• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2011

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum is the causative agent of soft rot in crops such as potato and cabbages. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a simple DNA amplification method, as well as isothermal PCR technique. In this study, a new method for the rapid detection of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum was developed using LAMP that named PCC-LAMP. Based on lytic murein transglycolase gene of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, a set of four primers for LAMP was designed. The optimal PCC-LAMP reaction temperature was established at $61^{\circ}C$. Under standard conditions, PCC-LAMP amplified $1{\times}10^3$ copies of clone PCC-pBX437 per reaction. Further, this method can also assay directly by SYBR Green I without electrophoresis. Amplification was not detected for five other bacterial species. In conclusion, PCC-LAMP may be a useful method for the detection Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in the field.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.166-171
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• 2022

Commercial products with antibiotics like streptomycin as active ingredients have been used to control soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium species for a long time. In this study, antibiotic resistance of twenty-seven Korean strains of Pectobacterium species including P. carotovorum, P. odoriferum, P. brasiliense, and P. parmenteri, which were previously shown to be susceptible to the bacteriophage phiPccP-1 was surveyed using a disk diffusion assay. While all strains were highly susceptible to ampicillin, kanamycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and rifampicin, some strains showed weak susceptibility to 300 ㎍/ml of streptomycin. Furthermore, some of them are partially or completely resistant to commercial pesticides-Buramycinand streptomycin at the concentration of 250 ㎍/ml that is recommended by the manufacturer for streptomycin-based pesticides. These results indicate the presence of streptomycin-resistant Pectobacterium strains in South Korea, and the development of antibiotic alternatives to control soft rot is needed.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.102-114
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• 2022

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) is a gram-negative, broad host range bacterial pathogen which causes soft rot disease in potatoes as well as other vegetables worldwide. While Pectobacterium infection relies on the production of major cell wall degrading enzymes, other virulence factors and the mechanism of genetic adaptation of this pathogen is not yet clear. In the present study, we have performed an in-depth genome-wide characterization of Pcc strain ICMP5702 isolated from potato and compared it with other pathogenic bacteria from the Pectobacterium genus to identify key virulent determinants. The draft genome of Pcc ICMP5702 contains 4,774,457 bp with a G + C content of 51.90% and 4,520 open reading frames. Genome annotation revealed prominent genes encoding key virulence factors such as plant cell wall degrading enzymes, flagella-based motility, phage proteins, cell membrane structures, and secretion systems. Whereas, a majority of determinants were conserved among the Pectobacterium strains, few notable genes encoding AvrE-family type III secretion system effectors, pectate lyase and metalloprotease in addition to the CRISPR-Cas based adaptive immune system were uniquely represented. Overall, the information generated through this study will contribute to decipher the mechanism of infection and adaptive immunity in Pcc.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.346-354
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• 2020

Pectobacterium, which causes soft rot disease, is divided into 18 species based on the current classification. A total of 225 Pectobacterium strains were isolated from 10 main cultivation regions of potato (Solanum tuberosum), napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis), and radish (Raphanus sativus) in South Korea; 202 isolates (90%) were from potato, 18 from napa cabbage, and five from radish. Strains were identified using the Biolog test and phylogenetic analysis. The pathogenicity and swimming motility were tested at four different temperatures. Pectolytic activity and plant cell-wall degrading enzyme (PCWDE) activity were evaluated for six species (P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, Pcc; P. odoriferum, Pod; P. brasiliense, Pbr; P. versatile, Pve; P. polaris, Ppo; P. parmentieri, Ppa). Pod, Pcc, Pbr, and Pve were the most prevalent species. Although P. atrosepticum is a widespread pathogen in other countries, it was not found here. This is the first report of Ppo, Ppa, and Pve in South Korea. Pectobacterium species showed stronger activity at 28℃ and 32℃ than at 24℃, and showed weak activity at 37℃. Pectolytic activity decreased with increasing temperature. Activity of pectate lyase was not significantly affected by temperature. Activity of protease, cellulase, and polygalacturonase decreased with increasing temperature. The inability of isolated Pectobacterium to soften host tissues at 37℃ may be a consequence of decreased motility and PCWDE activity. These data suggest that future increases in temperature as a result of climate change may affect the population dynamics of Pectobacterium.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2000

For the taxonomic evaluaition, 15 strains of the genus Pectobacterium and Erwinia were analyzed for 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer regions (ISRs). These species contained two types of ISRs, large and small ISRs. Large ISRs were on the range of 474-569 bp size, and coding transfer $\textrm{RNA}^{11e}$($\textrm{tRNA}^{11e}$) and $\textrm{tRNA}^{Ala}$. Small ISRs were 354-459 bp in length and coding $\textrm{tRNA}^{Glu}$. The sequence variations of two ISRs among species and strains were very high as compared with 16S rRNA gene sequences. By phylogenetic trees on the basis of two ISRs, Pectobacterium ere differentiated into P. carotovorum-P. cactiaidum group and P. chrysanthemi group. However, the taxonomic position of E. cypripedii and E. rhapontici, which were not clear on taxonomic delineation between Pectobacterium and Erwinia, were not clearly resolved on the basis of ISRs.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.252-256
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• 2000

The 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer regions (ISRs) were sequenced and analyzed to design specific primer for identification of Pectobacterium chrysanthemi. Two types ISRs, large and small ISRs, were identified from three strains (ATCC 11663, KACC 10163 and KACC 10165) of P. chrysanthemi and Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum ATCC 15713.Large ISRs contained transfer RNA-Ile(tRNA$^{Ile}$)and tRNA$^{Ala}$, and small ISRs contained tRNA$^{Glu}$. Size of the small ISRs of P. chrysanthemi ranged on 354-356 bp, while it was 451 bp in small ISR of P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum ATCC 15713. From hypervariable region of small ISRs, species-specific primer for P. chrysanthemi with 20 bp length (CHPG) was designed from hypervariable region of small ISRs, which was used as forward promer to detect P. chrysanthemi strains with R23-1R produced PCR product of about 260bp size (CHSF) only from P. chrysanthemi strains, not from other Pectobacterium spp. and Erwinia spp. Direct PCR from bacterial cell without extracting DNA successfully amplified a specific fragment, CHSF, from P. chrysanthemi ATCC 11663. The limit of PCR detection was 1${\pm}10^2$ cfu/ml.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.323-325
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• 2017

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. actinidiae KKH3 is an Enterobacteriaceae bacterial pathogen that infects kiwi plants, causing canker-like symptoms that pose a threat to the kiwifruit industry. Because the strain was originally isolated from woody plants and possesses numerous plant cell wall-degrading enzymes, this draft genome report provides insight into possible bioconversion applications, as well as a better understanding of this important plant pathogen.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.242-248
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• 2011

Several soil bacteria were found to degrade N-Acylhomoserine lactones (NAHLs), thereby interfering with the bacterial quorum sensing system. In this research, fifteen strains of NAHL degrading rhizobacteria were isolated from potato rhizosphere. Based on phenotypic characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analyses, the strains were identified as members of genera Bacillus, Streptomyces, Arthrobacter, Pseudomonas and Mesorhizobium. All tested isolates were capable to degrade both synthetic and natural NAHL produced by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) strain EMPCC. In quorum quenching experiments selected isolates, especially Mesorhizobium sp., were markedly reduced the pathogenicity of Pcc strain EMPCC in potato tubers and totally suppressed tissue maceration on potato tubers. These led to consider the latter as a useful biocontrol agent against Pectobacterium spp.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.59.2-59
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• 1999

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.62-74
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• 2023

Plant pathogenic Pectobacterium species cause severe soft rot/blackleg diseases in many economically important crops worldwide. Pectobacterium utilizes plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) as the main virulence determinants for its pathogenicity. In this study, we screened a random mutant, M29 is a transposon insertion mutation in the metC gene encoding cystathionine β-lyase that catalyzes cystathionine to homocysteine at the penultimate step in methionine biosynthesis. M29 became a methionine auxotroph and resulted in growth defects in methionine-limited conditions. Impaired growth was restored with exogenous methionine or homocysteine rather than cystathionine. The mutant exhibited reduced soft rot symptoms in Chinese cabbages and potato tubers, maintaining activities of PCWDEs and swimming motility. The mutant was unable to proliferate in both Chinese cabbages and potato tubers. The reduced virulence was partially restored by a complemented strain or 100 µM of methionine, whereas it was fully restored by the extremely high concentration (1 mM). Our transcriptomic analysis showed that genes involved in methionine biosynthesis or transporter were downregulated in the mutant. Our results demonstrate that MetC is important for methionine biosynthesis and transporter and influences its virulence through Pcc21 multiplication in plant hosts.