Pan-genome analysis identifies intersecting roles for Pseudomonas specialized metabolites in potato pathogen inhibition. Pseudomonas roles in potato pathogen inhibition.

Pseudomonas are one of the most abundant bacterial genera inthe soil and rhizosphere and play important roles inpromoting plant growth and preventing disease. In this studywe genetically and phenotypically characterize thePseudomonas fluorescens population in commercial potatofield soils and identify strong correlations betweenspecialized metabolite biosynthetic pathways and antagonismof the potato pathogens Streptomyces scabies andPhytophthora infestans. Genetic and chemical analysesidentified hydrogen cyanide and cyclic lipopeptides as keyspecialized metabolites associated with S. scabiesinhibition. A single potato field contains a hugely diverseand dynamic population of Pseudomonas bacteria, whosecapacity to produce specialized metabolites is shaped bothby plant colonization and defined environmental inputs.