ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants
This article is part of the Research TopicUnveiling the Potential of Beneficial Microbes and Their Metabolites: A Comprehensive Approach to Plant HealthView all articles
First Rreport of a Nnovel Paenibacillus Sstrain JDF1 and Iits Bbiocontrol Ppotential against Ccitrus Bbacterial Ccanker
Provisionally accepted
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Fruit Trees, Research Institute of Fruit and Tea, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
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Citrus bacterial canker (CBC), caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), causes severe annual yield losses on citrus crops worldwide. Current control strategies including quarantine, copper-based chemicals, and resistant varieties are limited by poor adaptability, pathogen resistance, and long breeding cycles. Herein, a novel endophytic Paenibacillus strain, designated JDF1, was isolated from Veronica persica (a common weed in citrus orchards). In vitro assays demonstrated that JDF1 inhibited Xcc. Greenhouse trials with 'Eureka' lemon showed that low-concentration JDF1 (OD₆₀₀ = 0.2) and its cell-free supernatant eliminated CBC symptoms without inducing phytotoxicity. Notably, JDF1 retained over 60% of its activity following heat treatment at 50°C for 6 h. Phylogenetically analyses revealed that JDF1 is closely related to P. xylanexedens (98.52% 16S rRNA gene similarity) and P. polysaccharolyticus (99.8% housekeeping gene similarity). Further average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis confirmed that strain JDF1 belongs to the same species as P. polysaccharolyticus, with a sequence similarity of 97.31%. JDF1 tolerated CaCuSO₄ concentrations up to 600 mg/L and exhibited resistance to ampicillin and streptomycin. Genome sequencing of JDF1 predicted multiple genes associated with antibiotic biosynthesis, primarily including those involved in the production of polyketide, terpenoid, tyrocidin A, iturin A, lanthipeptide (class II), ranthipeptide, and lassopeptide. In a deeper investigation of the biocontrol mechanisms, a phospholipid antibiotic, bacilysocin, was identified in the JDF1 culturestrain via LC-MS analysis. Collectively, these findings indicate that JDF1 is a promising novel biocontrol agent against Xcc, with the dual advantages of high efficacy at low concentrations and thermostability, thereby enhancing its potential for agricultural application.
Keywords: Antibiotic substance, biocontrol, Citrus bacterial canker, genome analysis, Paenibacillus
Received: 07 Nov 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Wang, Xiao, Tong, He, Zhang and Qiu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wenming Qiu
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