## 1 Introduction  
Diverse colonization strategies are employed by the phytopathogen _Pectobacterium_ spp. (Syn. _Erwinia_) to cause soft rot, slow wilt, and blackleg infections in potato plants [1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6] and bacterial soft rot in economically important crops including chili, tomato, maize, cabbage, and ornamental plants during pre-harvest or post-harvest, causing significant losses worldwide [7]. For instance, this pathogen has the ability to sense the diffusible quorum-sensing signal molecules N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs), which are involved in the regulation of complex pathways of positive and negative regulatory key proteins and virulence factors [8; 9; 10]. A principal factor affecting pathogenesis and virulence is the regulation of the production of plant-cell-wall-degrading enzymes (PCWDEs), such as PCTetalyases, poly-galacturonases, proteases, and cellulases, which are secreted through different secretion systems and cause severe tissue maceration [9; 10]. In addition, quorum-sensing molecules regulate the production of Beta-lactam antibiotics, probably as a mechanism of bacterial competence during colonization, but their real ecological function is not known [9; 11]. Molecules that are intermediate products of cell wall degradation and others not identified have also been detected as inducers of exoenzymes production [12]. Based on these colonization strategies, diverse mechanisms acting in several beneficial microorganisms have been studied for their capacity for biocontrol against _Pectobacterium_ spp., and as an alternative to using chemical bactericidals to control soft rot bacteria, as this has toxic effects on the environment, including alterations in communities of beneficial microorganisms [13; 14; 15]. One route to reduce pathogenesis and virulence is N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) degradation by the _aiiA_ gene that encodes a lactonase enzyme and is present in diverse microorganisms [16; 17]. This strategy has been evaluated and shown significant results in reducing potato soft rot using the soil bacterium _Bacillus_ that encodes a lactonase enzyme able to degrade AHLs [18]. Also, the _aiiA_ gene has been cloned in plasmid pME6863 and introduced in _Pseudomonas fluorescens P3_ with similar results [19]. Genetically modified tobacco and potato plants with the _aiiA_ gene also showed disease resistance against soft rot [20; 21]. The use of a bacteriophage belonging to the _Podoviridae_ family has also been tested as an effective mode of biocontrol for its lytic activity against _P. carotovorum_ subsp. _carotovorum_[22]. On the other hand, with particular significance for our research, diverse antagonist bacterial and fungal species have been carefully assessed against _Pectobacterium_ spp. [22; 23]. Interestingly, cell-free filtrates obtained from diverse _Bacillus_ and _Trichoderma_ species have been shown to be highly effective against soft rot, which demonstrates that diverse biomolecules (known or new) can be employed to reduce infection with this plant pathogen [23]. The ability to colonize plant tissues can provide important ecological advantages during bacterial competition, but the physiological response speed can make a difference between bacterial species. Furthermore, relevant signal transduction pathways for plant-bacteria interaction are a critical factor during this period given their potential beneficial or detrimental impacts on plant tissue [24]. Therefore, it is of great significance to find beneficial bacterial species with faster colonization responses in plant tissue, with metabolic activities that have an extensive potential to control pathogenic microorganisms in agricultural systems. In this context, we recently isolated and proved the ability of _Kosakonia cowanii_ to colonize _Capsicum annuum_ L tissue without causing detrimental effects [25; 26]. _K.