Genetic Diversity and Virulence of Phytopathogenic Burkholderia glumae Strains Isolated from Rice Cultivars in Valleys of the High Jungle of Perú.

Burkholderia glumae causes bacterial leaf blight in rice, and its global spread has been exacerbated by climate change. To understand the genetic diversity and virulence of B. glumae strains isolated from rice cultivars in Perú, 47 isolates were obtained from infected rice fields, all belonging to B. glumae, and confirmed by recA and toxB sequences. The BOX-PCR typing group has 38 genomic profiles, and these turn into seven variable number tandem repeats (VNTR) haplotypes. There was no correlation between clustering and geographical origin. Nineteen strains were selected for phenotypic characterization and virulence, using both the maceration level of the onion bulb proxy and inoculation of seeds of two rice cultivars. Several strains produced pigments other than toxoflavin, which correlated with onion bulb maceration. In terms of virulence at the seed level, all strains produced inhibition at the root and coleoptile level, but the severity of symptoms varied significantly between strains, revealing significant differences in pathogenicity. There is no correlation between maceration and virulence scores, probably reflecting different virulence mechanisms depending on the host infection stage. This is the first study to evaluate the VNTR diversity and virulence of Peruvian strains of B. glumae in two commercial cultivars.

Unlocking the Complete Chloroplast Genome of a Native Tree Species from the Amazon Basin, Capirona (Calycophyllum Spruceanum, Rubiaceae), and Its Comparative Analysis with Other Ixoroideae Species.

Capirona (Calycophyllum spruceanum Benth.) belongs to subfamily Ixoroideae, one of the major lineages in the Rubiaceae family, and is an important timber tree. It originated in the Amazon Basin and has widespread distribution in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. In this study, we obtained the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of capirona from the department of Madre de Dios located in the Peruvian Amazon. High-quality genomic DNA was used to construct libraries. Pair-end clean reads were obtained by PE 150 library and the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. The complete cp genome of C. spruceanum has a 154,480 bp in length with typical quadripartite structure, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (84,813 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,101 bp), separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,783 bp). The annotation of C. spruceanum cp genome predicted 87 protein-coding genes (CDS), 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and one pseudogene. A total of 41 simple sequence repeats (SSR) of this cp genome were divided into mononucleotides (29), dinucleotides (5), trinucleotides (3), and tetranucleotides (4). Most of these repeats were distributed in the noncoding regions. Whole chloroplast genome comparison with the other six Ixoroideae species revealed that the small single copy and large single copy regions showed more divergence than inverted regions. Finally, phylogenetic analyses resolved that C. spruceanum is a sister species to Emmenopterys henryi and confirms its position within the subfamily Ixoroideae. This study reports for the first time the genome organization, gene content, and structural features of the chloroplast genome of C. spruceanum, providing valuable information for genetic and evolutionary studies in the genus Calycophyllum and beyond.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of a Peruvian landrace of Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Solanaceae), arnaucho chili pepper.

In this study, we sequenced the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of a Peruvian chili pepper landrace, "arnacucho" (Capsicum chinense). This cp genome has a 156,931 bp in length with typical quadripartite structure, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (87,325 bp) and a 17,912 bp small single-copy (SSC) region, separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,847 bp); and the percentage of GC content was 37.71%. Arnaucho chili pepper chloroplast genome possesses 133 genes that consists of 86 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA, eight rRNA, and two pseudogenes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this Peruvian chili pepper landrace is closely related to the undomesticated species C. galapagoense; all belong to the Capsiceae tribe.

The complete chloroplast genome of the national tree of Peru, quina (Cinchona officinalis L., Rubiaceae).

Here, we report the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Cinchona officinalis. This cp genome has a 156,984 bp in length with typical quadripartite structure, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (83,929 bp) and an 18,051 bp small single-copy (SSC) region, separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions (27,502 bp). The total GC content was 37.75%. Quina tree chloroplast genome possesses 135 genes that consisted of 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA, eight rRNA, and one pseudogene. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. officinalis is sister to C. pubescens and sister to them is Isertia laevis; all belong to the Cinchonoideae sub-family.