Embryo Localization Enhances the Survival of Acidovorax citrulli in Watermelon Seeds

Antibiotic Resistance in Plant Pathogenic Bacteria: Recent Data and Environmental Impact of Unchecked Use and the Potential of Biocontrol Agents as an Eco-Friendly Alternative

The economic impact of phytopathogenic bacteria on agriculture is staggering, costing billions of US dollars globally. Pseudomonas syringae is the top most phytopathogenic bacteria, having more than 60 pathovars, which cause bacteria speck in tomatoes, halo blight in beans, and so on. Although antibiotics or a combination of antibiotics are used to manage infectious diseases in plants, they are employed far less in agriculture compared to human and animal populations. Moreover, the majority of antibiotics used in plants are immediately washed away, leading to environmental damage to ecosystems and food chains. Due to the serious risk of antibiotic resistance (AR) and the potential for environmental contamination with antibiotic residues and resistance genes, the use of unchecked antibiotics against phytopathogenic bacteria is not advisable. Despite the significant concern regarding AR in the world today, there are inadequate and outdated data on the AR of phytopathogenic bacteria. This review presents recent AR data on plant pathogenic bacteria (PPB), along with their environmental impact. In light of these findings, we suggest the use of biocontrol agents as a sustainable, eco-friendly, and effective alternative to controlling phytopathogenic bacteria.

Protocorm-like-body extract of Phalaenopsis aphrodite combats watermelon fruit blotch disease

Bacterial fruit blotch, caused by the seedborne gram-negative bacterium Acidovorax citrulli, is one of the most destructive bacterial diseases of cucurbits (gourds) worldwide. Despite its prevalence, effective and reliable means to control bacterial fruit blotch remain limited. Transcriptomic analyses of tissue culture-based regeneration processes have revealed that organogenesis-associated cellular reprogramming is often associated with upregulation of stress- and defense-responsive genes. Yet, there is limited evidence supporting the notion that the reprogrammed cellular metabolism of the regenerated tissued confers bona fide antimicrobial activity. Here, we explored the anti-bacterial activity of protocorm-like-bodies (PLBs) of Phalaenopsis aphrodite. Encouragingly, we found that the PLB extract was potent in slowing growth of A. citrulli, reducing the number of bacteria attached to watermelon seeds, and alleviating disease symptoms of watermelon seedlings caused by A. citrulli. Because the anti-bacterial activity can be fractionated chemically, we predict that reprogrammed cellular activity during the PLB regeneration process produces metabolites with antibacterial activity. In conclusion, our data demonstrated the antibacterial activity in developing PLBs and revealed the potential of using orchid PLBs to discover chemicals to control bacterial fruit blotch disease.

The effect of plant domestication on host control of the microbiota

Macroorganisms are colonized by microbial communities that exert important biological and ecological functions, the composition of which is subject to host control and has therefore been described as "an ecosystem on a leash". However, domesticated organisms such as crop plants are subject to both artificial selection and natural selection exerted by the agricultural ecosystem. Here, we propose a framework for understanding how host control of the microbiota is influenced by domestication, in which a double leash acts from domesticator to host and host to microbes. We discuss how this framework applies to a plant compartment that has demonstrated remarkable phenotypic changes during domestication: the seed.

Mechanistic insights into host adaptation, virulence and epidemiology of the phytopathogen Xanthomonas

Xanthomonas is a well-studied genus of bacterial plant pathogens whose members cause a variety of diseases in economically important crops worldwide. Genomic and functional studies of these phytopathogens have provided significant understanding of microbial-host interactions, bacterial virulence and host adaptation mechanisms including microbial ecology and epidemiology. In addition, several strains of Xanthomonas are important as producers of the extracellular polysaccharide, xanthan, used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This polymer has also been implicated in several phases of the bacterial disease cycle. In this review, we summarise the current knowledge on the infection strategies and regulatory networks controlling virulence and adaptation mechanisms from Xanthomonas species and discuss the novel opportunities that this body of work has provided for disease control and plant health.

Prevalence of Acidovorax citrulli in Commercial Cucurbit Seedlots During 2010-2018 in China

Acidovorax citrulli is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), a serious threat to cucurbit fruit and seed production worldwide. In recent years, the BFB has spread to many areas of China, mainly via the inadvertent distribution of contaminated commercial seeds. To assess the prevalence of seedborne A. citrulli in commercial watermelon and other cucurbitaceous seedlots in China, a 9-year survey was conducted between 2010 and 2018. A total of 4,839 seedlots of watermelon and other cucurbitaceous species were collected from 13 major seed production areas of China and tested by a semiselective media-based colony PCR technique for A. citrulli. Overall, A. citrulli was detected in 18.00% (871/4,839) of all cucurbitaceous seedlots. The bacterium was detected in 21.59% (38/176), 19.19% (33/172), 23.44% (214/913), 40.76% (247/606), 13.28% (85/640), 15.40% (95/617), 13.25% (73/551), 8.03% (48/598), and 6.71% (38/566) of all commercial seedlots tested from the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 growing seasons, respectively. Additionally, the prevalence of A. citrulli in cucurbit seedlots was determined for different seed production areas. The prevalence of A. citrulli in cucurbitaceous seedlots produced in Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and 9 other provinces was 18.76% (582/3103), 26.34% (103/391), 21.47% (82/382), 11.11% (14/126), and 10.75% (90/837), respectively. This is the first survey for A. citrulli in commercial cucurbit seeds in China, and the relatively high prevalence suggests that commercial seeds represent a substantial source of primary inoculum that can threaten cucurbit seed and fruit production in China.