Complete Genome Sequence of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri CQ13, an Alternative Model Strain to Study Citrus Bacterial Canker in China

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri is a quarantine organism causing citrus bacterial canker in many countries. Sharing research materials worldwide became difficult due to local administrative regulations, which hindered the continuity of studies on this disease. Here, we report a complete genome sequence of X. citri subsp. citri strain CQ13 achieved using a combination of Illumina and Nanopore platforms. The CQ13 genome comprises a circular chromosome (5,142,501 bp; G + C content 64.83%) and two circular plasmids, pXAC33 and pXAC64 (34,102 bp and 64,942 bp; G + C content 61.96 and 61.41%, respectively). Annotation revealed 4,243 protein-coding sequences, six rRNA genes, 53 tRNA genes, 40 ncRNA genes, and 168 pseudogenes. Notably, the analyses of average nucleotide identity, host range, pathogenicity, and type III effector repertoire suggest that CQ13 is particularly closely related to the current model strain 306. Therefore, strain CQ13 could serve as an alternative model strain, and its genome sequence could provide a valuable resource for citrus canker research in China. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .