Genome Sequence of Dickeya solani, a New soft Rot Pathogen of Potato, Suggests its Emergence May Be Related to a Novel Combination of Non-Ribosomal Peptide/Polyketide Synthetase Clusters

Soft rot Enterobacteria in the genera Pectobacterium and Dickeya cause rotting of many crop plants. A new Dickeya isolate has been suggested to form a separate species, given the name Dickeya solani. This bacterium is spreading fast and replacing the closely related, but less virulent, potato pathogens. The genome of D. solani isolate D s0432-1 shows highest similarity at the nucleotide level and in synteny to D. dadantii strain 3937, but it also contains three large polyketide/fatty acid/non-ribosomal peptide synthetase clusters that are not present in D. dadantii 3937. These gene clusters may be involved in the production of toxic secondary metabolites, such as oocydin and zeamine. Furthermore, the D. solani genome harbors several specific genes that are not present in other Dickeya and Pectobacterium species and that may confer advantages for adaptation to new environments. In conclusion, the fast spreading of D. solani may be related to the acquisition of new properties that affect its interaction with plants and other microbes in the potato ecosystem.