• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2009

The biocontrol agent Serratia plymuthica A21-4 was selected and proved as an excellent inhibitor of Phytophthora blight of pepper through in vitro and in vivo experiments in previous studies. To enhance the colonizing density of S. plymuthica A21-4 on plant root and rhizosphere soil, some soil conditions might effect on the colonization of the bacteria were examined. The results obtained from the study indicated that the soils containing more sand were favorable to root colonization of S. plymuthica A21-4. Organic amendment such as 3% maize straw(w/w) was helpful to colonize the bacteria in root and soil. The soil temperature about $20^{\circ}C$, water content around 40%, and soil pH near to neutral or slightly acidic, were optimum condition for the colonization of S. plymuthica A21-4 in the rhizosphere soil and roots of pepper. In addition, existence of indigenous biotic entities was beneficial to the colonization of S. plymuthica A21-4.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.180-186
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• 2007

The biocontrol agent, Serratia plymuthica A21-4, has been developed for controlling pepper Phytophthora blight. Serratia plymuthica A21-4 strongly inhibits the mycelial growth, zoospore formation, and cyst germination of Phytophthora capsici in vitro. The application of a cell suspension of strain A21-4 to pepper plants in pot experiments and in greenhouse successfully controlled the disease. The bacteria produced a potent antifungal substance which was a key factor in the suppression of Phytophthora capsici. The most active chemical com-pound was isolated and purified by antifungal activity-guided fractionation. The chemical structure was identified as a chlorinated macrolide $(C_{23}H_{31}O_8Cl)$ by spectroscopic (UV, IR, MS, and NMR) data, and was named macrocyclic lactone A21-4. The active compound significantly inhibited the formation of zoosporangia and zoospore and germination of cyst of P. capsici at concentrations lower than $0.0625{\mu}g/ml$. The effective concentrations of the macrocyclic lactone A21-4 for $ED_{50}$ of mycelial growth inhibition were $0.25{\mu}g/ml,\;0.25{\mu}g/ml,\;0.30{\mu}g/ml \;and\;0.75{\mu}g/ml$ against P. capsici, Pythium ultimum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea, respectively.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.138-141
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• 2002

A promising biocontrol agent, A2l-4, against Phytophthora blight of pepper was selected from 351 bacterial isolates collected from rhizosphere soils and roots of onion (Allium fistulosum L.). The isolate A21-4 was identified as Serratia plymuthica based on its 16S rRNA sequence and key characteristics as compared with that of an authentic culture of S. plymuthica (ATCC No. 6109D01). The isolate readily colonized on roots of various crops including pepper when inoculated on seed and not. Strain A2l-4 showed narrow spectrum of antibiotic activity, as revealed in its strong inhibitory activity to the genera Pythium and Phytophthora, but not to Fuasrium and Rhizoctonia. In pot experiments, none of the pepper seedlings treated with A2l-4 were infected by Phytophthora capsici, while 86% of the control plants were killed by the pathogen.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.64-67
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• 2005

The biocontrol agent Serratia plymuthica A21-4 readily colonized on the root of pepper plant and the bacterium moves to newly emerging roots continuously. The colonization of A21-4 on the pepper root was influenced by the presence ofPhytophthora capsici in the soil. When P. capsici was introduced in advance, the population density of A21-4 on the root of pepper plant was sustained more than $10^6$ cfu/g root until 3 weeks after transplanting. On the other hand, in the absence of P. capsici, the population density of A21-4 was reduced continuously and less than $10^5$ cfu/g root at 21 days after transplanting. S. plymuthica A21-4 inhibited successfully the P. capsici population in pepper root and rhizosphere soil. In the rhizosphere soil, the population density of P. capsici was not increased more than original inoculum density when A21-4 was treated, but it increased rapidly in non-treated control. Similarly, the population density of P. capsici sharply increased in the non-treated control, however the population of P. capsici in A21-4 treated plant was not increased in pepper roots. The incidence of Phytophthora blight on pepper treated with A21-4 was 12.6%, while that of non-treated pepper was 74.5% in GSNU experimental farm experiment. And in farmer's vinyl house experiment, the incidence of the disease treated with the fungicide was 27.3%, but treatment of A21-4 resulted in only 4.7% of the disease incidence, showing above 80% disease control efficacy.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.364-368
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• 2006

Survival of biocontrol agents and their effective colonization of rhizhosphere are the essential components for successful disease suppression. The effects of hydrogel supplement on bacterial survival and disease control were evaluated in pot and in the field. Addition of 2% hydrogel material to potting soil resulted in significant enhancement of colonization of biocontrol agent Serratia plymuthica A21-4 both in soil and rhizosphere of pepper plants. Rhizosphere colonization of S. plymuthica A21-4 retrieved from 40 days old pepper seedlings indicated 100 times higher bacterial population in hydrogel treated soil than in ordinary pot soil. The pepper plants sown in hydrogelated potting soil showed higher seed germination rate and the better growth of pepper plant than those in ordinary commercial pot soil. Although the suppression of Phytophthora capsid density in the potting soil by treatment of biocontrol agent A21-4 was not significantly different between in hydrogelated soil and ordinary potting soil, the suppression of Phytophthora blight between two treatments was significantly different. A21-4 treatment in hydrogelated potting soil was completely disease-free while same treatment in ordinary potting soil revealed 36% disease incidence. Our field study under natural disease occurrence also showed significantly less disease incidence(12.3%) in the A21-4 treatment in the hydrogelated soil compared to other treatments. Yield promotion of pepper by the A21-4 treatment in the hydrogelated potting soil was also recognized. Our results indicated that hydrogel amendment with biocontrol agent in pot soil would be a good alternative to protect pepper seedlings and increase plant yield.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 2005

The production of antibiotic substances by Serratia plymuthica A21-4 was greatly enhanced by modifying components of a growth medium. When the minimal medium containing $K_2HPO_4$ 0.7%, $KH_2PO_4$ 0.2%, $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ 0.1%, $MgSO_4$ 0.01% was used as basal medium, the best carbon source for antibiotic production was glycerol and the most favorable nitrogen source was ammonium sulfate. The modified medium for antibiotic production also increased colonization ability of A21-4 on pepper root and in the rhizosphere soil. When the cells of A21-4 were suspended in modified medium, the population density of A21-4 on pepper root was 10-100 times higher than that suspended in 0.1 M $MgSO_4$. The population density of A21-4 on root did not decrease under $10^6$ cfu/groot up to 21 days after treatment although the inoculum of A21-4 was reduced to $10^7$ cell/ml. Similar tendency was also observed in the rhizosphere soil. Consequently, Phytophthora blight of pepper was successfully controlled by A21-4 with $10^7$ cell/ml suspended in the modified buffer solution instead of $10^9$ cfu/ml suspended in 0.1 M $MgSO_4$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.96.1-96
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• 2003

Serratia plymuthim A21-4 strongly inhibits the mycelial growth, zoospore formation, and cystospore germination of Phytophthor spp and Pythium species. The bacterial isolate produced antifungal substance and chitinase. The bacteria also enhanced to plant growth remarkably in low nutritional condition. The application of cell suspension of A21-4 to pepper seedlings in greenhouse experiments and soil drenching in farmer's field was proved successfully to control the phythophthora blight of pepper. For the effective control, however, relatively high density of cell number(10$\^$9/cfu/$m\ell$) is required. Density effect was similar in plant growth promoting activity of A21-4. Though this investigation we improved the problem with changes of culture condition of bacteria and some nutritional amendment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.842-850
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• 2023

Pyrrolnitrin, pyrrolomycin, and pyoluteorin are functional halogenated phenylpyrrole derivatives (HPDs) derived from microorganisms with diverse antimicrobial activities. Pyrrolnitrin is a secondary metabolite produced from L-tryptophan through four-step reactions in Pseudomonas fluorescens, Burkholderia cepacia, Serratia plymuthica, etc. It is currently used for the treatment of superficial dermatophytic fungal infections, has high antagonistic activities against soil-borne and foliar fungal infections, and has many industrial applications. Since pyrrolnitrin is easily decomposed by light, it is difficult to widely use it outdoors. As an alternative, fludioxonil, a synthetically produced non-systemic surface fungicide that is structurally similar and has excellent light stability, has been commercialized for seed and foliar treatment of plants. However, due to its high toxicity to aquatic organisms and adverse effects in human cell lines, many countries have established maximum residue levels and strictly control its levels. Pyrrolomycin and pyoluteorin, which have antibiotic/antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive bacteria and high anti-oomycete activity against the plant pathogen Pythium ultimum, respectively, were isolated and identified from microorganisms. This review summarizes the biosynthesis and production of natural pyrrolnitrin derived from bacteria and the characteristics of synthetic fludioxonil and other natural phenylpyrrole derivatives among the HPDs. We expect that a plethora of highly effective, novel HPDs that are safe for humans and environments will be developed through the generation of an HPD library by microbial biosynthesis and chemical synthesis.