Tryptophan enhances biocontrol efficacy of Metschnikowia citriensis FL01 against postharvest fungal diseases of citrus fruit by increasing pulcherriminic acid production.

The aim of this work was to study the capability and mechanism of enhancing the yield of pulcherriminic acid (PA) produced by Metschnikowia citriensis FL01 with the help of tryptophan for the control of postharvest diseases on citrus caused by Penicillium italicum, Geotrichum citri-aurantii and Penicillium digitatum. The adding of 10 mmol/L tryptophan to the growth medium resulted in the widest pulcherrimin pigment zone produced by M. citriensis FL01. The adding of tryptophan to the growth medium upregulated A3136 and A3022 gene expression (responsible for leucyl-tRNA biosynthesis from leucine), downregulated A1350 gene expression (responsible for the biosynthesis of leucine to branched-chain fatty acids), and decreased the content of intracellular leucine in M. citriensis FL01, speculating that the addition of tryptophan in the growth medium induced leucine conversion toward leucyl-tRNA in M. citriensis FL01. Moreover, the adding of tryptophan to the growth medium upregulated PULs (responsible PA biosynthesis) and Snf2 (transcriptional regulator) gene expression and promoted intracellular, extracellular or total PA production by M. citriensis FL01 in liquid medium. In addition, the addition of tryptophan in the growth medium showed no effect on the growth of M. citriensis FL01 itself in liquid medium, while the population dynamics in citrus fruit wounds of M. citriensis FL01 with the addition of tryptophan in the growth medium were increased compared with those of M. citriensis FL01. What's more, M. citriensis FL01 with the addition of tryptophan in the growth medium completely inhibited the growth of pathogens in vitro. The disease incidences and lesion diameters of blue mold, sour rot and green mold on citrus fruit were lower in group which treated with M. citriensis FL01 containing tryptophan in the growth medium than that treated with M. citriensis FL01 alone. Overall, the postharvest biocontrol of citrus with M. citriensis FL01 containing 10 mmol/L tryptophan in the growth medium is a promising approach to protect these fruits from blue mold, sour rot and green mold.