Abstract
The genus Erwinia includes several phytopathogenic species, most notably Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight disease. In order to reduce crop losses, E. amylovora and other economically important phytopathogenic Erwinia species have been very well-studied. However, non-phytopathogenic species in the genus Erwinia have barely been studied. In this review, we will discuss what is currently known about non-phytopathogenic Erwinia aeris, Erwinia endophytica, Erwinia oleae, Erwinia phyllosphaerae, Erwinia plantamica, and Erwinia tasmaniensis in terms of habitat, genotypic and phenotypic traits, and their potential uses in biotechnology and biocontrol applications. We will also suggest directions for future research. To achieve this, we performed literature searches using Google Scholar and gathered additional genome information from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. The literature shows that E. tasmaniensis can suppress symptoms of fire blight disease caused by E. amylovora in the lab. Additionally, E. tasmaniensis produces levan, a type of exopolysaccharide that has many uses in biotechnology. E. plantamica enhances barley shoot growth in the lab and has potential for use as a biofertilizer. E. oleae and E. endophytica may actually contribute to pathogenesis by cooperating with phytopathogens that infect their respective plant hosts. Very little is known so far about E. phyllosphaerae and E. aeris. Gaining an understanding of how non-phytopathogenic Erwinia species interact with their environment, other microorganisms, and their hosts will lead to effective and environmentally safe strategies to protect and improve the health of many economically important plant species across the globe.