Analysis of updated Pectobacteriaceae sequences highlights the need for taxonomy revisions

Availability of ample genomic data promotes the reevaluation and reestablishment of bacterial taxonomy and evolution. One of taxons under active study is Pectobacteriaceae, a family of Gram-negative bacteria that cause diseases of important agricultural plants. Elucidation of genomic and transcriptomic features of bacterial species facilitates the development of methods to detect and differentiate these pathogens, and to cure and prevent the diseases. Whole-genome and phylogenetic analyses of currently available bacterial genomes of this group suggest the revision of the Pectobacteriaceae taxonomy. The study proposes the formation of two new taxa. Particularly, a group of Pectobacterium strains, forming a monophyletic group similar to P. aquaticum, can be assigned as a separate species. Misclassified strain previously assigned to the genus Brenneria can represent of a new genus. This bacterium seems to be diverged from the common ancestor earlier than the genera of Dickeya, Lonsdalea, Samsonia, Pectobacterium, and Brenneria. © 2021 IEEE.