Abstract
Serratia grimesii BXF1 is a bacterium with the ability to modulate the development of several eukaryotic hosts. Strain BXF1 was isolated from the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causative agent of pine wilt disease affecting pine forests worldwide. This bacterium potentiates Bursaphelenchus xylophilus reproduction, acts as a beneficial pine endophyte, and possesses fungal and bacterial antagonistic activities, further indicating a complex role in a wide range of trophic relationships. In this work, we describe and analyse the genome sequence of strain BXF1, and discuss several important aspects of its ecological role. Genome analysis indicates the presence of several genes related to the observed production of antagonistic traits, plant growth regulation and the modulation of nematode development. Moreover, most of the BXF1 genes are involved in environmental and genetic information processing, which is consistent with its ability to sense and colonize several niches. The results obtained in this study provide the basis to a better understanding of the role and evolution of strain BXF1 as a mediator of interactions between organisms involved in a complex disease system. These results may also bring new insights into general Serratia and Enterobacteriaceae evolution towards multitrophic interactions.
Highlights
Serratia species are ubiquitous to different habitats and show versatile niche occupation abilities
In Portugal, Serratia spp. were one of the main bacterial species found associated with the pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, which is the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD) [4, 5], and, to its insect-vector, Monochamus galloprovinciallis [6]; suggesting a role for Serratia species in the PWD complex
We demonstrated that Serratia strain BXF1 (S. liquefaciens-like) could promote PWN reproduction when the latter was cultivated in Botrytis cinerea [10]
Summary
Serratia species are ubiquitous to different habitats and show versatile niche occupation abilities. Bacteria like strain BXF1, presenting the ability to internally colonize pine trees and possessing versatile colonization abilities, opportunistically bind to the PWN and, influence some aspects of the interaction between the plant, nematode, fungi and other organisms. The genome of strain BXF1 harbours multiple genes related to aromatic compound degradation (Table S8).
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