Complete genome sequence of Spiroplasma phoeniceum strain P40T, a plant pathogen isolated from diseased plants of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don)

Authors: Davis, Robert; Shao, Jonathan; Zhao, Yan; Wei, Wei; Bottner, Kristi; Silver, Aliyah; Stump, Zoey; GASPARICH, GAIL - Delaware State University; DONOFRIO, NICOLE - University Of Delaware

Submitted to: Microbiology Resource Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2019
Publication Date: 3/21/2019
Citation: Davis, R.E., Shao, J.Y., Zhao, Y., Wei, W., Bottner-Parker, K.D., Silver, A.B., Stump, Z.A., Gasparich, G.E., Donofrio, N. 2019. Complete genome sequence of Spiroplasma phoeniceum strain P40T, a plant pathogen isolated from diseased plants of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don). Microbiology Resource Announcements. https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.01612-18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/MRA.01612-18

Interpretive Summary: Spiroplasma phoeniceum is a small bacterium that lacks a rigid cell wall and has a helical cell shape. It is one of only three spiroplasmas known to cause diseases in plant life. To learn how spiroplasmas cause disease in crop plants, we decoded (identified and interpreted) all the genes in Spiroplasma phoeniceum. The completed gene decoding will interest quarantine agencies, diagnostics companies, microbiologists, plant pathologists, entomologists, professors, students, plant breeders, and seed companies.

Technical Abstract: The phytopathogen Spiroplasma phoeniceum was isolated from diseased plants of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don). Here we report the nucleotide sequence of the 1,791,576-bp circular chromosome and three plasmids of strain P40T. This information serves as a resource for comparative analyses of spiroplasmal adaptations to diverse ecological niches.