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Isolation of an N-alkylated Benzylamine Derivative from Pseudomonas putida BTP1 as Elicitor of Induced Systemic Resistance in Bean

¹Centre Wallon de Biologie Industrielle, Service de Technologie Microbienne, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège and Unité de Bioindustries, Gembloux Agricultural University, B-5030 Gembloux, Belgium; ²Institüt für Organische Chemie, University of Cologne, 50939 Köln, Germany; ³Unité de Chimie Organique de Synthèse, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium

Root treatment of Phaseolus vulgaris with the nonpathogenic Pseudomonas putida BTP1 led to significant reduction of the disease caused by the pathogen Botrytis cinerea on leaves. The molecular determinant of P. putida BTP1 mainly responsible for the induced systemic resistance (ISR) was isolated from cell-free culture fluid after growth of the strain in the iron-poor casamino acid medium. Mass spectrometry analyses performed on both the bacterial product and synthetic analogues revealed a polyalkylated benzylamine structure, with the quaternary ammonium substituted by methyl, ethyl, and C₁₃ aliphatic groups responsible for the relative hydrophobicity of the molecule. The specific involvement of the N-alkylated benzylamine derivative (NABD) in ISR elicitation was first evidenced by testing the purified compound that mimicked the protective effect afforded by crude supernatant samples. The evidence was supported by the loss of elicitor activity of mutants impaired in NABD biosynthesis. Our experiments also showed that other iron-regulated metabolites secreted by the strain are not involved in ISR stimulation. Thus, these results indicate a wider variety of Pseudomonas determinants for ISR than reported to date.

Additional keywords: biological control , plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria .