Use of plant extracts and biocontrol agents for the management of brown spot disease in rice

Fifty plant extracts, four oil cakes and eight antagonistic organisms were tested against Bipolaris oryzae (Cochliobolus miyabeanus), the causal agent of brown spot disease of rice. In vitro studies indicated that two leaf extracts, Nerium oleander and Pithecolobium dulce exerted the higher percent inhibition to mycelial growth (77.4, 75.1%) and spore germination (80.3, 80.0%) of B. oryzae. Among the four oil cake extracts tested in vitro against B. oryzae, neem cake extract showed the maximum inhibition percent to mycelial growth (80.18%) and spore germination (81.13%) of the pathogen followed by mahua cake extract, castor and gingelly cake extract. Trichoderma viride (Tv2) was significantly effective in inhibiting the mycelial growth (62.92%) and spore germination (77.03%) of the pathogen followed by Trichoderma harzianum (Th5) and Trichoderma reesei (Tr3). The promising leaf extracts, oil cake extracts and antagonistic microorganisms were further evaluated for their efficacies in disease management under glasshouse and field conditions. In glasshouse studies, post-infectional spraying of rice plants with neem cake extract, N. oleander leaf extract and T. viride (Tv2) was significantly effective in reducing the incidence of brown spot of rice by 66, 52 and 45 percent respectively. Two rounds of spraying of rice plants with neem cake extract, N. oleander leaf extract and T. viride (Tv2) in the field at initial appearance of disease and 15 days later reduced the incidence of brown spot (70, 53 and 48% disease reduction respectively) and increased the yield by 23, 18 and 15 percent respectively

Biocontrol Agents Induce Disease Resistance in Phyllanthus niruri Linn against Damping-Off Disease Caused by Rhizoctonia solani

Five isolates each of Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens and four isolates of Bacillus subtilis were evaluated for their ability to control Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of damping off of Phyllanthus niruri. Among the isolates tested, TVUV10 (T. viride), PFMMP (P. fluorescens) and BSG3 (B. subtilis) showed maximum in vitro inhibition of mycelial growth of R. solani. Isolate PFMMP was also very effective in reducing disease incidence in greenhouse conditions. The effective isolates were evaluated for their ability to induce defense reactions in P. niruri plants. Earlier and increased activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase and total phenolics were observed in the biocontrol-agent pretreated P. niruri plants challenged with R. solani. Isolate PFMMP caused early and increased synthesis of all defense related enzymes and total phenol. The present study showed that isolates TVUV10, PFMMP and BSG3 of T. viride, P. fluorescens and B. subtilis respectively are good candidates for the control of R. solani in P. niruri

Cross-species divergence of the major recognition pathways of ubiquitylated substrates for ubiquitin/26S proteasome-mediated proteolysis

The recognition of ubiquitylated substrates is an essential element of ubiquitin /26S proteasome-mediated proteolysis (UPP), which is mediated directly by the proteasome subunit RPN10 and/or RPN13, or indirectly by ubiquitin receptors containing ubiquitin-like and ubiquitin-associated domains. By pull-down and mutagenesis assays, we detected cross-species divergence of the major recognition pathways. RPN10 plays a major role in direct recognition in Arabidopsis and yeast based on the strong affinity for the long and K48-linked ubiquitin chains. In contrast, both the RPN10 and RPN13 homologs play major roles in humans. For indirect recognition, the RAD23 and DSK2 homologs (except for the human DSK2 homolog) are major receptors. The human RAD23 homolog is targeted to the 26S proteasome by the RPN10 and RPN13 homologs. In comparison, Arabidopsis uses UIM1 and UIM3 of RPN10 to bind DSK2 and RAD23, respectively. Yeast uses UIM in RPN10 and LRR in RPN1. Overall, multiple proteasome subunits are responsible for the direct and/or indirect recognition of ubiquitylated substrates in yeast and humans. In contrast, a single proteasome subunit, RPN10, is critical for both the direct and indirect recognition pathways in Arabidopsis. In agreement with these results, the accumulation of ubiquitylated substrates and severe pleiotropic phenotypes of vegetative and reproductive growth are associated with the loss of RPN10 function in an Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutant. This implies that the targeting and proteolysis of the critical regulators involved are affected. These results support a cross-species mechanistic and functional divergence of the major recognition pathways for ubiquitylated substrates of UPP

Enhancing Resistance to Stem and Stolon Rot of Peppermint (Mentha piperita Lin.) Using Biocontrol Agents

Five isolates of Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens and four isolates of Bacillus subtilis were evaluated for their ability to control Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of stem and stolon rot of peppermint (Mentha piperita Lin.). Of the various isolates of T. viride, P. fluorescens and B. subtilis tested, TVUV10, PFMMP and BSG3 showed the maximum inhibition of mycelial growth of R. solani. Among these isolates, P. fluorescens, PFMMP recorded the highest inhibition zone against R. solani in vitro and was very effective in reducing disease incidence in greenhouse condition. The effective isolates were evaluated for their ability to induce defense related enzymes and chemicals in plants. Increased activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (PO), polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and total phenolics were recorded in the biocontrol agents pretreated peppermint plants challenged with R. solani. P. fluorescens isolate PFMMP recorded early and increased synthesis of all defense related enzymes and total phenol. Thus, the present study shows that application of biocontrol agents; induce defense related enzymes involved in phenyl propanoid pathway in addition to direct antagonism which collectively contribute for enhanced resistance against invasion of R. solani in M. piperita