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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #369739
Research Project: Mitigating High Consequence Domestic, Exotic, and Emerging Diseases of Fruits, Vegetables, and Ornamentals

Location: Subtropical Plant Pathology Research

Title: Complete genome sequence of Xanthomonas phage RiverRider, a novel N4-like bacteriophage that infects the strawberry pathogen Xanthomonas fragariae

Author
item MILLER, MORGAN - Florida Atlantic University
item DEIULIO, ALEX - University Of Florida
item HOLLAND, CHRIS - Indian River State College
item DOUTHITT, CAYCE - Indian River State College
item MCMAHON, JESSICA - Indian River State College
item WIERSMA-KOCH, HELEN - Indian River State College
item Turechek, William
item D'ELIA, TOM - Indian River State College

Submitted to: Archives of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2020
Publication Date: 4/3/2020
Citation: Miller, M., Deiulio, A., Holland, C., Douthitt, C., Mcmahon, J., Wiersma-Koch, H., Turechek, W., D'Elia, T. 2020. Complete genome sequence of Xanthomonas phage RiverRider, a novel N4-like bacteriophage that infects the strawberry pathogen Xanthomonas fragariae. Archives of Virology. 165:1481-1484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-020-04614-6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-020-04614-6

Interpretive Summary: Xanthomonas fragariae is a gram-negative bacterium that causes angular leaf spot in strawberry. The pathogen is known to infect only Fragariae spp. and cannot live for any extended period outside of its host. Xanthomonas phage RiverRider is a novel N4-like bacteriophage and is the first phage isolated from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas fragariae. RiverRider was able to infect 7 different strains of X. fragariae and no other species of Xanthomonas tested. RiverRider will be tested as a biocontrol agents for X. fragariae.

Technical Abstract: Xanthomonas phage RiverRider is a novel N4-like bacteriophage and the first phage isolated from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas fragariae. Electron microscopy revealed a Podoviridae morphology consisting of isometric heads and short noncontractile tails. The complete genome of RiverRider is 76,355 bp, with 90 open reading frames and 7 tRNAs. The genome is characteristic of N4-like bacteriophages in both content and organization, having predicted proteins characterized into the functional groups of transcription, DNA metabolism, DNA replication, lysis, lysis inhibition, structure and DNA packaging. Amino acid sequence comparisons for proteins in these categories showed highest similarities to well characterized N4-like bacteriophage isolated from Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Erwinia amylovora. The tail fiber proteins in RiverRider are clearly distinct from the N4-like proteins characterized throughout the genome. RiverRider was able to infect 7 different strains of X. fragariae and no other species of Xanthomonas tested.