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Cyanobacteria-Fungi Co-Cultures: Which Partner Contributes to Antifungal Activity?
Wendy A Stirk1, Bernadett Pap2, Gergely Maróti2,3
1Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg Campus, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa. stirk@ukzn.ac.za.
Current Microbiology
|October 10, 2024
Summary
Cyanobacteria show antifungal potential for biopesticides. Co-culturing Nostoc strains with fungi revealed specific antifungal activities, highlighting the need to identify co-isolates for accurate bioactivity assessment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Agricultural Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Cyanobacteria produce secondary metabolites with antifungal properties, offering potential for eco-friendly biopesticides in agriculture.
- Screening of cyanobacterial strains for bioactivity often uses non-axenic cultures, which may affect observed results.
- Understanding the influence of fungal co-isolates in cyanobacterial cultures is crucial for accurate bioactivity assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro antifungal activity of two cyanobacterial strains (Nostoc muscorum MACC-189 and N. linckia MACC-612) co-isolated with specific fungal partners.
- To determine whether the observed antifungal activity originated from the cyanobacterium or its fungal co-isolate.
- To assess the impact of fungal co-inhabitants on the bioactivity of cyanobacterial cultures.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and identification of fungal co-partners (Purpureocillium lilacinum and Sarocladium sp.) from cyanobacterial stock cultures.
- In vitro testing of cyanobacteria-fungi co-cultures and isolated fungal partners against seven phytopathogens on potato dextrose agar.
- Semi-quantitative assessment of antifungal effects after 10 days of incubation.
Main Results:
- Cyanobacteria-fungi co-cultures exhibited antifungal activity against Monilinia fructigena and Aspergillus sp.
- The Nostoc muscorum/Purpureocillium lilacinum co-culture showed the most significant antifungal effect.
- Purpureocillium lilacinum inhibited Monilinia fructigena in a dose-dependent manner, while neither fungal isolate inhibited Aspergillus sp.
- Results suggest the fungal partner mediated antifungal activity against M. fructigena, and the cyanobacterium partner against Aspergillus sp.
Conclusions:
- The presence of fungal co-isolates significantly influences the observed antifungal activity of cyanobacterial cultures.
- Accurate assessment of cyanobacterial bioactivity requires either the use of axenic cultures or thorough identification of all co-existing organisms.
- This study underscores the importance of considering microbial community composition in bioprospecting for novel biopesticides from cyanobacteria.
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