To deploy durable plant resistance, we must understand its underlying molecular mechanisms. Type III effectors (T3Es) and their recognition play a central role in the interaction between bacterial pathogens and crops. We demonstrate that the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) T3E ripAX2 triggers specific resistance in eggplant AG91-25, which carries the major resistance locus EBWR9. The eggplant accession AG91-25 is resistant to the wild-type R. pseudosolanacearum strain GMI1000, whereas a ripAX2 defective mutant of this strain can cause wilt. Notably, the addition of ripAX2 from GMI1000 to PSS4 suppresses wilt development, demonstrating that RipAX2 is an elicitor of AG91-25 resistance. RipAX2 has been shown previously to induce effector-triggered immunity (ETI) in the wild relative eggplant Solanum torvum, and its putative zinc (Zn)-binding motif (HELIH) is critical for ETI. We show that, in our model, the HELIH motif is not necessary for ETI on AG91-25 eggplant. The ripAX2 gene was present in 68.1% of 91 screened RSSC strains, but in only 31.1% of a 74-genome collection comprising R. solanacearum and R. syzygii strains. Overall, it is preferentially associated with R. pseudosolanacearum phylotype I. RipAX2 appears to be the dominant allele, prevalent in both R. pseudosolanacearum and R. solanacearum, suggesting that the deployment of AG91-25 resistance could control efficiently bacterial wilt in the Asian, African and American tropics. This study advances the understanding of the interaction between RipAX2 and the resistance genes at the EBWR9 locus, and paves the way for both functional genetics and evolutionary analyses.

Bacterial wilt caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) is considered one of the most harmful plant diseases in the world. Special attention should be paid to R. pseudosolanacearum phylotype I due to its large host range, its worldwide distribution, and its high evolutionary potential. So far, the molecular epidemiology and population genetics of this bacterium are poorly understood. Until now, the genetic structure of the RSSC has been analyzed on the worldwide and regional scales. Emerging questions regarding evolutionary forces in RSSC adaptation to hosts now require genetic markers that are able to monitor RSSC field populations. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) approach for its ability to discriminate genetically close phylotype I strains and for population genetics studies. We developed a new MLVA scheme (MLVA-7) allowing us to genotype 580 R. pseudosolanacearum phylotype I strains extracted from susceptible and resistant hosts and from different habitats (stem, soil, and rhizosphere). Based on specificity, polymorphism, and the amplification success rate, we selected seven fast-evolving variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) markers. The newly developed MLVA-7 scheme showed higher discriminatory power than the previously published MLVA-13 scheme when applied to collections sampled from the same location on different dates and to collections from different locations on very small scales. Our study provides a valuable tool for fine-scale monitoring and microevolution-related study of R. pseudosolanacearum phylotype I populations.IMPORTANCE Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of adaptation of plant pathogens to new hosts or ecological niches has become a key point for the development of innovative disease management strategies, including durable resistance. Whereas the molecular mechanisms underlying virulence or pathogenicity changes have been studied thoroughly, the population genetics of plant pathogen adaptation remains an open, unexplored field, especially for plant-pathogenic bacteria. MLVA has become increasingly popular for epidemiosurveillance and molecular epidemiology studies of plant pathogens. However, this method has been used mostly for genotyping and identification on a regional or global scale. In this study, we developed a new MLVA scheme, targeting phylotype I of the soilborne Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC), specifically to address the bacterial population genetics on the field scale. Such a MLVA scheme, based on fast-

Ralstonia solanacearum displays variability in its virulence to solanaceous crops. We report here the draft genome sequences of eight phylotype I strains and one phylotype III strain differing in virulence to the resistant eggplant genotype AG91-25. These data will allow the identification of virulence- and avirulence-related genes.

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