Fuente: PubMed "Tomato process" Front Microbiol. 2026 May 12;17:1792452. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1792452. eCollection 2026.ABSTRACTThe changing climate has posed several constraints in agricultural productivity. The losses from the diseases like bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum are a major threat to tomato cultivation, however, the management is still difficult. As a sustainable management practice, the endophytic bacterial strains are emerging as potential biocontrol agents. However, the mechanisms of action are poorly understood. Thus, in the present study, we assembled and evaluated bacterial endophyte Stenotrophomonas maltophilia 3A for antagonism and their underlying mechanism using multi-omics approach. This strain exhibited strong antagonistic activity against R. solanacearum along with having good colonization potential. The FTIR and LC-MS/MS-based analysis revealed that S. maltophilia 3A produced a diverse array of metabolites having potential as biocontrol agent. Pathway enrichment analysis using KEGG revealed significant involvement of glycerophospholipid biosynthesis, indole alkaloid biosynthesis, diterpenoid biosynthesis, and the phenylpropanoid pathway. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) confirmed effective colonization of tomato root and stem tissues of S. maltophilia 3A, with strong localization observed in cortical and vascular regions, indicating a stable endophytic relationship. The presence of compounds like alkaloids, phenolic acids and antimicrobial compounds indicate the ability of the endophyte for a successful colonization in the plants. The results of LC-MS/MS were further confirmed by the whole genome analysis of S. maltophilia 3A followed by study of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) using antiSMASH analysis. The whole genome analysis showed that the five BCGs present in 3A biosynthesize the secondary metabolites and bioactive peptides responsible for plant growth and health promotion. The results of this study indicated potential mechanisms of endophyte S. maltophilia 3A for biocontrol of plant pathogens. This could be fundamental in deciphering the functional roles of this endophyte in improving plant health.PMID:42205577 | PMC:PMC13201425 | DOI:10.3389/fmicb.2026.1792452