Effect of volatile organic compounds from bacteria on nematodes

The five studied bacterial strains could produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that kill nematodes. Based on their 16S rRNA sequences, these strains were identified as Pseudochrobactrum saccharolyticum, Wautersiella falsenii, Proteus hauseri, Arthrobacter nicotianae, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans. The bacterial VOCs were extracted using solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) and subsequently identified by GC/MS analysis. The VOCs covered a wide range of aldehydes, ketones, alkyls, alcohols, alkenes, esters, alkynes, acids, ethers, as well as heterocyclic and phenolic compounds. Among the 53 VOCs identified, 19 candidates, produced by different bacteria, were selected to test their nematicidal activity (NA) against Caenorhabditis elegans and Meloidogyne incognita. The seven compounds with the highest NAs were acetophenone, S-methyl thiobutyrate, dimethyl disulfide, ethyl 3,3-dimethylacrylate, nonan-2-one, 1-methoxy-4-methylbenzene, and butyl isovalerate. Among them, S-methyl thiobutyrate showed a stronger NA than the commercial insecticide dimethyl disulfide. It was reported for the first time here that the five bacterial strains as well as S-methyl thiobutyrate, ethyl 3,3-dimethylacrylate, 1-methoxy-4-methylbenzene, and butyl isovalerate possess NA. These strains and compounds might provide new insights in the search for novel nematicides.