Expanding pathogenic diversity in bacterial wilt- insights beyond Ralstonia solanacearum species complex

Abstract

Bacterial wilt disease in plants, historically attributed primarily to the strains of Ralstonia solanacearum species complex, is undergoing re-evaluation due to recent discoveries. While the strains of R. solanacearum species complex remain major pathogens, emerging evidence reveals a broader spectrum of bacterial pathogens from the Enterobacteriaceae family, including Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter mori, Klebsiella oxytoca, Kosakonia cowanii and Serratia marcescens, as well as Providencia vermicola from the Morganellaceae family, all implicated in causing comparable wilt symptoms in plant hosts traditionally associated with R. solanacearum species complex. Although much remains to be understood about their pathogenicity and infection mechanisms, recent advancements through whole-genome sequencing have provided limited but valuable insights into their potential virulence factors.