Genetic manipulation of plant growth-promoting bacteria to enhance biocontrol of phytopathogens.

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) control the damage to plants from phytopathogens by a number of different mechanisms including: outcompeting the phytopathogen, physical displacement of the phytopathogen, secretion of siderophores to prevent pathogens in the immediate vicinity from proliferating, synthesis of antibiotics, synthesis of a variety of small molecules that can inhibit phytopathogen growth, production of enzymes that inhibit the phytopathogen and stimulation of the systemic resistance of the plant. Biocontrol PGPB may be improved by genetically engineering them to overexpress one or more of these traits so that strains with several different anti-phytopathogen traits which can act synergistically are created. In engineering these strains it is essential to ensure that the normal functioning of the bacterium is not impaired, i.e., that there is no problem with metabolic load.