Saccharothrix algeriensis NRRL B-24137: biocontrol properties, colonization and induced systemic resistance towards Botrytis cinerea on grapevine and Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

In this thesis, the desert soil isolate, Saccharothrix algeriensis NRRL B-24137, has been evaluated for its bioactive properties towards the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, for its colonization of Vitis vinifera L., and Arabidopsis thaliana as well as to study the mechanisms of induced systemic resistance (ISR) towards B. cinerea. The results obtained allowed us firstly to show that Sa. algeriensis NRRL B-24137 can exhibit strong antifungal properties towards B. cinerea and that some metabolites can be responsible of this antifungal activity. Although these metabolites are still under consideration and that this study needs further works, we have demonstrated then the colonization properties of the desert soil isolate with grapevine plants. The results showed that the strain can form rhizospheric as well as endophytic subpopulations with grapevine plants (Cabernet Sauvignon cultivar graffed on 44-53 M rootstock) at early step of colonization. Then we have demonstrated that the beneficial strain could induce a systemic resistance towards B. cinerea. Although the mechanisms are not yet well understood, preliminary parts of this work demonstrated that the genes responsible of glucanase production, chitinase as well as inhibitor of polygalacturonase activity do not seems to be primed during the systemic resistance phenomenon. Finally we demonstrated that the interaction between Sa. algeriensis NRRL B-24137 and Arabidopsis thaliana plants results in a close association due also to a rhizo- and endophytic colonization of the model plant. The beneficial strain can also induce a systemic resistance in A. thaliana towards B. cinerea and analyzes of plant mutants have allowed to determine parts of the mechanisms involved in ISR as well as new mechanisms that could be trigerred by beneficial microbes.