Open AccessUtilization of Filamentous Phage ϕRSM3 to Control Bacterial Wilt Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum
Author(s) -
Hardian Susilo Addy,
Ahmed Askora,
Takeru Kawasaki,
Makoto Fujie,
Takashi Yamada
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
plant disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.663
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1943-7692
pISSN - 0191-2917
DOI - 10.1094/pdis-12-11-1023-re
Subject(s) - bacterial wilt , ralstonia solanacearum , biology , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , inoculation , bacteria , wilt disease , pathogen , gene , botany , horticulture , genetics , biochemistry
The wide host range of Ralstonia solanacearum, causal agent of bacterial wilt, and its ability to survive for long periods in the environment restrict the effectiveness of cultural and chemical control measures. The use of phages for disease control is a fast-expanding trend of plant protection with great potential to replace chemical measures. The filamentous phage ϕRSM3 that infects R. solanacearum strains and inactivates virulence on plants is a potential agent for controlling bacterial wilt in tomato. We demonstrated that inoculation of ϕRSM3-infected cells into tomato plants did not cause bacterial wilt. Instead, ϕRSM3-infected cells enhanced the expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, including PR-1a, PR-2b, and PR7, in tomato plants. Moreover, pretreatment with ϕRSM-infected cells protect tomato plants from infection by virulent R. solanacearum strains. The effective dose of ϕRSM3-infected cells for disease prevention was determined to be approximately 10 5 CFU/ml. Because the ϕRSM3-infected cells can grow and continue to produce infectious phage particles under appropriate conditions, ϕRSM phages may serve as an efficient tool to control bacterial wilt in crops.