Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i>
Erwinia amylovora is a quarantine phytopathogenic bacterium that is the causal agent of fire blight, a destructive disease responsible for killing millions of fruit-bearing plants worldwide, including apple, pear, quince, and raspberry. Efficient and sustainable control strategies for this serious b...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2455 |
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| author | Miloud Sabri Kaoutar El Handi Franco Valentini Angelo De Stradis El Hassan Achbani Rachid Benkirane Grégory Resch Toufic Elbeaino |
| author_facet | Miloud Sabri Kaoutar El Handi Franco Valentini Angelo De Stradis El Hassan Achbani Rachid Benkirane Grégory Resch Toufic Elbeaino |
| author_sort | Miloud Sabri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Erwinia amylovora is a quarantine phytopathogenic bacterium that is the causal agent of fire blight, a destructive disease responsible for killing millions of fruit-bearing plants worldwide, including apple, pear, quince, and raspberry. Efficient and sustainable control strategies for this serious bacterial disease are still lacking, and traditional methods are limited to the use of antibiotics and some basic agricultural practices. This study aimed to contribute to the development of a sustainable control strategy through the identification, characterization, and application of bacteriophages (phages) able to control fire blight on pears. Phages isolated from wastewater collected in the Apulia region (southern Italy) were characterized and evaluated as antibacterial agents to treat experimental fire blight caused by E. amylovora. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) conducted on purified phages (named EP-IT22 for Erwinia phage IT22) showed particles with icosahedral heads of ca. 90 ± 5 nm in length and long contractile tails of 100 ± 10 nm, typical of the Myoviridae family. Whole genome sequencing (WGS), assembly, and analysis of the phage DNA generated a single contig of 174.346 bp representing a complete circular genome composed of 310 open reading frames (ORFs). EP-IT22 was found to be 98.48% identical to the Straboviridae Erwinia phage Cronus (EPC) (GenBank Acc. n° NC_055743) at the nucleotide level. EP-IT22 was found to be resistant to high temperatures (up to 60 °C) and pH values between 4 and 11, and was able to accomplish a complete lytic cycle within one hour. Furthermore, the viability-qPCR and turbidity assays showed that EP-IT22 (MOI = 1) lysed 94% of E. amylovora cells in 20 h. The antibacterial activity of EP-IT22 in planta was evaluated in E. amylovora-inoculated pear plants that remained asymptomatic 40 days post inoculation, similarly to those treated with streptomycin sulphate. This is the first description of the morphological, biological, and molecular features of EP-IT22, highlighting its promising potential for biocontrol of E. amylovora against fire blight disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:34:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b3845d3e9d0a4c408127e2dcbdbc0d06 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:34:35Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-b3845d3e9d0a4c408127e2dcbdbc0d062023-11-24T07:17:30ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-11-011411245510.3390/v14112455Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i>Miloud Sabri0Kaoutar El Handi1Franco Valentini2Angelo De Stradis3El Hassan Achbani4Rachid Benkirane5Grégory Resch6Toufic Elbeaino7Productions Végétales, Animales et Agro-Industrie, Faculté des Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, MoroccoPhytobacteriology and Biological Control Laboratory, Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Meknes, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principal, Rabat 10090, MoroccoInternational Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM of Bari), Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano, ItalyNational Research Council of Italy (CNR), Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), University of Bari, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, ItalyPhytobacteriology and Biological Control Laboratory, Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Meknes, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principal, Rabat 10090, MoroccoProductions Végétales, Animales et Agro-Industrie, Faculté des Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, MoroccoCenter for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences (CRISP), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, SwitzerlandInternational Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM of Bari), Via Ceglie 9, 70010 Valenzano, ItalyErwinia amylovora is a quarantine phytopathogenic bacterium that is the causal agent of fire blight, a destructive disease responsible for killing millions of fruit-bearing plants worldwide, including apple, pear, quince, and raspberry. Efficient and sustainable control strategies for this serious bacterial disease are still lacking, and traditional methods are limited to the use of antibiotics and some basic agricultural practices. This study aimed to contribute to the development of a sustainable control strategy through the identification, characterization, and application of bacteriophages (phages) able to control fire blight on pears. Phages isolated from wastewater collected in the Apulia region (southern Italy) were characterized and evaluated as antibacterial agents to treat experimental fire blight caused by E. amylovora. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) conducted on purified phages (named EP-IT22 for Erwinia phage IT22) showed particles with icosahedral heads of ca. 90 ± 5 nm in length and long contractile tails of 100 ± 10 nm, typical of the Myoviridae family. Whole genome sequencing (WGS), assembly, and analysis of the phage DNA generated a single contig of 174.346 bp representing a complete circular genome composed of 310 open reading frames (ORFs). EP-IT22 was found to be 98.48% identical to the Straboviridae Erwinia phage Cronus (EPC) (GenBank Acc. n° NC_055743) at the nucleotide level. EP-IT22 was found to be resistant to high temperatures (up to 60 °C) and pH values between 4 and 11, and was able to accomplish a complete lytic cycle within one hour. Furthermore, the viability-qPCR and turbidity assays showed that EP-IT22 (MOI = 1) lysed 94% of E. amylovora cells in 20 h. The antibacterial activity of EP-IT22 in planta was evaluated in E. amylovora-inoculated pear plants that remained asymptomatic 40 days post inoculation, similarly to those treated with streptomycin sulphate. This is the first description of the morphological, biological, and molecular features of EP-IT22, highlighting its promising potential for biocontrol of E. amylovora against fire blight disease.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2455bacteriophage<i>E. amylovora</i>fire blightphytopathogenic bacteriumbiocontrol |
| spellingShingle | Miloud Sabri Kaoutar El Handi Franco Valentini Angelo De Stradis El Hassan Achbani Rachid Benkirane Grégory Resch Toufic Elbeaino Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i> Viruses bacteriophage <i>E. amylovora</i> fire blight phytopathogenic bacterium biocontrol |
| title | Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i> |
| title_full | Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i> |
| title_fullStr | Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i> |
| title_short | Identification and Characterization of Erwinia Phage IT22: A New Bacteriophage-Based Biocontrol against <i>Erwinia amylovora</i> |
| title_sort | identification and characterization of erwinia phage it22 a new bacteriophage based biocontrol against i erwinia amylovora i |
| topic | bacteriophage <i>E. amylovora</i> fire blight phytopathogenic bacterium biocontrol |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2455 |
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