Biocontrol activity of Paenibacillus polymyxa AC-1 against Pseudomonas syringae and its interaction with Arabidopsis thaliana

Paenibacillus polymyxa AC-1 (AC-1) is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) that has been used as a soil inoculant for biocontrol of plant pathogenic fungi and to promote plant growth. In this study, we examine the effects of AC-1 on the bacterial phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae and internal colonization of AC-1 by counting bacterial populations that colonize plants. AC-1 inhibited the growth of both P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst) and P. syringae pv. tabaci (Pta) in a concentration-dependent manner in in vitro assays. Upon treatment of AC-1 dropping at root tip of axenically grown Arabidopsis, we found that most of the AC-1 was detected in interior of leaves of Arabidiopsis plants rather than roots after 5 days post infection, indicating systemic spreading of AC-1 occur. We examined further AC-1 colonization patterns in Arabidopsis mutants deficient in phytohormone signaling pathways. These results indicated that abscisic acid (ABA) and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways positively and negatively contributed, respectively, to AC-1 colonization of leaves, whereas epiphytic accumulation of AC-1 around root tissues was not affected. This study shows that AC-1 is an effective biocontrol agent to suppress P. syringae growth, possibly owing to its colonization patterns as a leaf-inhabiting endophyte. The results showed in this work will help to expand our understanding of the mode of action of AC-1 as a biological control agent and consequently, its application in agriculture.