Evidence for interspecies communication and its potential role in pathogen suppression in a naturally occurring disease suppressive soil

Streptomyces strains isolated from potato scab suppressive (n = 9) and conducive (n = 5) soils were screened for their ability to produce diffusible chemicals that trigger antibiotic production in the pathogen-suppressive Streptomyces diastatochromogenes PonSSII. Using an Agrobacterium detection system, the strains were tested for the ability to produce homoserine lactone autoinducers. In addition, suppressive strain PonSSII was screened for production of an autoinducer for antibiotic production in a chemically defined liquid medium. Interspecies communication was investigated by growing suppressive and pathogenic strains individually in liquid medium and determining whether broth from these strains could induce antibiotic production in PonSSII. No evidence was found for production of homoserine lactones by any of the Streptomyces strains nor for the production of autoinducers by PonSSII. However, addition of conditioned broth from Streptomyces strains to cultures of PonSSII stimulated, suppressed, or had no effect on antibiotic production. Conditioned broth from suppressive strain 23 and pathogenic strain RB4 triggered antibiotic production by PonSSII at earlier times during culture growth and also enhanced antibiotic production levels compared with the control. The results suggest that interspecies communication between these Streptomyces species is occurring and may contribute to pathogen inhibition in the naturally occurring disease suppressive soil.