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

移动遗传元件对丁香假单胞菌生物膜形成及其生物防治的影响。

• 批准号: 2881413
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2881413
• 关键词: Implications; mobile; genetic; elements; biofilm

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.

植物病原体在强化农业中造成严重损害。他们的控制需要可能对环境有害的农业化学物质投入。提高粮食生产的可持续性需要更好地了解促进疾病的建立和发展的本地微环境和生物实体。该项目将评估噬菌体和流动遗传因素在丁香假单胞菌引起的疾病发展中的影响。这种病原体会感染各种植物，并在果园中造成重大损害。病原体形成鲁棒生物膜的能力促进其在感染的植物组织中越冬，并随后感染了叶子和开花。IAM1：基于元基因组学的方法将用于分析受感染的植物组织中的噬菌体群落和MGES（Prunus spp。;茎和叶子）。将进行相关分析，以探索生物膜形成中噬菌体组成与其他移动遗传因素之间的联系，以及疾病的进展/严重性。IAM2：鉴定候选预言和质粒，导致/支持生物膜的发展和/或疾病进展/严重性/严重性/严重性。将包括在叶子上进行空间分辨的实验，以探索疾病进展过程中丁香假单胞菌的人群内适应。 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.此外，将进一步评估对已经可用的生物控制剂的详细评估以促进其应用。对该项目感兴趣的申请人应具有微生物学或植物病理学的背景，并愿意进行生物信息学分析和分子实验，并参与现场实验。