A Phosphonate Natural Product Made by Pantoea ananatis is Necessary and Sufficient for the Hallmark Lesions of Onion Center Rot

Abstract

Pantoea ananatis is a significant plant pathogen that targets a number of important crops, a problem that is compounded by the absence of effective treatments to prevent its spread. Our identification of pantaphos as the key virulence factor in onion center rot suggests a variety of approaches that could be employed to address this significant plant disease.