Protecting grapevines from crown gall! Elucidation of the mechanism how an antagonistic bacterium suppresses crown gall

January 18, 2024

Identification of rhizoviticin, a headless phage tail-like particle, that lyses pathogenic bacteria

Crown gall is a devastating disease of grapevines. A joint research group from Okayama University, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, RIKEN CSRS, and Kyushu University has elucidated the mechanism by which an antagonistic bacterium against grapevine crown gall lyses pathogenic bacteria causing crown gall by headless phage tail-like particles.

Crown gall, caused by the soil-borne bacterial pathogen, is a disease difficult to control with chemical pesticides. Biological control using antagonistic microorganisms (biological pesticides) is an alternative strategy to manage this disease. Previously, an antagonistic bacterium that suppresses grapevine crown gall was identified by researchers at Okayama Prefectural Technology Center for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Research Institute for Biological Sciences. The research group revealed that how this bacterium antagonizes the crown gall pathogen. Their findings pave the way for the use of antagonistic bacteria as biological pesticides and the isolation of more potent bacterial strains. It is also expected to contribute to the sustainable production of grapevines around the world.

Original article

The ISME Journal doi: 10.1093/ismejo/wrad003

T. Ishii, N. Tsuchida, N. M. Hemelda, K. Saito, J. Bao, M. Watanabe, A. Toyoda, T. Matsubara, M. Sato, K. Toyooka, N. Ishihama, K. Shirasu, H. Matsui, K. Toyoda, Y.Ichinose, T. Hayashi, A. Kawaguchi, Y. Noutoshi,

"Rhizoviticin is an alphaproteobacterial tailocin that mediates biocontrol of grapevine crown gall disease".

Contact

Nobuaki Ishihama; Research Scientist
Ken Shirasu; Group Director
Plant Immunity Research Group