Pectobacterium brasiliense is a highly destructive bacterial plant pathogen with a broad host range, causing soft rot and blackleg diseases. Genomic resources are for understanding the mechanisms of virulence in these necrotrophic bacteria. In this study, we isolated P. brasiliense strain 25ASUB12 from a symptomatic summer squash fruit growing in a field research plot in Mississippi. This is the first documented case of P. brasiliense in Mississippi. We extracted genomic DNA from the bacterial strain and sequenced it using Oxford Nanopore PromethION and Illumina NovaSeq X Plus platforms to produce a chromosome-level genome sequence of strain 25ASUB12. Genome annotation and comparative genomics were conducted to gain further insights into the strain. Results showed that the genome size of this strain was 4.90 megabases (Mb) and comprises several factors related to pathogenicity such as pectate lyases, diverse secretion factors, siderophores, and quorum-sensing genes. The whole genome of P. brasiliense strain 25ASUB12 serves as a genomic tool to conduct further research on diseases caused by this globally important plant pathogen.
Brooks et al. (Fri,) studied this question.