Bikaverin as a molecular weapon: enhancing Fusarium oxysporum pathogenicity in bananas via rhizosphere microbiome manipulation

作者：Hongwei Lu, Suxia Guo, Yongbao Yang, Zhihao Zhao, Qingbiao Xie, Qiong Wu, Changjun Sun, Hongli Luo, Bang An, Qiannan Wang · 发表于：Microbiome · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s40168-025-02109-7 · 被引用次数：18 · 研究领域：Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity、Banana Cultivation and Research、Microbial Metabolism and Applications

BACKGROUND: Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4), poses a severe threat to global banana production. Secondary metabolites are critical tools employed by pathogens to interact with their environment and modulate host-pathogen dynamics. Bikaverin, a red-colored polyketide pigment produced by several Fusarium species, has been studied for its pharmacological properties, but its ecological roles and impact on pathogenicity remain unclear. RESULTS: This study investigated the role of bikaverin in Foc TR4, focusing on its contribution to pathogenicity and its interaction with the rhizosphere microbiome. Pathogenicity assays under sterile and autoclaved conditions demonstrated that bikaverin does not directly contribute to pathogenicity by affecting the infection process or damaging host tissues. Instead, bikaverin indirectly enhances Foc TR4's pathogenicity by reshaping the rhizosphere microbiome. It suppresses beneficial plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, such as Bacillus, while promoting the dominance of fungal genera, thereby creating a microbial environment beneficial for pathogen colonization and infection. Notably, bikaverin biosynthesis was found to be tightly regulated by environmental cues, including acidic pH, nitrogen scarcity, and microbial competition. Co-culture with microbes such as Bacillus velezensis and Botrytis cinerea strongly induced bikaverin production and upregulated expression of the key bikaverin biosynth...