Complete genome sequence of the sesame pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum strain SEPPX 05

Ralstonia solanacearum is a soil-borne phytopathogen associated with bacterial wilt disease of sesame. R. solanacearum is the predominant agent causing damping-off from tropical to temperate regions. Because bacterial wilt has decreased the sesame industry yield, we sequenced the SEPPX05 genome using PacBio and Illumina HiSeq 2500 systems and revealed that R. solanacearum strain SEPPX05 carries a bipartite genome consisting of a 3,930,849 bp chromosome and a 2,066,085 bp megaplasmid with 66.84% G+C content that harbors 5,427 coding sequences. Based on the whole genome, phylogenetic analysis showed that strain SEPPX05 is grouped with two phylotype I strains (EP1 and GMI1000). Pan-genomic analysis shows that R. solanacearum is a complex species with high biological diversity and was able to colonize various environments during evolution. Despite deletions, insertions, and inversions, most genes of strain SEPPX05 have relatively high levels of synteny compared with strain GMI1000. We identified 104 genes involved in virulence-related factors in the SEPPX05 genome and eight absent genes encoding T3Es of GMI1000. Comparing SEPPX05 with other species, we found highly conserved secretion systems central to modulating interactions of host bacteria. These data may provide important clues for understanding underlying pathogenic mechanisms of R. solanacearum and help in the control of sesame bacterial wilt.