Comparative Genomics of Pathogenic subsp. Strains from Chile Reveals Potential Virulence Features for Tomato Plants.

The genus has been associated largely with plant diseases. The aims of this study were to characterize the genomes and the virulence factors of Chilean subsp. strains VL527, MSF322 and OP3, and to define their phylogenomic positions within the species, . VL527 and MSF322 genomes possess 3,396,632 and 3,399,199 bp, respectively, with a pCM2-like plasmid in strain VL527, with pCM1- and pCM2-like plasmids in strain MSF322. OP3 genome is composed of a chromosome and three plasmids (including pCM1- and pCM2-like plasmids) of 3,466,104 bp. Genomic analyses confirmed the phylogenetic relationships of the Chilean strains among subsp. and showed their low genomic diversity. Different virulence levels in tomato plants were observable. Phylogenetic analyses of the virulence factors revealed that the gene ( region)-that grouped Chilean strains in three distinct clusters-and proteases and hydrolases encoding genes, exclusive for each of the Chilean strains, may be involved in these observed virulence levels. Based on genomic similarity (ANIm) analyses, a proposal to combine and reclassify subsp. and subsp. at the species level, as sp. nov., as well as to reclassify subsp. as the species . sp. nov. may be justified.