Potential of Burkholderia seminalis TC3.4.2R3 as Biocontrol Agent Against Fusarium oxysporum Evaluated by Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

Species of genus Burkholderia display different interaction profiles in the environment, causing either several diseases in plants and animals or being beneficial to some plants, promoting their growth, and suppressing phytopathogens. Burkholderia spp. also produce many types of biomolecules with antimicrobial activity, which may be commercially used to protect crops of economic interest, mainly against fungal diseases. Herein we have applied matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) to investigate secondary metabolites produced by B. seminalis TC3.4.2R3 in monoculture and coculture with plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. The siderophore pyochelin and the rhamnolipid Rha-Rha-C15-C14 were detected in wild-type B. seminalis strain, and their productions were found to vary in mutant strains carrying disruptions in gene clusters associated with antimicrobial compounds. Two mycotoxins were detected in F. oxysporum. During coculture with B. seminalis, metabolites probably related to defense mechanisms of these microorganisms were observed in the interspecies interaction zone. Our findings demonstrate the effective application of MALDI-MSI in the detection of bioactive molecules involved in the defense mechanism of B. seminalis, and these findings suggest the potential use of this bacterium in the biocontrol of plant diseases caused by F. oxysporum. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.