Genomic insights into endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BBE16 and Bacillus velezensis BBE18 reveal their biocontrol potential against Fusarium wilt in banana
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Rasheed A. Abdulraheem: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8519-8508
Abstract
Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense continues to threaten banana production worldwide. In this study, 20 bacterial endophytes were isolated from two banana cultivars Red Decca and Ney Poovan, respectively. Among them two isolates BBE16 and BBE18 consistently showed strong suppression of F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense in vitro and under greenhouse conditions. Both isolates not only reduced disease severity but also improved plant growth by increasing leaf number, root development, and pseudo stem traits. They further demonstrated tolerance to drought and salinity stress and expressed a broad set of plant growth-promoting traits including nutrient solubilization, ammonia release and hydrogen cyanide production. Genome sequencing identified BBE16 as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and BBE18 as Bacillus velezensis . Their genomes revealed key functional genes related to phosphate solubilization, nitrogen metabolism, indole-3-acetic acid synthesis, siderophore production, and zinc mobilization. Both isolates also carried diverse biosynthetic gene clusters for well-known antimicrobial metabolites such as surfactin, fengycin, bacillaene, difficidin and bacillibactin along with unique clusters that may encode novel bioactive compounds. Additional genome features, including carbohydrate-active enzymes, microbe-associated molecular pattern-associated genes, and strain-specific genomic islands, support their adaptability and antagonistic potential. Taken together, these findings highlight B. amyloliquefaciens BBE16 and B. velezensis BBE18 as promising candidates for the development of sustainable biocontrol strategies against Fusarium wilt in banana.
Keywords
Fusarium wilt, microbe-associated molecular pattern, plant growth promotion, whole genome sequencing
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
5-1-2026
Volume
143
Publication Title
Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care / School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funders
King Saud University (ORF-2026-1054)
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Sudharsan, R., Kannan, C., Vanitha, A., Praveen, A., Sowmya, P., Shankar, J. G., Kesavan, M., Krishnamoorthy, R., Alshuniaber, M. A., Osman, M. A., Gatasheh, M. K., & Abdulraheem, R. A. (2026). Genomic insights into endophytic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BBE16 and Bacillus velezensis BBE18 reveal their biocontrol potential against Fusarium wilt in banana. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 143, 103144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2026.103144