Biological characterization and genome analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis GX0003935 with biocontrol activity against...

Meloidogyne enterolobii is a highly aggressive root-knot nematode, and reduced availability of chemical nematicides increases the need for effective biocontrol alternatives. We characterized Bacillus thuringiensis GX0003935 in terms of nematicidal activity, stability, biocontrol efficacy, and genome features. The culture broth and filtrate caused more than 97% corrected mortality of second-stage juveniles within 48 h, whereas bacterial suspension showed limited activity, suggesting that extracellular factors substantially contribute to nematicidal activity. The culture filtrate retained high nematicidal activity after exposure to UV irradiation, heat treatment, broad pH range, and prolonged storage, and the strain maintained stable activity during serial passaging. Furthermore, protease sensitivity assays, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and polarity characterization collectively suggested a composite active system involving proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous components. In pot trials, culture broth and filtrate reduced galling by approximately 74%. Genome sequencing combined with ANI/dDDH analyses confirmed GX0003935 as B. thuringiensis. Multiple candidates (proteases, chitinases, and toxin proteins) and secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters were revealed, while known nematicidal Cry toxins were not detected. RT-qPCR results confirmed that the expression of these candidate genes at different growth stages. B. thuringiensis GX0003935 exhibits stable, extracellular-factor-associated nematicidal activity and effectively suppresses M. enterolobii in water spinach, indicating its potential as a biocontrol candidate.