| Description |
Rhizosphere microbes play a crucial role in shaping plant growth and disease resistance, while previous research has focused on how plants recruit beneficial microbiomes and how biocontrol agents combat phytopathogens, our understanding of how phytopathogens resist biocontrol bacteria remains limited. Here, we identified that the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain TG1-2 demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against various phytopathogens. Further exploration revealed that surfactins are the primary compounds responsible for this antimicrobial effect. A genetic screen in the phytopathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae showed that the NatA acetyltransferase complex plays a crucial role in promoting fungal tolerance by counteracting TG1-2-induced apoptosis. Dysfunction of the NatA complex increased fungal sensitivity to TG1-2, whereas overexpression exhibited the opposite effect. The acetylation of the molecular chaperone Hsp83 by the NatA complex leads to the formation of a co-chaperone complex Hsp83-Sti1-Hsp70 involved in protein quality control. Disruption of Hsp83 function results in dissociation of the co-chaperon complex and increased apoptosis. Notably, TG1-2 treatment significantly inhibited the Nat A complex-mediated acetylation, enhancing fungal apoptosis. In summary, our study uncovers a novel antagonistic mechanism employed by phytopathogenic fungus to resist biocontrol bacteria, providing new targets and a theoretical foundation for enhancing the effectiveness of biocontrol bacteria in developing biopesticides against phytopathogenic fungi. |
