Abstract
Dickeya solani is an economically important phytopathogen widespread in mainland Europe that can reduce potato crop yields by 25%. There are no effective environmentally-acceptable chemical systems available for diseases caused by Dickeya. Bacteriophages have been suggested for use in biocontrol of this pathogen in the field, and limited field trials have been conducted. To date only a small number of bacteriophages capable of infecting D. solani have been isolated and characterized, and so there is a need to expand the repertoire of phages that may have potential utility in phage therapy strategies. Here we describe 67 bacteriophages from environmental sources, the majority of which are members of the viral family Myoviridae. Full genomic sequencing of two isolates revealed a high degree of DNA identity with D. solani bacteriophages isolated in Europe in the past 5 years, suggesting a wide ecological distribution of this phage family. Transduction experiments showed that the majority of the new environmental bacteriophages are capable of facilitating efficient horizontal gene transfer. The possible risk of unintentional transfer of virulence or antibiotic resistance genes between hosts susceptible to transducing phages cautions against their environmental use for biocontrol, until specific phages are fully tested for transduction capabilities.
Highlights
The enterobacterial genus, Dickeya, currently consists of six phytopathogenic species that can cause severe disease in economically important crops, including tomato, chicory, and potato (Reverchon and Nasser, 2013)
Dickeya solani is more aggressive than other Dickeya species, able to spread more through the plant vascular system and survive at higher temperatures than D. dianthicola (Toth et al, 2011)
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed two different morphological groups, a selection of which are shown in Figure 1 alongside the previously characterized phage LIMEstone1 (Adriaenssens et al, 2012b)
Summary
The enterobacterial genus, Dickeya, currently consists of six phytopathogenic species that can cause severe disease in economically important crops, including tomato, chicory, and potato (Reverchon and Nasser, 2013). Until 2004, almost all European potato isolates of Dickeya were assigned as Dickeya dianthicola, which has a broad host range across both nutritional and ornamental species (Toth et al, 2011). Dickeya solani is more aggressive than other Dickeya species, able to spread more through the plant vascular system and survive at higher temperatures than D. dianthicola (Toth et al, 2011). It is currently the predominant potato pathogen in Europe and in 2010 Scotland became the first country to introduce specific legislation aimed at preventing the establishment of D. solani in its seed industry (Mansfield et al, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
