Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain:RK1 Genome sequencing and assembly. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain:RK1

Use of microbial biocontrol agents against fungal pathogens is an economic and environmental friendly technology and provides an alternative to reduce or eliminate the use chemical agents. The Pseudomonas genus contains various plant-associated beneficial microorganisms that have the ability to enhance plant growth and inhibit the growth of other microbes. In this study, we have isolated a bacterial strain from rice field and performed confrontation assay against selected fungal pathogens. 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed that the isolated bacterial strain belongs to the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Confrontation assay suggested that isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa has antagonistic activity against various fungal pathogens. Further, we have also performed the whole genome sequencing of the isolated P. aeruginosa, which revealed its genome has 6,288,911 bp with 5595 protein-coding genes. Biocontrol determinants and plant growth promoting attributes related genes have been identified by mining its genome sequence. Analysis by antiSMASH showed the presence of various secondary metabolite gene clusters. The results obtained from the present study offer insights into the biocontrol activity of isolated P. aeruginosa, and also provide a foundation for future research towards a sustainable use of P. aeruginosa as biocontrol agent.