Synchrotron-based FTIR microspectroscopy of chili resistance induced by Bacillus subtilis strain D604 against anthracnose disease

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the resistance mechanisms of chili induced by the Bacillus subtilis strain D604 using synchrotron FTIR microspectroscopy (SR-FTIR). In this study, the strain D604 reduced anthracnose disease severity in chili plants by approximately 31.10%. The SR-FTIR spectral changes from the epidermis and mesophyll leaf tissue revealed higher integral areas for the C=O ester from lipids, lignin, or pectin (1770–1700 cm⁻¹) as well as polysaccharides (1200–900 cm⁻¹) in the treated samples of D606 and distilled water and then challenge inoculation with chili anthracnose pathogen, Colletotrichum acutatum. The secondary structure of the Amide I protein failed to convert from alpha helices (centered at 1650 cm⁻¹) to beta sheets (centered at 1600 cm⁻¹) in the mesophyll of samples not treated with D604. This study suggested that the strain D604 induced resistance against anthracnose pathogen in chili by inducing cellular changes related to defense compounds involved in plant defense mechanism.