scholarly journals Unlocking the Potential of 46 New Bacteriophages for Biocontrol of Dickeya Solani

Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Carstens ◽  
Amaru Djurhuus ◽  
Witold Kot ◽  
Deborah Jacobs-Sera ◽  
Graham Hatfull ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Rot ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
Modern Agriculture ◽  
Production Pipeline ◽  
Global Demand ◽  
Phage Cocktail ◽  
Dickeya Solani ◽  
Sustainability Standards

Modern agriculture is expected to face an increasing global demand for food while also needing to comply with higher sustainability standards. Therefore, control of crop pathogens requires new, green alternatives to current methods. Potatoes are susceptible to several bacterial diseases, with infections by soft rot Enterobacteriaceae (SRE) being a significant contributor to the major annual losses. As there are currently no efficient ways of combating SRE, we sought to develop an approach that could easily be incorporated into the potato production pipeline. To this end, 46 phages infecting the emerging potato pathogen Dickeya solani were isolated and thoroughly characterized. The 46 isolated phages were grouped into three different groups based on DNA similarity, representing two distinct clusters and a singleton. One cluster showed similarity to phages previously used to successfully treat soft rot in potatoes, whereas the remaining phages were novel and showed only very limited similarity to previously isolated phages. We selected six diverse phages in order to create the hereto most complex phage cocktail against SRE. The cocktail was applied in a proof-of-principle experiment to treat soft rot in potatoes under simulated storage conditions. We show that the phage cocktail was able to significantly reduce the incidence of soft rot as well as disease severity after 5 days of storage post-infection with Dickeya solani. This confirms results from previous studies that phages represent promising biocontrol agents against SRE infection in potato.

scholarly journals A novel six-phage cocktail reduces Pectobacterium atrosepticum soft rot infection in potato tubers under simulated storage conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 366 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i97-i104
Author(s):  
Alexander Byth Carstens ◽  
Amaru Miranda Djurhuus ◽  
Witold Kot ◽  
Lars Hestbjerg Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Control Measure ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Pectobacterium Atrosepticum ◽  
Isolation And Characterization ◽  
Phage Cocktail

ABSTRACT Pectobacterium atrosepticum is a species of plant pathogenic bacteria responsible for significant losses in potato production worldwide. Pectobacterium atrosepticum can cause blackleg disease on potato stems as well as the tuber disease termed potato soft rot. Methods for the effective control of these diseases are limited and are primarily based on good agricultural practices. Bacteriophages, viruses of bacteria, could be used as an alternative, environmentally friendly, control measure. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of 29 phages virulent to P. atrosepticum. The phages belong to 12 different species based on a 95% sequence identity cut-off. Furthermore, based on sequence diversity and propagation results, we selected six of these phages to form a phage cocktail. The phages in the cocktail was tested on a number of P. atrosepticum strains in order to determine their host range. The phages was found to lyse 93% of the tested strains. The cocktail was subsequently tested for its effectiveness in combatting potato soft rot under simulated storage conditions. Use of the phage cocktail reduced both disease incidence and disease severity by 61% and 64%, respectively, strongly indicating that phage biocontrol has the potential to reduce the economic impact of soft rot in potato production.

scholarly journals First Report of Dickeya solani Causing Soft Rot in Imported Bulbs of Hyacinthus orientalis in China

Plant Disease ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. F. Chen ◽  
H. L. Zhang ◽  
J. Chen
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Sterile Water ◽  
First Report ◽  
Hyacinthus Orientalis ◽  
Dickeya Solani ◽  
Negative Controls

A bacterial pathogen, Dickeya solani, emerged as a major threat to potato (Solanum tuberosum) production in Europe in 2004 and has spread to many potato-growing regions via international trade. In December 2013, soft rot symptoms were observed in hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) bulbs imported from the Netherlands into China at Ningbo Port. Diseased bulbs gave off an offensive odor. The base and internal parts of diseased bulbs rotted, and the margins of diseased tissues showed brown discoloration. Isolation on nutrient agar glucose (NAG) medium resulted in dominating colonies of characteristic “fried egg” morphology (1). One colony was chosen for further investigation and tentatively named “isolate 6165-3.” Under microscopic visualization after gram stain, the cells of isolate 6165-3 were gram-negative, motile, and rod shaped. The isolate was then identified as a member of genus Dickeya using the Biolog GN microplate. The 16S rRNA, recA, and dnaX sequences of isolate 6165-3 were subsequently determined and deposited in GenBank with accession numbers KM405240, KM405241, and KM405242, sharing 99% (16S rRNA), 100% (recA), and 100% (dnaX) nucleotide identity with those of known D. solani isolates, respectively. By this means, the isolate 6165-3 was identified as D. solani (1,2). To confirm the pathogenicity of the isolate, four plants each of 30-day-old hyacinth, 14-day-old potato, and 60-day-old moth orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis) were inoculated with suspensions of the isolate with a concentration of 108 CFU/ml in sterile water by stabbing. Plants were incubated in a climate chamber at 28°C during the day and 24°C during the night with a relative humidity of 93% and a photoperiod of 12/12 h. Plants inoculated with sterile water were included as negative controls. After 2 or 3 days, typical symptoms such as water-soaked lesions and soft rot developed around the inoculation point, while the negative controls remained symptomless. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by re-isolating bacteria from lesions, which had identical sequence and morphology characters with the inoculated isolate. This is the first report of intercepted D. solani on hyacinth bulbs imported from the Netherlands into China, indicating that D. solani can spread via hyacinth. Further spread of the pathogen into potato production might lead to immeasurable economic consequences for China. References: (1) P. F. Sarris et al. New Dis. Rep. 24:21, 2011. (2) J. M. van der Wolf et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 64:768, 2014.

scholarly journals Comparative genomics and pangenome-oriented studies reveal high homogeneity of the agronomically relevant enterobacterial plant pathogen Dickeya solani

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Motyka-Pomagruk ◽  
Sabina Zoledowska ◽  
Agnieszka Emilia Misztak ◽  
Wojciech Sledz ◽  
Alessio Mengoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Genomics ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Core Gene ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Dickeya Solani ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background: Dickeya solani is an important plant pathogenic bacterium causing severe losses in European potato production. This species draws a lot of attention due to its remarkable virulence, great devastating potential and easier spread in contrast to other Dickeya spp. In view of a high need for extensive studies on economically important soft rot Pectobacteriaceae , we performed a comparative genomics analysis on D. solani strains to search for genetic foundations that would explain the differences in the observed virulence levels within the D. solani population. Results: High quality assemblies of 8 de novo sequenced D. solani genomes have been obtained. Whole-sequence comparison, ANIb, ANIm, Tetra and pangenome-oriented analyses performed on these genomes and the sequences of 14 additional strains revealed an exceptionally high level of homogeneity among the studied genetic material of D. solani strains. With the use of 22 genomes, the pangenome of D. solani , comprising 84.7% core, 7.2% accessory and 8.1% unique genes, has been almost completely determined, suggesting the presence of a nearly closed pangenome structure. Attribution of the genes included in the D. solani pangenome fractions to functional COG categories showed that higher percentages of accessory and unique pangenome parts in contrast to the core section are encountered in phage/mobile elements- and transcription- associated groups with the genome of RNS 05.1.2A strain having the most significant impact. Also, the first D. solani large-scale genome-wide phylogeny computed on concatenated core gene alignments is herein reported. Conclusions: The almost closed status of D. solani pangenome achieved in this work points to the fact that the unique gene pool of this species should no longer expand. Such a feature is characteristic of taxa whose representatives either occupy isolated ecological niches or lack efficient mechanisms for gene exchange and recombination, which seems rational concerning a strictly pathogenic species with clonal population structure. Finally, no obvious correlations between the geographical origin of D. solani strains and their phylogeny were found, which might reflect the specificity of the international seed potato market.

scholarly journals The occurrence of bacteria from different species of Pectobacteriaceae on seed potato plantations in Poland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Motyka-Pomagruk ◽  
Sabina Zoledowska ◽  
Wojciech Sledz ◽  
Ewa Lojkowska
Keyword(s):  
Seed Potato ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Potato Cultivars ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Causative Agents ◽  
Dickeya Solani ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
June July

AbstractBacteria from the genera Dickeya and Pectobacterium, the causative agents of soft rot and blackleg, trigger significant economic losses in potato production worldwide. Efficient struggle with these phytopathogens is highly challenging taking into consideration the lack of available control procedures. As only preventive measures are accessible, we decided to provide insight into the soft rot Pectobacteriaceae (SRP) present in Poland. During the growing seasons of 2013 and 2014, altogether 531 potato plants were collected from 138 seed potato fields and 23 storage facilities. Plant origin of the isolated bacteria, frequencies of coinfections with different species, the affected potato cultivars in addition to seasonal variation in the occurrence of SRP were studied. It was shown that bacteria from the Pectobacterium genus were abundant and outnumbered the ones classified to Dickeya spp. The vast majority of strains was isolated from the plant samples collected in July 2013 or in June–July 2014. The presence of all taxa of interest: Pectobacterium atrosepticum, Pectobacterium carotovorum, Pectobacterium parmentieri, Dickeya dianthicola and Dickeya solani were confirmed in July each year. We were able to isolate bacteria from the genus Dickeya and Pectobacterium from 35 out of 58 potato cultivars tested. The majority of SRP was isolated from potato stems, not from potato tubers. In four cases, coinfections of potato samples with even three diverse species of SRP, i.e. P. atrosepticum, P. carotovorum and P. parmentieri, were noted. It seems that since the first documented appearance of Dickeya solani in Poland in 2005, this pathogen has not played a dominating role in our country. The reported data describing the appearance and distribution of SRP in Poland might allow for prediction of the risks associated with infections initiated by these bacteria.

scholarly journals Biological control of potato soft rot caused by Dickeya solani and the survival of bacterial antagonists under cold storage conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Hadizadeh ◽  
B. Peivastegan ◽  
A. Hannukkala ◽  
J. M. van der Wolf ◽  
R. Nissinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Cold Storage ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Bacterial Antagonists ◽  
Dickeya Solani

scholarly journals Early Emergence of Dickeya solani Revealed by Analysis of Dickeya Diversity of Potato Blackleg and Soft Rot Causing Pathogens in Switzerland

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1187
Author(s):  
Jacques Pédron ◽  
Santiago Schaerer ◽  
Isabelle Kellenberger ◽  
Frédérique Van Gijsegem
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Erwinia Chrysanthemi ◽  
Genomic Comparison ◽  
Potato Blackleg ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Large Outbreak ◽  
Dickeya Solani

Blackleg and soft rot in potato caused by Pectobacterium and Dickeya enterobacteral genera are among the most destructive bacterial diseases in this crop worldwide. In Europe, over the last century, Pectobacterium spp. were the predominant causal agents of these diseases. As for Dickeya, before the large outbreak caused by D. solani in the 2000s, only D. dianthicola was isolated in Europe. The population dynamics of potato blackleg causing soft rot Pectobacteriaceae was, however, different in Switzerland as compared to that in other European countries with a high incidence (60 up to 90%) of Dickeya species (at the time called Erwinia chrysanthemi) already in the 1980s. To pinpoint what may underlie this Swiss peculiarity, we analysed the diversity present in the E. chrysanthemi Agroscope collection gathering potato isolates from 1985 to 2000s. Like elsewhere in Europe during this period, the majority of Swiss isolates belonged to D. dianthicola. However, we also identified a few isolates, such as D. chrysanthemi and D. oryzeae, two species that have not yet been reported in potatoes in Europe. Interestingly, this study allowed the characterisation of two “early” D. solani isolated in the 1990s. Genomic comparison between these early D. solani strains and strains isolated later during the large outbreak in the 2000s in Europe revealed only a few SNP and gene content differences, none of them affecting genes known to be important for virulence.

scholarly journals Comparative genomics and pangenome-oriented studies reveal high homogeneity of the agronomically relevant enterobacterial plant pathogen Dickeya solani

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Motyka-Pomagruk ◽  
Sabina Zoledowska ◽  
Agnieszka Emilia Misztak ◽  
Wojciech Sledz ◽  
Alessio Mengoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Genomics ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Core Gene ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Dickeya Solani ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background: Dickeya solani is an important plant pathogenic bacterium causing severe losses in European potato production. This species draws a lot of attention due to its remarkable virulence, great devastating potential and easier spread in contrast to other Dickeya spp. In view of a high need for extensive studies on economically important soft rot Pectobacteriaceae , we performed a comparative genomics analysis on D. solani strains to search for genetic foundations that would explain the differences in the observed virulence levels within the D. solani population. Results: High quality assemblies of 8 de novo sequenced D. solani genomes have been obtained. Whole-sequence comparison, ANIb, ANIm, Tetra and pangenome-oriented analyses performed on these genomes and the sequences of 14 additional strains revealed an exceptionally high level of homogeneity among the studied genetic material of D. solani strains. With the use of 22 genomes, the pangenome of D. solani , comprising 84.7% core, 7.2% accessory and 8.1% unique genes, has been almost completely determined, suggesting the presence of a nearly closed pangenome structure. Attribution of the genes included in the D. solani pangenome fractions to functional COG categories showed that higher percentages of accessory and unique pangenome parts in contrast to the core section are encountered in phage/mobile elements- and transcription- associated groups with the genome of RNS 05.1.2A strain having the most significant impact. Also, the first D. solani large-scale genome-wide phylogeny computed on concatenated core gene alignments is herein reported. Conclusions: The almost closed status of D. solani pangenome achieved in this work points to the fact that the unique gene pool of this species should no longer expand. Such a feature is characteristic of taxa whose representatives either occupy isolated ecological niches or lack efficient mechanisms for gene exchange and recombination, which seems rational concerning a strictly pathogenic species with clonal population structure. Finally, no obvious correlations between the geographical origin of D. solani strains and their phylogeny were found, which might reflect the specificity of the international seed potato market.

scholarly journals Comparative genomics and pangenome-oriented studies reveal high homogeneity of the agronomically relevant enterobacterial plant pathogen Dickeya solani

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Motyka-Pomagruk ◽  
Sabina Zoledowska ◽  
Agnieszka Emilia Misztak ◽  
Wojciech Sledz ◽  
Alessio Mengoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Potato Production ◽  
Core Gene ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Dickeya Solani ◽  
Scientific Attention ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background: Dickeya solani was pointed as a significant trait to potato production in Europe and drew much of scientific attention due to remarkable virulence, great devastating potential and easier spread in contrast to other Dickeya spp. In a view of a high need for extensive studies on economically important soft rot Pectobacteriaceae, we performed a nearly conclusive pangenome analysis on D. solani strains to search for genetic foundations that would explain the differences in the observed virulence levels within the D. solani population.Results: High quality assemblies of 8 de novo sequenced D. solani genomes have been obtained. Whole-sequence comparison, ANIb, ANIm, Tetra and pangenome-oriented analyses performed on these genomes sequences and the sequences of 14 additional strains revealed exceptionally high level of homogeneity among the studied genetic material of D. solani strains. With the use of 22 genomes, the pangenome of D. solani, comprising 84.7% core, 7.2% accessory and 8.1% unique genes, has been almost completely determined, suggesting the presence of a nearly closed pangenome structure. Attribution of the genes included in the D. solani pangenome fractions to functional COG categories revealed that higher percentages of accessory and unique pangenome parts in contrast to the core section are encountered in phage/mobile elements- and transcription- associated groups with the genome of RNS 05.1.2A strain having the most significant impact. Also, the first D. solani large-scale genome-wide phylogeny computed on concatenated core gene alignments is herein reported.Conclusions: The almost closed status of D. solani pangenome achieved in this work points to the fact that the unique gene pool of this species should no longer expand. Such a feature is characteristic for taxa, whose representatives either occupy isolated ecological niches or lack efficient mechanisms for gene exchange and recombination, which seems rational concerning a strictly pathogenic species with clonal spread and population structure. Finally, no obvious correlations between the geographical origin of D. solani strains and their phylogeny was found, which might reflect the specificity of the international seed potato market.

scholarly journals Botanicals to Control Soft Rot Bacteria of Potato

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Rahman ◽  
A. A. Khan ◽  
M. E. Ali ◽  
I. H. Mian ◽  
A. M. Akanda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Extracts ◽  
Curcuma Longa ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Storage Condition ◽  
Storage Conditions ◽  
Leaf Extracts ◽  
Corchorus Capsularis ◽  
Rot Disease ◽  
And Storage

Extracts from eleven different plant species such as jute (Corchorus capsularisL.), cheerota (Swertia chiraitaHam.), chatim (Alstonia scholarisL.), mander (Erythrina variegata), bael (Aegle marmelosL.), marigold (Tagetes erecta), onion (Allium cepa), garlic (Allium sativumL.), neem (Azadiracta indica), lime (Citrus aurantifolia), and turmeric (Curcuma longaL.) were tested for antibacterial activity against potato soft rot bacteria,E. carotovorasubsp.carotovora (Ecc)P-138, underin vitroand storage conditions. Previously,EccP-138 was identified as the most aggressive soft rot bacterium in Bangladeshi potatoes. Of the 11 different plant extracts, only extracts from dried jute leaves and cheerota significantly inhibited growth ofEccP-138in vitro. Finally, both plant extracts were tested to control the soft rot disease of potato tuber under storage conditions. In a 22-week storage condition, the treated potatoes were significantly more protected against the soft rot infection than those of untreated samples in terms of infection rate and weight loss. The jute leaf extracts showed more pronounced inhibitory effects onEcc-138 growth both inin vitroand storage experiments.

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