Plant Dynamic Metabolic Response to Bacteriophage Treatment After Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris Infection

Abstract

Periodic epidemics of black rot disease occur worldwide causing substantial yield losses. <i>Xanthomonas campestris</i> pv. <i>campestris</i> (<i>Xcc</i>) represents one of the most common bacteria able to cause the above disease in cruciferous plants such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>. In agriculture, several strategies are being developed to contain the <i>Xanthomona</i>s infection. The use of bacteriophages could represent a valid and efficient approach to overcome this widespread phenomenon. Several studies have highlighted the potential usefulness of implementing phage therapy to control plant diseases as well as <i>Xcc</i> infection. In the present study, we characterized the effect of a lytic phage on the plant <i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>gongylodes</i> infected with <i>Xcc</i> and, for the first time, the correlated plant metabolic response. The results highlighted the potential benefits of bacteriophages: reduction of bacterium proliferation, alteration of the biofilm structure and/or modulation of the plant metabolism and defense response.