Genomic and phenotypic biology of a novel Dickeya zeae WH1 isolated from rice in China: Insights into pathogenicity and virulence factors

The pathogenicity determinants and virulence factors of WH1 were mainly analyzed through genomic comparisons with complete genomes of other D. zeae strains with high virulence (EC1, EC2, MS1 and MS2). The results revealed that plant cell wall-degrading extracellular enzymes and proteases (PCWDEs), flagellar and chemotaxis, and quorum sensing were highly conserved in all analyzed genomes, which were confirmed through phenotypic assays. Additionally, WH1 harbored type I, II, III, and VI secretion systems (T1SS, T2SS, T3SS, and T6SS), but lost T4SS and T5SS. Like strains MS1 and MS2 isolated from banana, WH1 harbored both capsule polysaccharide (CPS) and exopolysaccharide (EPS). Unlike strain EC1, WH1 lost the zeamines biosynthesis cluster.