Bacterial wilt caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) threatens the cultivation of important crops worldwide. We sequenced 30 RSSC phylotype I ( R. pseudosolanacearum ) strains isolated from pepper ( Capsicum annuum ) and tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) across the Republic of Korea. These isolates span the diversity of phylotype I, have extensive effector repertoires and are subject to frequent recombination. Recombination hotspots among South Korean phylotype I isolates include multiple predicted contact-dependent inhibition loci, suggesting that microbial competition plays a significant role in Ralstonia evolution. Rapid diversification of secreted effectors presents challenges for the development of disease-resistant plant varieties. We identified potential targets for disease resistance breeding by testing for allele-specific host recognition of T3Es present among South Korean phyloype I isolates. The integration of pathogen population genomics and molecular plant pathology contributes to the development of location-specific disease control and development of plant cultivars with durable resistance to relevant threats.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Prokchorchik et al. (2020) studied this question.