Insights into the regulation and activity of the cryptic lanthipeptide hadrilysin produced by the plant-associated bacteria Bacillus velezensis GA1

Abstract

Although the efficiency of chemical pesticides is no longer to be proven, evidence has underlined their non-sustainability. Biocontrol agents (BCAs), including plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) and their bioactive secondary metabolites (BSMs), are among the most promising alternatives to chemicals for sustainable agriculture. Bacillus velezensis has appeared as a model PGPR for plant protection due to its competence in synthesizing a large spectrum of BSMs. Besides non-ribosomal BSMs (NR-BSMs), ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are essential for the biocontrol potential of model species such as B. velezensis. However, in contrast to the well-characterized NR-BSMs, efforts are still required to increase our knowledge on RiPPs in terms of diversity, regulation of expression and activity.