Effect of exogenous ectoines on some antifungal activity of Pseudomonas fluorescens UTPF5 under salt conditions

Plant probiotic bacteria like fluorescent pseudomonads are worldly used against soil-borne pathogens through mechanisms such as production of bacterial metabolites and enzymes. These bacteria can also help plants to tolerate environmental stresses. Ectoine is a compatible solution which plays an important role in environmental osmotic stresses.
Tolerance of 24 bacterial strains to salt and heat was tested and 6 tolerant strains were chosen. Then dual culture of Fusarium solani and bacteria grown in presence of ectoine and hydroxy ectoine with 3 NaCl concentrations (0, 150 and 300 mM) was done and Pseudomonas fluorescens UTPF5 was selected. Finally the effect of ectoine, hydroxyectoine and NaCl on bacterial population, lipase, protease, siderophore and hydrogen-cyanide production and biofilm formation was investigated.
In 300 mM NaCl, the bacterium grown in presence of ectoines, increased the inhibition percentage 5- times more than control. NaCl had a positive effect on bacterial population in water and ectoine, hydrogen-cyanide production in all treatment and biofilm formation in ectoine and hydroxyectoine and negative effect on bacterial population in hydroxyectoine, protease and siderophore production in all treatments and biofilm formation in water. On the other hand, ectoine increased lipase and hydrogen-cyanide production and biofilm formation in 300 mM NaCl and siderophore production in 150 mM. Hydroxyectoine had similar effects with little differences.
Discussion and Ectoine and hydroxyectoine moderate the biocontrol reduction in presence of NaCl through positive effect on lipase and hydrogen-cyanide production and biofilm formation.