Implications of mobile genetic elements on biofilm formation in Pseudomonas syringae and its biological control.

植物病原菌对集约化农业造成了严重的危害。对它们的控制需要大量投入可能对环境有害的农用化学品。提高粮食生产的可持续性需要更好地了解促进疾病形成和发展的当地微环境和生物实体。该项目将评估由丁香假单胞菌引起的疾病发展中噬菌体和可移动遗传因素的影响。这种病原体可以感染广泛的植物，并对果园造成重大损害。病原体形成坚固的生物膜的能力有助于其在受感染的植物组织中越冬，并随后感染叶片和花朵。目标1：基于宏基因组学的方法将用于分析受感染植物组织（Prunus spp.；茎和叶）中的噬菌体群落和MGEs。将进行相关分析，以探索噬菌体组成与生物膜形成中的其他可移动遗传元件之间的联系，以及疾病进展/严重程度。目标2：鉴定导致/支持生物膜发育和/或疾病进展/严重程度的候选噬菌体和质粒。在叶片上进行空间分辨实验，探索丁香假单胞菌在疾病进展过程中的种群内适应性。操纵广泛存在的可移动遗传元件以验证其在生物膜发育和疾病进展中的含义。目的3：评价生物防治剂（芽孢杆菌）在生物膜形成过程中对丁香假单胞菌种群水平的影响。本项目获得的数据将有助于通过确定以前未知的促进其恢复力和传播的因素来可持续地控制丁香假单胞菌。此外，将进一步评估对现有生物防治剂的详细评估，以便促进其应用。申请者应具有微生物学或植物病理学背景，并愿意进行生物信息学分析和分子实验，以及从事实地实验。

Plant pathogens are causing serious damage in intensive agriculture. Their control requires substantial inputs of agrochemicals that can be harmful to the environment. Increasing the sustainability in food production requires a better understanding of local micro-environments and biological entities that facilitate disease establishment and progression. The project will assess implications of bacteriophages and mobile genetic elements in disease development caused by Pseudomonas syringae. This pathogen can infect a wide range of plants and causes substantial damage in orchards. The pathogen's ability to form robust biofilms facilitates its overwintering in infected plant tissues and subsequent infection of leaves and blossoms.Aim 1: Metagenomics-based approaches will be used to analyze bacteriophage communities and MGEs in infected plant tissues (Prunus spp.; stem and leaves). Correlation analyses will be conducted to explore links between bacteriophage compositions and other mobile genetic elements in biofilm formation, as well as disease progression/severity.Aim 2: Identification of candidate prophages and plasmids causing/supporting biofilm development and/or disease progression/severity will be conducted. Spatially-resolved experiments on leaves will be included to explore intra-population adaptation of P. syringae during disease progression. Manipulation of broadly present mobile genetic elements to validate their implication in biofilm development and disease progression.Aim 3: Evaluation of the implications of a biocontrol agent (Bacillus sp.) on P. syringae at the population-level during biofilm formation.The data obtained in this project will contribute to the sustainable control of Pseudomonas syringae by identifying previously unknown factors that promote its resilience and spread. Moreover, detailed assessments of an already available biological control agent will be further assessed in order to facilitate its application.Applicants interested in this project should have a background in microbiology or phytopathology and be willing to perform bioinformatic analyses and molecular experiments, as well as engage in field experiments.