Advancements in Bacteriophages for the Fire Blight Pathogen <i>Erwinia amylovora</i>
Dufang Ke,
Jinyan Luo,
Pengfei Liu,
Linfei Shou,
Munazza Ijaz,
Temoor Ahmed,
Muhammad Shafiq Shahid,
Qianli An,
Ivan Mustać,
Gabrijel Ondrasek,
Yanli Wang,
Bin Li,
Binggan Lou
Affiliations
Dufang Ke
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Jinyan Luo
Department of Plant Quarantine, Shanghai Extension and Service Center of Agriculture Technology, Shanghai 201103, China
Pengfei Liu
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Linfei Shou
Station for the Plant Protection & Quarantine and Control of Agrochemicals of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310004, China
Munazza Ijaz
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Temoor Ahmed
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Muhammad Shafiq Shahid
Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Al-Khoud, Muscat 123, Oman
Qianli An
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Ivan Mustać
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Gabrijel Ondrasek
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Yanli Wang
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Bin Li
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Binggan Lou
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight, causes significant economic losses for farmers worldwide by inflicting severe damage to the production and quality of plants in the Rosaceae family. Historically, fire blight control has primarily relied on the application of copper compounds and antibiotics, such as streptomycin. However, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains and growing environmental concerns have highlighted the need for alternative control methods. Recently, there has been a growing interest in adopting bacteriophages (phages) as a biological control strategy. Phages have demonstrated efficacy against the bacterial plant pathogen E. amylovora, including strains that have developed antibiotic resistance. The advantages of phage therapy includes its minimal impact on microbial community equilibrium, the lack of a detrimental impact on plants and beneficial microorganisms, and its capacity to eradicate drug-resistant bacteria. This review addresses recent advances in the isolation and characterization of E. amylovora phages, including their morphology, host range, lysis exertion, genomic characterization, and lysis mechanisms. Furthermore, this review evaluates the environmental tolerance of E. amylovora phages. Despite their potential, E. amylovora phages face certain challenges in practical applications, including stability issues and the risk of lysogenic conversion. This comprehensive review examines the latest developments in the application of phages for controlling fire blight and highlights the potential of E. amylovora phages in plant protection strategies.
