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Viruses
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Phage-Plant Interactions
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Phage-Plant Interactions

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 23635

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bin Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: molecular plant pathology; plant–microbe interactions; phage–plant interactions; nanobiotechnology; molecular genetics; metagenomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Temoor Ahmed

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: molecular plant pathology; nanobiotechnology; plant physiology; phage–plant interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Viruses is pleased to announce the creation of a collection of feature articles “phage-plant interaction”. The aim of this Special Issue is to call for recent advances in the interaction mechanism of bacteriophages with bacterial plant pathogens or symbiotic bacteria found in plant environments. Studies focusing on the application of bacteriophages in agriculture, e.g., on plants in the greenhouse or on fields, are also welcome.

One of the main challenges in plant disease control is environmental concerns when using pesticides and the resistance of plant pathogenic bacteria to bactericide, which makes it necessary to develop a sustainable, ecofriendly, and economically affordable solution. Phages are biological molecules that do not contaminate the environment and are easily produced at low cost. Yet, they are highly efficient in inactivating bacterial pathogens and thus hold promise as efficient biocontrol agents. We welcome the submission of manuscripts from all scientists in this field, including those from Editorial Board Members and from scholars invited by the Editorial Board and the Editorial Office. Short proposals for the submission of feature papers are also welcome. Please send proposals to the Viruses Editorial Office ([email protected])  and Mango Shen ([email protected]) for evaluation. 

Prof. Dr. Bin Li
Dr. Temoor Ahmed
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • phage
  • plant
  • interaction
  • biocontrol
  • plant pathogenic bacteria
  • phage cocktail

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 179 KiB  
Editorial
Phage–Plant Interactions: A Way Forward toward Sustainable Agriculture
by Temoor Ahmed and Bin Li
Viruses 2023, 15(2), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15020329 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1258
Abstract
Agriculture is the most important sector as it provides food to the growing global population [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage-Plant Interactions)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

15 pages, 5273 KiB  
Article
Phage Resistance Reduced the Pathogenicity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae on Rice
by Mengju Liu, Ye Tian, Haitham E. M. Zaki, Temoor Ahmed, Rong Yao, Chengqi Yan, Sebastian Leptihn, Belinda Loh, Muhammad Shafiq Shahid, Fang Wang, Jianping Chen and Bin Li
Viruses 2022, 14(8), 1770; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14081770 - 13 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2697
Abstract
Plants grow together with microbes that have both negative and positive impacts on the host, while prokaryotes are in turn also hosts for viruses, co-evolving together in a complex interrelationship. Most research focuses on the interaction of either bacterial pathogens interacting with the [...] Read more.
Plants grow together with microbes that have both negative and positive impacts on the host, while prokaryotes are in turn also hosts for viruses, co-evolving together in a complex interrelationship. Most research focuses on the interaction of either bacterial pathogens interacting with the plant host, or the impact on viruses on their pathogenic bacterial hosts. Few studies have investigated the co-evolution of bacterial pathogens with their host plants as well as with their bacterial viruses. In this work, we aimed to identify the genes that were associated with both phage sensitivity and host pathogenicity of the bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), which is the most important bacterial rice pathogen. Using the Tn5 transposon mutation technology, we created a library of Xoo strain C2 comprising 4524 mutants, which were subsequently tested for phage infectability. The phage infection tests showed that less than 1% of the mutants (n = 36) were resistant to phage infection, which was attributed to the Tn5 insertion in 19 genes. Interestingly, three out of 19 genes that conveyed resistance to the phage resulted in reduced pathogenicity to rice seedlings compared to the wild type. We identified three genes involved in both phage infection and bacterial virulence, which were studied by knockout mutants and complementation experiments. All of the three knockout mutants were resistant to infection by phage X2, while the complemented strains restored the susceptibility to the bacterial virus. Surprisingly, the genes are also essential for pathogenicity, which we confirmed by single knockout mutants corresponding to the Tn5 mutants. All three genes are involved in lipopolysaccharide synthesis, thus changing the cell envelope surface molecule composition. Our work shows a possible balance in terms of the connection between bacterial virulence and phage resistance, supporting the deployment of phages for the biocontrol of plant pathogens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage-Plant Interactions)
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17 pages, 6746 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis Bacteriophages against Bacterial Walnut Blight and Field Evaluation
by Julio Retamales, Pablo Núñez, Romina Alvarado, Erick D. M. Campan, Thierry Otto, Cristopher Segovia, Ignacio Vasquez and Javier Santander
Viruses 2022, 14(7), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14071380 - 24 Jun 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3043
Abstract
Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (hereafter X. juglandis) is the etiological agent of walnut blight, the most important bacterial disease affecting walnut production worldwide. Currently, the disease is treated mainly with copper-derived compounds (e.g., CuSO4) despite the evidence of genetic resistance [...] Read more.
Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (hereafter X. juglandis) is the etiological agent of walnut blight, the most important bacterial disease affecting walnut production worldwide. Currently, the disease is treated mainly with copper-derived compounds (e.g., CuSO4) despite the evidence of genetic resistance in these strains. Regarding the effectiveness and sustainability, the use of a bacteriophage appears to be a biocontrol alternative to reduce X. juglandis load and symptomatology of walnut blight. Here, the phages f20-Xaj, f29-Xaj, and f30-Xaj were characterized, and their effectiveness in walnut orchards against walnut blight was determined. These bacteriophages showed a specific lytic infection in X. juglandis strains isolated from Chile and France. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome of f20-Xaj and f30-Xaj indicates that these phages belong to the Pradovirus genus. In the field, the cocktail of these bacteriophages showed similar effectivity to CuSO4 in the reduction of incidence and severity in walnut tissue. Moreover, the bacterial load of X. juglandis was significantly reduced in the presence of bacteriophages in contrast to a CuSO4 treatment. These results show that the use of bacteriophages can be an alternative to combat the symptoms of walnut blight caused by X. juglandis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage-Plant Interactions)
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16 pages, 11415 KiB  
Article
Resistance of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae to Lytic Phage X2 by Spontaneous Mutation of Lipopolysaccharide Synthesis-Related Glycosyltransferase
by Muchen Zhang, Jiahui Qian, Xinyan Xu, Temoor Ahmed, Yong Yang, Chenqi Yan, Mohsen Mohamed Elsharkawy, Mohamed M. Hassan, Jamal A. Alorabi, Jianping Chen and Bin Li
Viruses 2022, 14(5), 1088; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14051088 - 18 May 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2818
Abstract
Phage therapy is a promising biocontrol management on plant diseases caused by bacterial pathogens due to its specificity, efficiency and environmental friendliness. The emergence of natural phage-resistant bacteria hinders the application of phage therapy. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is the causal agent [...] Read more.
Phage therapy is a promising biocontrol management on plant diseases caused by bacterial pathogens due to its specificity, efficiency and environmental friendliness. The emergence of natural phage-resistant bacteria hinders the application of phage therapy. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is the causal agent of the devastating bacterial leaf blight disease of rice. Here, we obtained a spontaneous mutant C2R of an Xoo strain C2 showing strong resistance to the lytic phage X2. Analysis of the C2R genome found that the CDS2289 gene encoding glycosyltransferase acquired a frameshift mutation at the 180th nucleotide site, which also leads to a premature stop mutation at the 142nd amino acid. This mutation confers the inhibition of phage adsorption through the changes in lipopolysaccharide production and structure and bacterial surface morphology. Interestingly, glycosyltransferase-deficient C2R and an insertional mutant k2289 also showed reduced virulence, suggesting the trade-off costs of phage resistance. In summary, this study highlights the role of glycosyltransferase in interactions among pathogenic bacteria, phages and plant hosts, which provide insights into balanced coevolution from environmental perspectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage-Plant Interactions)
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17 pages, 3310 KiB  
Article
Identification and Characterization of a New Type of Holin-Endolysin Lysis Cassette in Acidovorax oryzae Phage AP1
by Muchen Zhang, Yanli Wang, Jie Chen, Xianxian Hong, Xinyan Xu, Zhifeng Wu, Temoor Ahmed, Belinda Loh, Sebastian Leptihn, Sabry Hassan, Mohamed M. Hassan, Guochang Sun and Bin Li
Viruses 2022, 14(2), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14020167 - 18 Jan 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2787
Abstract
Phages utilize lysis systems to allow the release of newly assembled viral particles that kill the bacterial host. This is also the case for phage AP1, which infects the rice pathogen Acidovorax oryzae. However, how lysis occurs on a molecular level is [...] Read more.
Phages utilize lysis systems to allow the release of newly assembled viral particles that kill the bacterial host. This is also the case for phage AP1, which infects the rice pathogen Acidovorax oryzae. However, how lysis occurs on a molecular level is currently unknown. We performed in silico bioinformatics analyses, which indicated that the lysis cassette contains a holin (HolAP) and endolysin (LysAP), which are encoded by two adjacent genes. Recombinant expression of LysAP caused Escherichia coli lysis, while HolAP arrested growth. Co-expression of both proteins resulted in enhanced lysis activity compared to the individual proteins alone. Interestingly, LysAP contains a C-terminal region transmembrane domain, which is different from most known endolysins where a N-terminal hydrophobic region is found, with the potential to insert into the membrane. We show that the C-terminal transmembrane domain is crucial for protein localization and bacterial lysis in phage AP1. Our study characterizes the new phage lysis cassette and the mechanism to induce cell disruption, giving new insight in the understanding of phage life cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage-Plant Interactions)
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Review

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18 pages, 896 KiB  
Review
Advancements in the Use of Bacteriophages to Combat the Kiwifruit Canker Phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae
by Jinyan Luo, Dejiang Dai, Luqiong Lv, Temoor Ahmed, Lei Chen, Yanli Wang, Qianli An, Guochang Sun and Bin Li
Viruses 2022, 14(12), 2704; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14122704 - 2 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2635
Abstract
Over the last several decades, kiwifruit production has been severely damaged by the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), resulting in severe economic losses worldwide. Currently, copper bactericides and antibiotics are the main tools used to control this bacterial disease. However, [...] Read more.
Over the last several decades, kiwifruit production has been severely damaged by the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), resulting in severe economic losses worldwide. Currently, copper bactericides and antibiotics are the main tools used to control this bacterial disease. However, their use is becoming increasingly ineffective due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. In addition, environmental issues and the changes in the composition of soil bacterial communities are also concerning when using these substances. Although biocontrol methods have shown promising antibacterial effects on Psa infection under in vitro conditions, the efficiency of antagonistic bacteria and fungi when deployed under field conditions remains unclear. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a phage-based biocontrol strategy for this bacterial pathogen. Due to the specificity of the target bacteria and for the benefit of the environment, bacteriophages (phages) have been widely regarded as promising biological agents to control plant, animal, and human bacterial diseases. An increasing number of studies focus on the use of phages for the control of plant diseases, including the kiwifruit bacterial canker. In this review, we first introduce the characteristics of the Psa-induced kiwifruit canker, followed by a description of the diversity and virulence of Psa strains. The main focus of the review is the description of recent advances in the isolation of Psa phages and their characterization, including morphology, host range, lytic activity, genome characterization, and lysis mechanism, but we also describe the biocontrol strategies together with potential challenges introduced by abiotic factors, such as high temperature, extreme pH, and UV irradiation in kiwifruit orchards. The information presented in this review highlights the potential role of phages in controlling Psa infection to ensure plant protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage-Plant Interactions)
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27 pages, 3481 KiB  
Review
Deploying Viruses against Phytobacteria: Potential Use of Phage Cocktails as a Multifaceted Approach to Combat Resistant Bacterial Plant Pathogens
by Tahir Farooq, Muhammad Dilshad Hussain, Muhammad Taimoor Shakeel, Muhammad Tariqjaveed, Muhammad Naveed Aslam, Syed Atif Hasan Naqvi, Rizwa Amjad, Yafei Tang, Xiaoman She and Zifu He
Viruses 2022, 14(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14020171 - 18 Jan 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6438
Abstract
Plants in nature are under the persistent intimidation of severe microbial diseases, threatening a sustainable food production system. Plant-bacterial pathogens are a major concern in the contemporary era, resulting in reduced plant growth and productivity. Plant antibiotics and chemical-based bactericides have been extensively [...] Read more.
Plants in nature are under the persistent intimidation of severe microbial diseases, threatening a sustainable food production system. Plant-bacterial pathogens are a major concern in the contemporary era, resulting in reduced plant growth and productivity. Plant antibiotics and chemical-based bactericides have been extensively used to evade plant bacterial diseases. To counteract this pressure, bacteria have evolved an array of resistance mechanisms, including innate and adaptive immune systems. The emergence of resistant bacteria and detrimental consequences of antimicrobial compounds on the environment and human health, accentuates the development of an alternative disease evacuation strategy. The phage cocktail therapy is a multidimensional approach effectively employed for the biocontrol of diverse resistant bacterial infections without affecting the fauna and flora. Phages engage a diverse set of counter defense strategies to undermine wide-ranging anti-phage defense mechanisms of bacterial pathogens. Microbial ecology, evolution, and dynamics of the interactions between phage and plant-bacterial pathogens lead to the engineering of robust phage cocktail therapeutics for the mitigation of devastating phytobacterial diseases. In this review, we highlight the concrete and fundamental determinants in the development and application of phage cocktails and their underlying mechanism, combating resistant plant-bacterial pathogens. Additionally, we provide recent advances in the use of phage cocktail therapy against phytobacteria for the biocontrol of devastating plant diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phage-Plant Interactions)
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