Isolation and characterization of novel phages infectious to Pectobacterium for phage therapy against wasabi soft-rot

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26850027
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: Hirata Hisae 静岡大学, 農学部, 准教授 (00432196)
• Research Collaborator: DORA Hideo ; HORIIKE Tokumasa ; NISHIJIMA Takuya
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ワサビ軟腐病 / バクテリオファージ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Soft rot of Japanese horseradish (wasabi) is a seasonally serious disease caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc), P. carotovorum subsp. wasabiae or some other soft rot bacteria. For preventing bacterial disease, phage therapy could be useful, especially in a wasabi field where agricultural chemicals cannot be applied. In this study, lytic phages infectious to some Pcc isolated from soft-rotted wasabi were found in a plaque assay. Sequencing of the phage genomic DNA suggested that each phage is new species of the family Podoviridae and some have similarities to other Pectobacterium phages reported in other countries. Mutational analysis against host bacteria was performed and host factors involved in lytic reaction were identified. It is also notable finding that their host range corresponds to the bacterial groups based on genetic differences, so that the phages are also useful for detection and classification of Pcc isolated from wasabi.

Free Research Field

植物病理学