Genomic Characterization of Three Bacterial Isolates Antagonistic to the Pea Root Rot Pathogen

Microorganisms living in soil and rhizosphere or inside plants can promote plant growth and health. Genomic characterization of beneficial microbes could shed light on their special features. Through extensive field survey across Saskatchewan, Canada, followed by in vitro and greenhouse characterization, we identified several bacterial isolates antagonistic to pea root rot pathogen . In this study, the genomes of three isolates- sp. rhizo 66 (PD-S66), rhizo 25 (Ps-S25), and sp. root 2 (TS-R2)-were sequenced, assembled, and annotated. Genome size of PD-S66 was 6 279 416 bp with 65 contigs, 59.32% GC content, and 5653 predicted coding sequences (CDS). Genome size of Ps-S25 was 6 058 437 bp with 66 contigs, a GC content of 60.08%, and 5575 predicted CDS. The genome size of TS-R2 was 5 282 152 bp, containing 26 contigs, a GC content of 56.17%, and 4956 predicted CDS. For the identification of the isolates, digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values were determined, which confirmed PD-S66 and TS-R2 as potential new species, belonging to and genera, respectively, while Ps-S25 belongs to species . Biosynthetic gene clusters were predicted using antiSMASH. The genomic data provided insight into the genetics and biochemical pathways supporting the antagonistic activity against of these isolates.