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The Diversity and Antimicrobial Activity of Preussia sp. Endophytes Isolated from Australian Dry Rainforests

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Abstract

Limited knowledge currently exists regarding species diversity and antimicrobial activity of endophytic isolates of Preussia within Australia. This report describes endophytic Preussia species that were identified through molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region. Screening for antimicrobial secondary metabolites was determined by testing crude ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts derived from fungal mycelia against a panel of ATCC type strains which included Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the opportunist yeast pathogen Candida albicans. Subsequently, high-performance liquid chromatography generated fractions of bioactive EtOAc extracts which were subject to confirmatory testing using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute reference microdilution antimicrobial activity assay. A total of 18 Preussia were isolated from nine host plants with 6/18 having a <97 % sequence similarity to other known species in Genbank, suggesting that they are new species. In preliminary screening, 13/18 Preussia isolates revealed antimicrobial activity against at least one of the microbes tested, whilst 6/18 isolates, including 4/6 putative new species showed specific antimicrobial activity against MRSA and C. albicans. These results highlight the antimicrobial potential of Australian Preussia spp. and also the importance of Australian dry rainforests as an untapped repository of potentially significant bioactive compounds.

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Acknowledgments

Rachel Mapperson is supported by an Australian Postgraduate award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences, The University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia

    Rachel R. Mapperson, Michael Kotiw & John D. W. Dearnaley

  2. Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia

    Rohan A. Davis

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  1. Rachel R. Mapperson
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  2. Michael Kotiw
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  3. Rohan A. Davis
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Correspondence to John D. W. Dearnaley.

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Mapperson, R.R., Kotiw, M., Davis, R.A. et al. The Diversity and Antimicrobial Activity of Preussia sp. Endophytes Isolated from Australian Dry Rainforests. Curr Microbiol 68, 30–37 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-013-0415-5

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