Characterization and Control of Thielaviopsis punctulata on Date Palm in Saudi Arabia

A high-quality genome assembly and annotation of Thielaviopsis punctulata DSM102798

Black scorch disease (BSD), caused by the fungal pathogen Thielaviopsis punctulata (Tp) DSM102798, poses a significant threat to date palm cultivation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this study, Chicago and Hi-C libraries were prepared as input for the Dovetail HiRise pipeline to scaffold the genome of Tp DSM102798. We generated an assembly with a total length of 28.23 Mb comprising 1,256 scaffolds, and the assembly had a contig N50 of 18.56 kb, L50 of three, and a BUSCO completeness score of 98.6% for 758 orthologous genes. Annotation of this assembly produced 7,169 genes and 3,501 Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Compared to five other Thielaviopsis genomes, Tp DSM102798 exhibited the highest continuity with a cumulative size of 27.598 Mb for the first seven scaffolds, surpassing the assemblies of all examined strains. These findings offer a foundation for targeted strategies that enhance date palm resistance against BSD, and foster more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

In Silico Characterization of the Secretome of the Fungal Pathogen Thielaviopsis punctulata, the Causal Agent of Date Palm Black Scorch Disease

The black scorch disease of date palm caused by Thielaviopsis punctulata is a serious threat to the cultivation and productivity of date palm in Arabian Peninsula. The virulence factors that contribute to pathogenicity of T. punctulata have not been identified yet. In the present study, using bioinformatics approach, secretory proteins of T. punctulata were identified and functionally characterized. A total of 197 putative secretory proteins were identified, of which 74 were identified as enzymes for carbohydrate degradation (CAZymes), 25 were proteases, and 47 were predicted as putative effectors. Within the CAZymes, 50 cell wall-degrading enzymes, potentially to degrade cell wall components such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin, were identified. Of the 47 putative effectors, 34 possessed at least one functional domain. The secretome of T. punctulata was compared to the predicted secretome of five closely related species (T. musarum, T. ethacetica, T. euricoi, T. cerberus, and T. populi) and identified species specific CAZymes and putative effector genes in T. punctulata, providing a valuable resource for the research aimed at understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenicity of T. punctulata on Date palm.

Epidemiology and Control of Plant Diseases

I am pleased to present this edition of the Special Issue of Plants, dedicated to multifaceted topic of epidemiology and control of plant diseases in agricultural systems [...].

Diversity among Lasiodiplodia Species Causing Dieback, Root Rot and Leaf Spot on Fruit Trees in Egypt, and a Description of Lasiodiplodia newvalleyensis sp. nov

Lasiodiplodia (family Botryosphaeriaceae) is a widely distributed fungal genus that causes a variety of diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. During 2020−2021, a routine survey of fruit tree plants was conducted in five Egyptian Governorates, and fresh samples exhibiting dieback, decline, leaf spot and root rot symptoms were collected. Collection from eight different symptomatic leaves, twigs, branches and roots of fruit trees yielded 18 Lasiodiplodia-like isolates. The sequencing data from the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-a) and β-tubulin (tub2) were used to infer phylogenetic relationships with known Lasiodiplodia species. Two isolates obtained from black necrotic lesions on Phoenix dactylifera leaves were identified as a putative novel species, L. newvalleyensis sp. nov., and were thus subjected to further morphological characterization. The results of isolation and molecular characterization revealed that L. theobromae (n = 9) was the most common species on Mangifera indica, Citrus reticulata, C. sinensis, Ficus carica, Prunus persica, Prunus armeniaca and Pyrus communis trees. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae (n = 5) was isolated from M. indica, Prunus persica and C. sinensis. Lasiodiplodia laeliocattleyae (n = 2) was isolated from C. reticulata. Pathogenicity test results suggested that all Lasiodiplodia species were pathogenic to their hosts. The present study is considered the first to characterize and decipher the diversity of Lasiodiplodia species associated with fruit trees in Egypt, using the multi-locus ITS, tef1-a and tub2 sequence data, along with morphological and pathogenic trials. To our knowledge, this is the first report of L. newvalleyensis on Phoenix dactylifera and L. laeliocattleya on C. reticulata in Egypt and worldwide.

The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase-producing Streptomyces violaceoruber UAE1 can provide protection from sudden decline syndrome on date palm

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), sudden decline syndrome (SDS) is one of the major fungal diseases caused by Fusarium solani affecting date palm plantations. To minimize the impact of the causal agent of SDS on date palm, native actinobacterial strains isolated from rhizosphere soils of healthy date palm plants were characterized according to their antifungal activities against F. solani DSM 106836 (Fs). Based on their in vitro abilities, two promising biocontrol agents (BCAs), namely Streptomyces tendae UAE1 (St) andStreptomyces violaceoruber UAE1 (Sv), were selected for the production of antifungal compounds and cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs), albeit their variations in synthesizing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase (ACCD). Although both isolates showed antagonism when applied 7 days before the pathogen in the greenhouse experiments, the ACCD-producing Sv was relatively superior in its efficacy against SDS over the non-ACCD-producing St. This was evident from the symptoms of SDS in diseased date palm seedlings which were greatly reduced by Sv compared to St. On a scale of 5.0, the estimated disease severity indices in Fs-diseased seedlings were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced from 4.8 to 1.5 and 0.5 by St and Sv, respectively. Thus, the number of conidia of Fs recovered from plants pre-treated with both BCAs was comparable, but significantly (P < 0.05) reduced compared to plants without any BCA treatment. In addition, a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in ACC levels of both the root and shoot tissues was detected inSv + Fs seedlings to almost similar levels of healthy seedlings. However, in planta ACC levels highly increased in seedlings grown in soils infested with the pathogen alone or amended with St prior to F. solani infestation (St + Fs). This suggests a major role of ACCD production in relieving the stress of date palm seedlings infected with F. solani, thus supporting the integrated preventive disease management programs against this pathogen. This is the first report of effective rhizosphere actinobacterial BCAs to provide protection against SDS on date palm, and to help increase agricultural productivity in a more sustainable manner in the UAE and the other arid regions.