Strains of Aureobasidium pullulans from Extreme Environments: New Potential Biocontrol Agents?

Extreme environments are a largely unexplored reservoir of microbial diversity, with a remarkable potential to be exploited in agriculture. One hundred and seventeen yeast isolates, derived from different ecosystems in Italy, Sweden, Algeria, and France, were molecularly identified, and the most represented genus was <i>Aureobasidium</i> (57%). A phylogenetic analysis based on a multi-<i>locus</i> sequence typing (ITS, ELO, EF-1alpha) was conducted to characterize the black yeasts' population. To investigate <i>A. pullulans</i> extremophilic and extremotolerant behaviour, different temperatures and pH, together with the enzymatic production, were evaluated. The strains were tested by in vitro and in vivo assays against the postharvest fungal pathogen <i>Monilinia fructicola</i> as potential biocontrol agents (BCAs). Results displayed a great ecological variability concerning strains' growth and cell production depending on different culture conditions. However, a remarkable thermotolerance aptitude was detected in almost all the strains. In particular, the strains belonging to Group 2 (Algerian Desert) and 3 (Alto Adige Region) showed, respectively, higher thermotolerance and biocontrol ability. These findings showed how some extreme environments could represent a promising source for new potential BCAs. However, further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms of action of these putative BCAs for application during the postharvest phase.