Prospection for genes of Burkholderia seminalis TC3.4.2R3 with potential for biocontrol.

The genus Burkholderia is composed of bacteria with high physiological and genetic diversity, and it is being goal for a number of biotechnological applications. The Burkholderia seminalis TC3.4.2R3 strain was able to control fungal and bacterial pathogens as well as produce antibiotics. The physiological profile analysis of the host plant indicates that there is no defense responses elicitation induced by B. seminalis involved in controlling symptoms of soft rot. It was observed that the success of control depends on the full contact of the biocontrol agent and the pathogen B. gladioli. B. seminalis has an antimicrobial activity in vitro showing a inhibition halo and reducing the density of B. gladioli in co-culture with B. seminalis by 40%. The M01 mutant, wich is defective in control of soft rot and showing a insertion of transposon in a intergenic region between patatin-ferritin, presented no significant differences compared to the wild strain for the same assays. (AU)