Diagnosis and Control of Plant Bacterial Diseases

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 8180

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Plant & Food Research, Ruakura Research Centre, Bisley Road, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
Interests: epidemiology of plant pathogenic bacteria, in particular the role of epiphytic microbiomes in disease development; control of plant pathogenic bactéria, especially the use of copper in the presence of copper resistant bacteria and gene expression in plants after elicitation; understanding the plant pathogenic bacteria molecular interactions, in particular, during latency; the current model used in my laboratory is Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant pathogenic bacteria represent a major constraint to food production; leading, in some cases, to the local disapearance of the most susceptible cultivars. The economic importance of these pathogens is due to several factors, including the ability of many of them to multiply to very high numbers, constituting an extensive inconspicuous inoculum, leading to sudden large and economically important outbreaks as soon as the conditions for infection are met. This is compounded by the fact that there are only a very limited number of products available for their control. 

Rapid and accurate methods of detection and identification would allow for preventing and/or to better control such outbreaks. A number of molecular tools (e.g., multiplex PCR or LAMP assays) have recently been developed for the identification of several plant pathogenic bacteria. However, not all of those tools might be sensitive or specific enough for the early accurate detection of a disease. In addition, data to support sampling methods before symptoms are present are missing most of the time.

Most of the commercial products available for the control of bacterial diseases are either antibiotic-type products or heavy metals; they involve the risk of selecting pathogens resistant to these products. For some bacterial diseases, a few biological control agents or elicitors are also available, but their appropriate use requires an understanding of plant physiology and epidemiology, which is not always available. Novel methods of control, such as quorum sensing interference and the disruption of biofilm formation, have yet to be widely studied.

This Special Issue is open to manuscripts addressing all aspects of diagnostic and control methods for plant pathogenic bacteria presented above, including molecular and non-molecular detection and identification methods (e.g., selective media, PCR, and LAMP assays) and disease control methods, including chemical control, biological control, use of elicitors, and integrated management programmes that target alternative hosts and vectors.

Dr. Joel L. Vanneste
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • detection methods
  • selective media
  • PCR
  • bio-PCR
  • LAMP assays
  • DNA sequencing methods for bacterial identification
  • elicitors (used alone or in combination)
  • biological control
  • chemical control
  • integrated management control
  • quorum sensing disruption
  • biofilm formation disruption

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4328 KiB  
Article
Pectobacterium punjabense Causing Blackleg and Soft Rot of Potato: The First Report in the Russian Federation
by Anna A. Vasilyeva, Peter V. Evseev, Alexandr N. Ignatov and Fevzi S.-U. Dzhalilov
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2144; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152144 - 2 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1618
Abstract
Phytopathogenic bacteria of the genus Pectobacterium are responsible for several diseases that affect potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production worldwide, including blackleg and tuber soft rot. These bacteria are highly diverse, with over 17 different species currently identified. However, some of the recently [...] Read more.
Phytopathogenic bacteria of the genus Pectobacterium are responsible for several diseases that affect potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production worldwide, including blackleg and tuber soft rot. These bacteria are highly diverse, with over 17 different species currently identified. However, some of the recently described species, such as Pectobacterium punjabense, are still poorly understood. In this study, we focused on P. punjabense isolates collected from diseased potato tubers in Russia in 2021. Whole-genome sequencing was used to characterise the genomic diversity of the pathogen and determine the biochemical profiles of the isolated bacteria. The ability of these isolates to cause soft rot symptoms was tested. A comparative assessment of the potential pathogenicity of the Pectobacterium isolates was conducted by infecting potato tubers and measuring the accumulation of biomass in a liquid medium during cultivation at different temperatures. A TaqMan qPCR assay was developed for the highly sensitive and specific characterisation of P. punjabense strains, which can be used in diagnostic systems. This is the first report on P. punjabense causing potato disease in the Russian Federation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Control of Plant Bacterial Diseases)
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12 pages, 1178 KiB  
Article
Development of a Genome-Informed Protocol for Detection of Pseudomonas amygdali pv. morsprunorum Using LAMP and PCR
by Daniela Díaz, Alan Zamorano, Héctor García, Cecilia Ramos, Weier Cui, Claudia Carreras, María Francisca Beltrán, Boris Sagredo, Manuel Pinto and Nicola Fiore
Plants 2023, 12(24), 4119; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12244119 - 10 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2135
Abstract
One of the causal agents of bacterial canker is Pseudomonas amygdali pv. morsprunorum—Pam (formerly Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum). Recently detected in Chile, Pam is known to cause lesions in the aerial parts of the plant, followed by more severe symptoms such [...] Read more.
One of the causal agents of bacterial canker is Pseudomonas amygdali pv. morsprunorum—Pam (formerly Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum). Recently detected in Chile, Pam is known to cause lesions in the aerial parts of the plant, followed by more severe symptoms such as cankers and gummosis in the later stages of the disease. This study presents the design of PCR and LAMP detection methods for the specific and sensitive identification of Pseudomonas amygdali pv. morsprunorum (Pam) from cherry trees. Twelve Pseudomonas isolates were collected, sequenced, and later characterized by Multi-locus Sequence Analysis (MLSA) and Average Nucleotide Identity by blast (ANIb). Three of them (11116B2, S1 Pam, and S2 Pam) were identified as Pseudomonas amygdali pv. morsprunorum and were used to find specific genes through RAST server, by comparing their genome with that of other Pseudomonas, including isolates from other Pam strains. The effector gene HopAU1 was selected for the design of primers to be used for both techniques, evaluating sensitivity and specificity, and the ability to detect Pam directly from plant tissues. While the PCR detection limit was 100 pg of purified bacterial DNA per reaction, the LAMP assays were able to detect up to 1 fg of purified DNA per reaction. Similar results were observed using plant tissues, LAMP being more sensitive than PCR, including when using DNA extracted from infected plant tissues. Both detection methods were tested in the presence of 30 other bacterial genera, with LAMP being more sensitive than PCR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Control of Plant Bacterial Diseases)
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13 pages, 1022 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial Activity of Metabolites Secreted by the Endophytic Bacterium Frateuria defendens
by Alaa Naama-Amar, Shani Gitman, Nofar Shoshana, Ofir Bahar, Vered Naor, Einat Zchori-Fein and Lilach Iasur-Kruh
Plants 2020, 9(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9010072 - 6 Jan 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3105
Abstract
Candidatus Phytoplasma, the causative agent of yellows disease, inflicts substantial damage on several hundred plant species including perennials and annual plants. The endophytic bacterium Frateuria defendens reduces the symptoms of yellows disease in a number of agricultural crops. One possible mode of action [...] Read more.
Candidatus Phytoplasma, the causative agent of yellows disease, inflicts substantial damage on several hundred plant species including perennials and annual plants. The endophytic bacterium Frateuria defendens reduces the symptoms of yellows disease in a number of agricultural crops. One possible mode of action is that the bacterium secretes antimicrobial metabolites. To test this hypothesis, the substances secreted by the endophyte during 10 days of growth in an artificial medium were identified by GC-MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry). Synthetic analogues to these substances were then used on periwinkle, a nurse culture plant infected by phytoplasma. Phytoplasma quantities were evaluated by quantitative PCR, and disease symptoms were monitored and recorded. It was found that specific compounds identified by the biochemical analysis caused a significant reduction in both the titer of phytoplasma and the disease symptoms in periwinkle when compared to untreated infected plants. Further research is required to examine the potential of these compounds as an effective treatment against yellows disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Control of Plant Bacterial Diseases)
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