First Report of Pectobacterium versatile Causing Stem Rot of Tobacco in China

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 107, No. 3First Report of Pectobacterium versatile Causing Stem Rot of Tobacco in China PreviousNext DISEASE NOTE OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of Pectobacterium versatile Causing Stem Rot of Tobacco in ChinaCan-Hua Lu, An-Zhong Zhen, Ning Jiang, You-Yun Fan, Fang Du, Xiao-Tong Gai, Zhong-Long Lin, Jun-Hong Ma, Yan Jin, and Zhen-Yuan XiaCan-Hua Luhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9165-5138Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650021 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, An-Zhong ZhenYunnan Oriental Tobacco Co., Ltd., Dehong 678400 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Ning JiangYunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650021 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, You-Yun FanYunnan Oriental Tobacco Co., Ltd., Dehong 678400 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Fang DuTengchong Branch of Baoshan Tobacco Company, Tengchong 679199 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Xiao-Tong Gaihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0923-6728Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650021 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Zhong-Long LinChina Tobacco Yunnan Industrial Co. Ltd., Kunming 650011 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Jun-Hong MaYunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650021 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, Yan JinYunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650021 ChinaSearch for more papers by this author, and Zhen-Yuan Xia†Corresponding author: Z.-Y. Xia; E-mail Address: [email protected]Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650021 ChinaSearch for more papers by this authorAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations Can-Hua Lu1 An-Zhong Zhen2 Ning Jiang1 You-Yun Fan2 Fang Du3 Xiao-Tong Gai1 Zhong-Long Lin4 Jun-Hong Ma1 Yan Jin1 Zhen-Yuan Xia1 † 1Yunnan Academy of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650021 China 2Yunnan Oriental Tobacco Co., Ltd., Dehong 678400 China 3Tengchong Branch of Baoshan Tobacco Company, Tengchong 679199 China 4China Tobacco Yunnan Industrial Co. Ltd., Kunming 650011 China Published Online:1 Mar 2023https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-06-22-1412-PDNAboutSectionsView articlePDFSupplemental ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat View articleTobacco is one of the most significant nonfood cash crops (Lu et al. 2020). In March 2022, cigar tobacco plants showing characteristic symptoms of vascular discoloration, stem rotting, leaf wilting, and rotting were observed in Tengchong city (25°3′26″N, 98°25′6″E), Yunnan province, China. The disease incidence was about 5% on cultivar Yunxue 6 in a 33-ha field. Infected stems were collected from Tengchong for pathogen isolation and 16S rDNA sequence analysis was performed as previously described (Lu et al. 2021). Sequence analysis showed that tobacco isolates (GenBank accession nos. ON795108, ON795107, and ON795106) had an identical sequence with that of the species type strain of Pectobacterium versatile CFBP 6051T and shared sequence identities of 99.55 and 99.47% with P. carotovorum DSM 30168T and P. parvum s0421T, respectively. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that tobacco strains were clustered with P. versatile CFBP 6051T. In API assays, strain 22TC1 was positive for β-galactosidase activity, reduction of nitrates to nitrites, fermentation of glucose, hydrolysis of esculin and gelatin, assimilation of D-glucose, L-arabinose, D-mannose, D-mannitol, N-acetylglucosamine, malic acid, and trisodium citrate; positive for the enzymatic substrates of alkaline phosphatase, leucine arylamidase, acid phosphatase, naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, and α-glucosidase. Furthermore, an average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis (Richter et al. 2015) showed that strain 22TC1 (GenBank accession no. JAMWYQ000000000) had the highest ANIb score of 96.76% and ANIm value of 97.19% with P. versatile CFBP 6051T. Similarly, the in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (isDDH) value was 74.5% compared to P. versatile CFBP 6051T, isDDH values were 35.5 to 63.7% with the other Pectobacterium species, which are below the 70% threshold value for species delineation (Meier-Kolthoff et al. 2021). The phylogenomic analysis also showed that strain 22TC1 was clustered with the species type strain of P. versatile CFBP 6051T. For pathogenicity tests, a cell suspension with 10-fold dilution (approx. 1 × 108 CFU/ml) was injected into the leaf axils of two 2-month-old tobacco stems (cv. Yunyan 87). As a control, tobacco seedlings were inoculated with sterile distilled water. The plants were sealed in plastic bags and maintained in a growth chamber at 28°C for 2 days. The symptoms of water-soaked decay were observed within 24 h of inoculation. Whole-plant decay was at 2 days after injection. No symptoms were developed in the controls. Reisolation was performed on diseased stems and the identity of isolated bacteria was confirmed by PCR and sequencing of 16S rRNA. Similar results were obtained in two independent experiments. Based on the above data, the causal pathogen of stem rot on cigar tobacco in Tengchong was identified as P. versatile. To our knowledge, this is the first time that P. versatile has been found to cause stem rot on tobacco. Pectobacterium species have been reported to cause seed-borne diseases on tobacco seedlings in the floating tray system and soil-borne diseases in tobacco fields (Wang et al. 2017; Xia and Mo 2007). Therefore, studying the possible transmission of P. versatile to tobacco plants is necessary.The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.References:Lu, C.-H., et al. 2021. Phytopathology 111:2392. https://doi.org/10.1094/phyto-04-21-0138-a Link, ISI, Google ScholarLu, C.-H., et al. 2020. 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Plant Pathol. 56:348. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2007.01541.x Crossref, ISI, Google ScholarFunding: This work was financially supported by the Yunnan Provincial Tobacco Monopoly Bureau (grant nos. 2018530000241006, 2020530000241013, and 2019530000241007) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 32260702).The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.DetailsFiguresLiterature CitedRelated Vol. 107, No. 3 March 2023SubscribeISSN:0191-2917e-ISSN:1943-7692 Download Metrics Article History Issue Date: 3 Apr 2023Published: 1 Mar 2023First Look: 15 Aug 2022Accepted: 14 Aug 2022 Page: 936 Information© 2023 The American Phytopathological SocietyFundingYunnan Provincial Tobacco Monopoly BureauGrant/Award Number: 2018530000241006Grant/Award Number: 2020530000241013Grant/Award Number: 2019530000241007National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaGrant/Award Number: 32260702Keywordsbacterial diseaseNicotiana tabaciPectobacterium versatilestem rottobaccoThe author(s) declare no conflict of interest.PDF download