Antifungal activity and genomic characterization of the isolate Bacillus velezensis CMRP 4489, a biocontrol agent for plant-pathogenic fungi

Abstract The development of bio-based products has increased on account of numerous factors, including environmental awareness, human health concerns, and the more frequent selection of resistant pathogens to synthetic products. Among the studied genera for product development are the species of the Bacillus genus due to their elevated production of molecules with antimicrobial activity and resistance to extreme environmental conditions through endospore formation. In this context, the antifungal potential of Bacillus velezensis strain CMRP 4489 was investigated using in silico predictions of secondary metabolites in its genome and in vitro tests against the following phytopathogenic fungi: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (SS), Macrophomina phaseolina (MP), and Botrytis cinerea (BC). The in silico predictions indicated that CMRP 4489 possesses several Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) capable of producing molecules with antifungal properties and other non-identified BGCs. The in vitro assay results evidenced strong antifungal activity, inhibiting more than 60% of the tested fungi, and the isolate’s molecules were stable under diverse physicochemical conditions. Therefore, CMRP 4489 showed to be a potential biocontrol agent against various diseases with agronomical importance and can be used under adverse environmental conditions.