2019 journal article
A Phylogenetic and Functional Perspective on Volatile Organic Compound Production by Actinobacteria
MSystems, 4(2).
Ed(s): K. Whiteson
author keywords: Actinobacteria; VOC; actinomycetes; microbial interactions; natural products; volatile organic compounds
doi.org (publisher)
Source: ORCID
Added: September 18, 2022
Soil microbes produce a diverse array of natural products, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Volatile compounds are important molecules in soil habitats, where they mediate interactions between bacteria, fungi, insects, plants, and animals. We measured the VOCs produced by a broad diversity of soil- and dust-dwelling Actinobacteria in vitro . We detected a total of 126 unique volatile compounds, and each strain produced a unique combination of VOCs. While some of the compounds were produced by many strains, most were strain specific. Importantly, VOC profiles were more similar between closely related strains, indicating that evolutionary and ecological processes generate predictable patterns of VOC production. Finally, we observed that actinobacterial VOCs had both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the growth of bacteria that represent a plant-beneficial symbiont and a plant-pathogenic strain, information that may lead to the development of novel strategies for plant disease prevention.
