Fig. 5
An endo-β-1, 3- glucanase is required for efficient mycophagous ability of NGJ1. The mycophagous behavior of (a) NGJ1, (b) NGJ105, the endo-β-1, 3- glucanase mutant strain and (c) NGJ106, the complementing strain on R. solani on PDA plates, at different time points. The treatment with 109 cells/ml concentration of NGJ1 or NGJ106 completely prevented sclerotial germination. However, the sclerotia treated with 105 cells/ml of NGJ1 or NGJ106 initially germinated but subsequently the bacteria grew over the fungal biomass. Notably, at both 109 cells/ml as well as 105 cells/ml concentration, the endo-β-1, 3- glucanase mutant strain (NGJ105) failed to prevent the R. solani sclerotia. Moreover, at high concentration (109 cells/ml), limited NGJ105 growth was observed over fungal biomass. Similar results were obtained in at least three independent experiments