Phylogenetic Relationships Among Global Populations of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, the causal agent of canker in kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) vines, was first detected in Japan in 1984, followed by detections in Korea and Italy in the early 1990s. Isolates causing more severe disease symptoms have recently been detected in several countries with a wide global distribution, including Italy, New Zealand, and China. In order to characterize P. syringae pv. actinidiae populations globally, a representative set of 40 isolates from New Zealand, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Chile were selected for extensive genetic analysis. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of housekeeping, type III effector and phytotoxin genes was used to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships between P. syringae pv. actinidiae isolates worldwide. Four additional isolates, including one from China, for which shotgun sequence of the whole genome was available, were included in phylogenetic analyses. It is shown that at least four P. syringae pv. actinidiae MLSA groups are present globally, and that marker sets with differing evolutionary trajectories (conserved housekeeping and rapidly evolving effector genes) readily differentiate all four groups. The MLSA group designated here as Psa3 is the strain causing secondary symptoms such as formation of cankers, production of exudates, and cane and shoot dieback on some kiwifruit orchards in Italy and New Zealand. It is shown that isolates from Chile also belong to this MLSA group. MLSA group Psa4, detected in isolates collected in New Zealand and Australia, has not been previously described. P. syringae pv. actinidiae has an extensive global distribution yet the isolates causing widespread losses to the kiwifruit industry can all be traced to a single MLSA group, Psa3.     

A study of populations of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae on stonefruits in Victoria

In a survey of the major stonefruit nurseries in Victoria during winter 1978 and 1979, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae , the causal organism of bacterial canker, was found to be present on most of the stonefruit material in all nurseries but was detected most frequently on apricot.
The epiphytic populations of P.s. pv. syringae on leaves, buds and shoots of apricot and cherry were assessed periodically between 1979 and 1983 by determining the proportion of trees bearing the bacterium or by counting numbers of bacteria. Populations consistently reached peak levels during spring and late autumn, with highest levels in spring. Populations were lowest during mid- to late summer. High proportions of tree contamination and high populations coincided with periods when maximum temperatures ranged from 19° to 25°C, and when rainfall was moderately high. The significance of these findings in the light of information from other studies on the seasonal variability of host susceptibility, and in relation to chemical control, is discussed.
There was no evidence of occurrence of P.s. pv. morsprunorum in Victoria.     

Similarity between Copper Resistance Genes from Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae and P. syringae pv. tomato

Twenty-eight strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae isolated in 1984, 1987 and 1988 from kiwifruit orchards in Japan were tested for their resistance to copper sulfate. All strains isolated in 1984 were copper sensitive with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cupric sulfate of 0.75 mM. However, some strains isolated in 1987 and 1988 were resistant, with the MIC ranging from 2.25 to 3.0 mM. All copper-resistant strains contained at least one of two plasmids, pPaCul (about 70.5 kb) or pPaCu2 (about 280 kb), or both. In a copper-resistant strain Pa429, the location of the copper-resistance gene(s) was examined by insertional inactivation with Tn5. The MIC of copper sulfate in the copper-sensitive mutant obtained by Tn5 tagging decreased from 2.75 to 0.75 mM. The 14.5 kb BamHI fragment, designated pPaCuB14, containing the same locus mutagenized with Tn5 was cloned from pPaCu1. However, pPaCuB14 did not confer copper resistance in the transformant of copper-sensitive strain Pa21R, suggesting that this clone did not contain a full set of copper-resistance gene(s). Then a cosmid library of pPaCu1 was constructed and six cosmid clones hybridized with pPaCuB14 were selected. One of the six cosmids, designated pPaCuC1, conferred a near wild-type level of copper resistance in the transformant of the copper-sensitive strain. pPaCuC1 had a homologous region that hybridized with all of the PCR-amplifled fragments of copA, copB, copR, and copS genes of P. syringae pv. tomato. DNA sequence analysis of the homologous region revealed the existence of four open reading frames (ORF A, B, R and S) oriented in the same direction. The predicted amino acid sequences of ORF A, B, R and S had 80, 70, 97 and 95% identity with CopA, B, R and S of P. syringae pv. tomato, respectively. Received 5 July 2001/ Accepted in revised form 27 September 2001     

Bacterial inflorescence rot of grapevine caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

Molecular sequencing (rpoB) and standard pathological and microbiological methods identified Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) as the causal agent of bacterial inflorescence rot of grapevines (Vitis vinifera) in three vineyards in Tumbarumba, NSW, Australia in 2006 and 2007. Pss strains from shrivelled berries and necrotic inflorescences of diseased grapevines were used to inoculate leaves and inflorescences of potted cv. Semillon grapevines. Pss caused disease symptoms similar to those experienced in the field, including angular leaf lesions, longitudinal lesions in shoot tissues and rotting of inflorescences from before flowering until shortly after fruit set. High humidity promoted symptom severity. The necrotic bunch stem and leaf lesions were susceptible to the development of Botrytis cinerea infections. Cryo‐scanning electron microscopy (cryoSEM) indicated that Pss entered leaves and inflorescence tissues via distorted, open, raised stomata surrounded by folds of tissue that appeared as ‘star‐shaped’ callose‐rich complexes when viewed by UV light microscopy. In necrotic tissues, cryoSEM revealed Pss within petiole parenchyma cells and air‐filled rachis xylem vessels. This is the first report of inflorescence and hence fruit loss caused by Pss in grapevines. The disease is described as ‘bacterial inflorescence rot’ and regarded as one that expands the previously reported pathology of grapevines caused by P. syringae. This study also indicated that infection by Pss might promote destructive B. cinerea infections when the fungus is already present but latent, although further experimentation is needed to prove such an interaction.     

Induction of pear blossom blast caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

Conditions were established for inducing pear blossom blast caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae on both attached and detached shoots. The incidence of blossom blast was proportional to the logarithm of the P.s. pv. syringae population under optimal temperature, moisture, and bloom developmental stage. Highest incidence of blossom infection followed occurrence of a major exotherm (an increase in temperature caused by the heat of fusion from ice formation within blossom tissue) in the presence of P. s. pv. syringae. The exotherm was detected inside ovary tissue at temperatures ranging from –1.8 to –3.5 C. Wetness duration following the thawing process was less important than wetness during and immediately after the freeze event. Blossoms inoculated, then air-dried or removed from low-temperature treatment prior to occurrence of an exotherm, had a low incidence of infection, The full bloom stage of blossom development was more susceptible to blossom blast than either the open cluster or tight cluster stages of development.     

Comparison of ethylene-producing Pseudomonas syringae strains isolated from kudzu (Pueraria lobata) with Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola and Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea

The relationships among strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea (Psg) and Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Psp) isolated from kudzu ( Pueraria lobata) and bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris) were investigated. All strains tested showed a close phenotypic similarity, with the exception of the utilization of inositol and mannitol as well as the production of toxins. On this basis the strains could be divided into three groups. Group 1 consists of all strains of pathovar glycinea, group 2 includes all Psp strains isolated from kudzu, and all Psp strains isolated from bean belong to group 3. This grouping was also reflected in the genetic fingerprints using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers that anneal to dispersed repetitive bacterial sequences (rep-PCR). The rep-PCR generated fingerprints were unique for each of the three groups. The strains of group 2, Psp strains isolated from kudzu, possess certain characteristics of group 1 (ethylene production) and group 2 (phaseolotoxin production). The Psp strains from kudzu can be clearly differentiated from Psp strains isolated from bean. They utilize mannitol, produce ethylene, and are strongly pathogenic to kudzu, bean, and soybean. The results obtained show that the Psp strains from kudzu should be separated from the pathovar phaseolicola and should represent their own pathovar.     

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae on pepper seedlings in Italy

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae causing leaf spot on pepper seedlings grown in a plant bed is reported in Italy for the first time. The pathogen was identified by means of biochemical, physiological and pathogenicity tests as well as by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole-cell proteins. The bacterial isolates showed positive for ice nucleation and biocide production.     

Specificity of polyclonal antibodies to different antigenic preparations of Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi strain UQM551 and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strain L

Polyclonal antibodies were produced against sonicated and heat-killed cells of Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi strain UQM551 and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strain L, and their specificities were compared. Evidence is presented that the serological specificity between these two pathovars lies in surface antigens. Of the surface antigens purified and tested, only flagella and lipopolysaccharide from the cell wall showed no cross-reactivity with heterologous antisera. Antisera to glutaraldehyde-fixed flagella of the two strains showed a high level of specificity. At a species or genus level, antisera prepared from heat-killed cells of P. syringae distinguished this species from all other bacterial species and genera tested, including strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium and Rhizobium.     

Production of syringomycins and syringopeptins by Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens

All virulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. atrofaciens produce in vitro substances with syringomycin-like features. All strains inhibited the growth of Geotrichum candidum in the plate assay although the extent of their growth inhibition was variable.
Purification of bioactive culture extracts of a highly virulent strain by ion exchange chromatography (Whatman CM52) yielded a main fraction which inhibited the growth of Rhodotorula pilimanae and Bacillus megaterium , and was phytotoxic to tobacco and wheat plants. In particular, the injection of this fraction in the culm of wheat plants caused phytotoxic symptoms on leaves similar to those caused in nature by the pathogen. The further purification by HPLC of the above fraction gave rise to four main bioactive substances which have been identified by spectroscopic methods (FAB-MS) and amino acid analysis as syringomycin E, syringomycin G, syringopeptin 25A and syringopeptin 25B, toxic lipodepsipeptides thus far recognized to be produced by most strains of P. syringae pv. syringae . The injection of both syringomycin E and syringopeptin 25A in wheat leaves caused necrotic symptoms; however, syringopeptin 25A was at least six times more active than syringomycin E. The possible role of the toxins in the disease development on cereals and the need for a careful examination of pathogenetic and biochemical features of P. syringae pv. atrofaciens to establish the relationships of the two pathovars in the 'syringae group' are discussed.     

番茄细菌性叶斑病菌RPA检测技术研究

青枯菌为应对逆境胁迫,可进入活的但非可培养状态(viable but non-eulturable,VBNC).本文利用叠氮溴化丙锭(PMA)与PCR技术相结合,建立了一种快速有效区分青枯菌死活细胞的分子检测方法.基于hrcS基因序列,设计了一对青枯菌种特异性检测引物hrcSf/hrcSr;利用PMA对青枯菌Po82菌株的细胞悬浮液样品进行预处理,随后进行常规PCR扩增.结果表明,当样品中PMA质量浓度为3 μg/mL、曝光时间大于5 min时,PMA可有效抑制死亡菌体细胞中的DNA扩增;且对可培养和VBNC状态细胞中的DNA扩增没有影响;本试验建立的PMA-PCR方法能有效对包括VBNC状态在内的青枯菌活菌进行检测,避免了假阳性与假阴性结果的产生.     

Factors affecting the severity of bacterial canker of pear caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

Several factors affecting the severity of bacterial canker of pear were studied. In the orchard, infection of shoots by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae occurred only when the inoculum dose exceeded 10⁶ colony-forming units/shoot. However, under favourable conditions in a growth chamber, cankers formed on detached shoots inoculated with 5 cfu/shoot. A second-order polynomial relationship was established between log₁₀ transformed canker length and log₁₀ transformed inoculum dose. In orchard and growth chamber experiments, shoots were susceptible from the time of bud swell until after fruit harvest. The severity of Pseudomonas canker of detached shoots increased if they were frozen at – 10°C for 24 h before inoculation. Shoots were most susceptible when inoculated immediately after wounding, and no cankers developed in the orchard when 3-day-old wounds were inoculated. Additionally, no cankers resulted from inoculation of leaf scars at leaf drop. Actively growing, current-season shoots were more susceptible than shoots that had set a terminal bud. The practical implications of these results are discussed as a basis for control of bacterial canker of pear.     

黄瓜细菌性角斑病菌交叉引物恒温扩增检测技术

黄瓜细菌性角斑病是我国黄瓜生产上的重要病害之一,其病原菌为Pseudomonas syringae pv.lachrymans。根据该病原菌甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢基因保守序列设计引物和探针,建立了交叉引物恒温扩增和核酸试纸条检测技术。菌体DNA检测灵敏度可达0.55 ng,纯菌直接检测灵敏度基本可达到单个细菌。所测试的5株黄瓜细菌性角斑病菌和染病黄瓜叶片均为阳性,其他13株对照菌株均为阴性。该方法灵敏度高,且操作简单,对设备要求低等,适合基层实验室应用。     

猕猴桃溃疡病菌在中国的适生性分析

通过分析猕猴桃溃疡病菌在中国的适生性,为科学制定有效的检疫监管措施,防范其入侵和扩散,确保猕猴桃产业健康发展提供理论依据。本研究根据前人研究结果,采用模糊数学综合评判的原理和方法,定量分析猕猴桃细菌性溃疡病菌(Pseudomonas syringae pv.actinidiae)在我国各个地区的适生性。猕猴桃溃疡病菌在我国最适宜的省份主要分布在四川、云南、贵州、福建、安徽、湖南、湖北、河南、江西、陕西、浙江、重庆、西藏。鉴于该病具有发生发展迅速,危害性强,防治难度大等特点,应当加强猕猴桃种苗等繁殖材料的检疫,加强对果园的管理和病害监测,积极采取有效的防治措施并加强抗病育种方面的研究。     

菜豆晕疫病菌的检测技术研究

通过选择性培养基的筛选,利用菜豆萎蔫毒素基因序列扩增引物和菜豆萎蔫毒素基因缺失菌株独有的ORF6序列的扩增引物,采用双重PCR技术实现了菜豆晕疫病菌的快速检测。     

Highly specific assays to detect isolates of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae biovar 3 and Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidifoliorum directly from plant material

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is responsible for bacterial canker of kiwifruit. Biovar 3 of Psa (Psa3) has been causing widespread damage to yellow‐ and green‐fleshed kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) cultivars in all the major kiwifruit‐producing countries in the world. In some areas, including New Zealand, P. syringae pv. actinidifoliorum (Pfm), another bacterial pathogen of kiwifruit, was initially classified as a low virulence biovar of Psa. Ability to rapidly distinguish between these pathovars is vital to the management of bacterial canker. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) data were used to develop PCR assays to specifically detect Psa3 and Pfm from field‐collected material without the need to culture bacteria. Genomic data from 36 strains of Psa, Pfm or related isolates enabled identification of areas of genomic variation suitable for primer design. The developed assays were tested on 147 non‐target bacterial species including strains likely to be found in kiwifruit orchards. A number of assays did not proceed because although they were able to discriminate between the different Psa biovars and Pfm, they also produced amplicons from other unrelated bacteria. This could have resulted in false positives from environmental samples, and demonstrates the care that is required when applying assays devised for pure cultures to field‐collected samples. The strategy described here for developing assays for distinguishing strains of closely related pathogens could be applied to other diseases with characteristics similar to Psa.     

Identification of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae causing bacterial leaf blight of Miscanthus sinensis

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - In the late summer of 2015, severe leaf blight occurred on Miscanthus sinensis grown on natural riverside lands of the Han River in Seoul, South Korea....     

Syringopeptins, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae phytotoxins, resemble syringomycin in closing stomata

The recent finding that syringomycin (SR) and syringotoxin (ST)-producing isolates of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae also synthesize syringopeptins (SPs), another class of phytotoxic lipodepsipeptides, prompted studies of the biological properties and comparisons of the activities of the two groups of metabolites. The present paper reports the effects of two forms of SP on stomatal movement in detached leaves of Xanthium strumarium and in epidermal strips of Vicia faba and shows that these phytotoxins, as does the previously investigated SR, promote stomatal closure. SPs are at least 10-fold more efficient than SR in both tissues. In epidermal strips, the toxin-induced closure was not reversed by fusicoccin, a fungal metabolite that reversed the closing effects of abscisic acid. As reported in previous papers, these amphiphilic toxins affect several functions of biological membranes. A marked decrease in the rate of photosynthesis recorded in X. strumarium leaves treated with SPs is consistent with effects on biological membranes.