as a carbon source, the presence of fructose, mannose, or rhamnose, significantly reduced cell surface hydrophobicity of both strains. In addition, differences in cell wall protein composition of L. rhamnosus BGHV719 and alterations in colony mucoidity of L. rhamnosus BGHV954 were also demonstrated. Light and SEM microscopy revealed differences on the cellular level when BGHV719 was cultivated in the presence of different sugars. The results of this study point out the importance of complex relationships between growth medium composition and the different aspects of bacterial behavior, and call for more detailed analyses of versatile bacterial responses to the changes in the environment, including vaginal ecosystem. This is especially important since lactobacilli are amongst the most widely used of probiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this study, the plasmid content and bacteriocin production of natural isolates of lactococci were investigated. Five bacteriocin producing lactococcal strains (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis BGMN1-2, BGMN1-3, BGMN1-5, BGMN1-6, and BGMN2-7) were isolated as nonstarter microflora of semi-hard homemade cheese and characterized. All isolates contained a number of plasmids. It was shown that lcnB structural genes for bacteriocin lactococcin B were located on large plasmids in all isolates. In the strains BGMN1-3 and BGMN1-5 proteinase prtP genes collocated with lcnB. Furthermore, these strains produced two additional bacteriocins (LsbA and LsbB) with genes responsible for their production and immunity located on the small rolling circle-replicating plasmid pMN5. Using deletion experiments of pMN5, minimal replicon of the plasmid and involvement of a bacteriocin locus in plasmid maintenance were identified. In addition, plasmid curing experiments showed that genes for catabolism or transport of 10 carbohydrates in the strain BGMN1-5 were plasmid located.