Myriocin, which is produced by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LZN01, can inhibit the growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon). In the present study, the antifungal mechanism of myriocin against Fon was investigated with a focus on the effects of myriocin on the cell membrane. Myriocin decreased the membrane fluidity and destroyed the membrane integrity of Fon. Significant microscopic morphological changes, including conidial shrinkage, the appearance of larger vacuoles and inhomogeneity of electron density, were observed in myriocin-treated cells. A membrane-targeted mechanism of action was also supported by transcriptomic and proteomic analyses; a total of 560 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 285 common differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. The DEGs were further verified by using RT-qPCR. The combined analysis between the transcriptome and proteome revealed that the expression of some membrane-related genes and proteins, mainly those related to sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, steroid biosynthesis, ABC transporters and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, was disordered. Myriocin affected the serine palmitoyl transferase (SPT) activity as evidenced through molecular docking. Our results indicate that myriocin has significant antifungal activity owing to its ability to induce membrane damage in Fon.
© 2020 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.