ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Phage Biology
This article is part of the Research TopicEcological Dynamics of Phage-Host Interactions: From Molecules to EcosystemsView all articles
Isolation, Identification, and Genomic Analysis of Bacteriophage GJKY_A for the Prevention and Treatment of Citrus Canker
Provisionally accepted
- College of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji'an City, China
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Citrus canker, caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), leads to severe economic losses in global citrus production. Conventional chemical control strategies are increasingly hindered by bacterial resistance and environmental concerns. Bacteriophages offer a sustainable alternative for plant disease management. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a phage, GJKY_A, from sewage effluent targeting Xcc. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an polyhedral head (~90 nm) and a long, flexible non-contractile tail (~150 nm). One-step growth analysis showed a latent period of 20 min and a burst size of ~84 plaque-forming units per cell. GJKY_A displayed high host specificity and remained stable across 40–50 °C and pH 3–12. Genomic sequencing identified a 62,551 bp double-stranded DNA genome with 44.81% GC content. Analysis of the taxonomic status of the phage shows that phage GJKY_A is closely related to phages of the genus Stenotrophomonas. Functional assays demonstrated efficient inhibition of host growth in vitro and suppression of citrus canker symptoms in ex vivo leaf assays. These findings establish GJKY_A as a promising biocontrol candidate and provide a foundation for developing safe, eco-friendly strategies for citrus canker management.
Keywords: Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, Bacteriophage, Phage control, Biological characteristics, genome analysis
Received: 11 Sep 2025; Accepted: 24 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wu, Li, Li, Li, Chang, Hu, Liu, He and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Huimin Sun, jgsdxzwzy@hotmail.com
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