Bridging the Gap: Biofilm-mediated establishment of Bacillus velezensis on Trichoderma guizhouense mycelia
Jiyu Xie,
Xinli Sun,
Yanwei Xia,
Lili Tao,
Taimeng Tan,
Nan Zhang,
Weibing Xun,
Ruifu Zhang,
Ákos T. Kovács,
Zhihui Xu,
Qirong Shen
Affiliations
Jiyu Xie
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands
Xinli Sun
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Yanwei Xia
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Lili Tao
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Taimeng Tan
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Nan Zhang
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Weibing Xun
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Ruifu Zhang
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Ákos T. Kovács
Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, 2333 BE, Leiden, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.
Zhihui Xu
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China; Corresponding author.
Qirong Shen
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Key Lab of Organic-based Fertilizers of China, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving Fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
Bacterial-fungal interactions (BFIs) are important in ecosystem dynamics, especially within the soil rhizosphere. The bacterium Bacillus velezensis SQR9 and the fungus Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU 4742 have gathered considerable attention due to their roles in promoting plant growth and protecting their host against pathogens. In this study, we utilized these two model microorganisms to investigate BFIs. We firstly demonstrate that while co-inoculation of B. velezensis and T. guizhouense could promote tomato growth, these two microorganisms display mutual antagonism on agar solidified medium. To resolve this contradiction, we developed an inoculation method, that allows B. velezensis colonization of T. guizhouense hyphae and performed a transcriptome analysis. During colonization of the fungal hyphae, B. velezensis SQR9 upregulates expression of biofilm related genes (e.g. eps, tasA, and bslA) that is distinct from free-living cells. This result suggested an intricate association between extracellular matrix expression and hyphae colonization. In accordance, deletion epsD, tasA, or both epsD and tasA genes of B. velezensis diminished colonization of the T. guizhouense hyphae. The insights from our study demonstrate that soil BFIs are more complex than we understood, potentially involving both competition and cooperation. These intricate biofilm-mediated BFI dynamics might contribute to the remarkable diversity observed within soil microbiota, providing a fresh perspective for further exploration of BFIs in the plant rhizosphere.
