Abstract
Xanthomonas species are Gram-negative bacterial pathogens responsible for diseases in over 400 plant hosts, including numerous economically important crops such as Brassica species. The limited efficacy and environmental concerns associated with chemical control strategies underscore the need for sustainable and targeted alternatives. In this study, we evaluated the suitability and biocontrol efficacy of phages Phi1 and Phi3 to combat Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) in broccoli plants. Kill-curve assays demonstrated that both phages effectively suppressed Xcc growth across a range of multiplicities of infection. Transmission electron microscopy further confirmed their lytic activity, revealing pronounced structural damage to Xcc cells following phage treatment, accompanied by the subsequent release of phage progeny. To assess host specificity and biosafety, the phages were tested against 41 bacterial isolates that were isolated and taxonomically characterized from broccoli and cauliflower in this study. Neither Phi1 nor Phi3 exhibited lytic activity against any non-target isolate, indicating high host specificity and minimal risk to the native Brassica-associated microbiota. In planta assays demonstrated that the combined application of Phi1 and Phi3 reduced Xcc-induced symptom severity in broccoli plants by 80%. Collectively, these results demonstrate that phages Phi1 and Phi3 represent effective and biologically precise agents for the control of black rot disease in Brassica crops.
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Claims 4
Claim · model-written summary
Both phages Phi1 and Phi3 effectively suppressed Xcc growth in kill-curve assays across a range of multiplicities of infection.
- Taxon
- Xcce0
- Treatment
- both phagese0
- Interactor
- Xcce0pathogen
- Second interactor
- phagese0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- Xcc growthe0
- Direction
- suppressede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“both phages effectively suppressed Xcc growth across a range of multiplicities of infection”
Claim · model-written summary
Transmission electron microscopy showed pronounced structural damage to Xcc cells after phage treatment, followed by release of phage progeny.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“revealing pronounced structural damage to Xcc cells following phage treatment, accompanied by the subsequent release of phage progeny”
Claim · model-written summary
Neither Phi1 nor Phi3 showed lytic activity against any of the 41 non-target bacterial isolates from broccoli and cauliflower, indicating high host specificity.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Neither Phi1 nor Phi3 exhibited lytic activity against any non-target isolate”
Claim · model-written summary
The combined application of Phi1 and Phi3 reduced Xcc-induced symptom severity in broccoli plants by 80% in planta.
- Taxon
- broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italicae0 - Treatment
- combined application of Phi1 and Phi3e0
- Interactor
- Xcce0pathogen
- Second interactor
- Phi1 and Phi3e0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- Xcc-induced symptom severitye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 80%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the combined application of Phi1 and Phi3 reduced Xcc-induced symptom severity in broccoli plants by 80%”