First Genomic Resource of Agrobacterium radiobacter Associated with Crown Gall Disease in Almond Trees from the West Bank, Palestine

Crown gall disease, typically caused by tumorigenic Agrobacterium species, poses a significant threat to stone fruit crops worldwide. The disease results in compromised plant development and mortality. In the West Bank, almond (Prunus dulcis) represents the leading stone fruit crop. Recent reports have indicated widespread crown gall infections, however, no genomic resources have been available for local pathogenic Agrobacterium strains. Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of Agrobacterium radiobacter strain A23, isolated from gall-infected almond trees in Hebron, West Bank. We obtained a high-quality assembly of 5,551,953 bp comprising one circular chromosome, one linear chromid, and three plasmids. Phylogenetic analysis and overall genomic relatedness indices confirmed strain A23 as Agrobacterium radiobacter. Comprehensive annotation revealed key virulence determinants, including a complete T-DNA region, vir genes, and conjugative transfer machinery (tra and trb) genes located on the tumor-inducing plasmids. This genomic resource provides valuable insights into the pathogenicity mechanisms of crown gall disease in an economically important crop.