Characterization of Acidovorax citrulli strains isolated from solanaceous plants

Acidovorax citrulli is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch disease of cucurbits. Strains of this pathogen are distributed into two major groups: Group I strains have been mainly isolated from melon and other non-watermelon cucurbits, while Group II strains have been mainly recovered from watermelon. Here we report the characterization of strains T1 and EP isolated from diseased tomato and eggplant plants, respectively, and further confirmed to belong to A. citrulli species. Based on PCR, PFGE, and rep-PCR, these strains showed high similarity to the Group II strain 7a1. Sequencing and comparative analyses revealed that the genomes of T1 and EP aligned with that of the Group II model strain AAC00-1, over 97.88% and 99.22%, respectively. The virulence of T1, EP, and 7a1 determined on tomato, eggplant, and watermelon was similar and significantly higher than that of Group I strain M6. In contrast, M6 was more virulent on melon. Expression levels of seven virulence genes measured 24 hr after inoculation of tomato, eggplant, watermelon, and melon showed that the expression pattern was generally similar in strains 7a1, T1, and EP, whereas for M6 the expression was high only on melon. Overall, our results indicate that the solanaceous strains belong to Group II. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that reports characterization of A. citrulli strains isolated from solanaceous species. The fact that A. citrulli is able to naturally colonize and cause disease in non-cucurbit crops poses additional challenges for management of this important pathogen.     

Tn5 transposon mutagenesis in Acidovorax citrulli for identification of genes required for pathogenicity on cucumber

An Acidovorax citrulli–cucumber pathosystem was established through which A. citrulli mutants with altered pathogenicity, generated by transposon mutagenesis, were identified on cucumber cotyledons. The A. citrulli group I strain FC440 was shown to grow faster in cucumber leaf tissues than a group II strain and was used for Tn5 transposon mutagenesis. A total of 2100 Tn5 insertional mutants were generated, and analysis of the mutant library showed that the transposon insertions were single, independent and stable. A conserved non‐flagellar type III secretion system (NF‐T3SS) ATPase gene hrcN was identified and confirmed to be essential for pathogenicity and functionality of NF‐T3SS in A. citrulli. Comparative sequence analysis of the HrcN protein and its homologues in other representative bacterial plant pathogens revealed that the NF‐T3SS of A. citrulli is close to that of Ralstonia solanacearum and Xanthomonas campestris, but distant from that of Pseudomonas syringae and Erwinia amylovora. The generated Tn5 insertional mutant collection is valuable for identification of genes required for A. citrulli pathogenesis, and the established A. citrulli–cucumber pathosystem will facilitate an improved understanding of A. citrulli biology and pathology.     

瓜类细菌性果斑病菌对硫酸铜的敏感性检测与分析

果斑病菌两个亚群的143个菌株继代培养10代后,通过平板画线法对各菌株的硫酸铜敏感性检测结果表明：在硫酸铜浓度为300 μg/mL(1.88 mmol/L)时只有一株菌株表现敏感,在浓度达到750 μg/mL(4.69 mmol/L)时所有菌株均表现敏感;浓度为450~650 μg/mL (2.81~4.06 mmol/L)时分离自甜瓜的敏感菌株所占比率显著低于西瓜菌株;继代培养后所有菌株的硫酸铜敏感性没有改变,证实果斑病菌具有稳定的抗铜性。     

哈蜜瓜种子带细菌性果斑病菌检测技术的研究

哈蜜瓜细菌性果斑病是世界性的检疫对象之一,主要以种子带菌进行远距离传播,本文通过温室育苗、室内分离和PCR(聚合酶链式反应)技术对哈蜜瓜种子带菌情况和主要带菌部位进行了检验,结果表明:3种方法都可以对种子带菌情况进行检测,分离检测和PCR检测还可以确定种子的带菌部位,PCR技术具有特异性强、灵敏度高、检测时间短等特点.另外检测结果也表明种子带菌以种皮为主,种仁的带菌量较少.     

Long‐term survival of Acidovorax citrulli in citron melon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) seeds

Long‐term survival of Acidovorax citrulli in citron melon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) seeds was investigated. Citron melon seed lots infected with A. citrulli were generated in the field by inoculating either the pistils (stigma) or pericarps (ovary wall) of the female blossoms. Seventeen A. citrulli isolates from 14 different haplotypes belonging to two different groups (group I and II) were used for inoculation. After confirming that 100% of seed lots were infected, they were stored at 4°C and 50% RH for 7 years. After storage, the viability of A. citrulli cells from individual lots was determined by plating macerated seeds on semiselective medium as well as growing seeds for 14 days and scoring for bacterial fruit blotch symptoms. The type of A. citrulli isolate (group I or group II) used did not significantly influence bacterial survival. However, A. citrulli survival was significantly greater in seed lots generated via pistil inoculation (52·9 and 29·4%) than via pericarp inoculation (23·5 and 17·6%). Repetitive extragenic palindrome (rep)‐PCR on A. citrulli isolated from citron melon seed lots after storage displayed similar fingerprinting patterns to those of the reference strains originally used for blossom inoculation, indicating that cross‐contamination did not occur. The results indicate that A. citrulli may survive/overwinter in citron melon seeds for at least 7 years and bacterial survival in seed was influenced more by method of blossom inoculation than by the type of bacterial isolate.     

Pathways of bacterial invasion and watermelon seed infection by Acidovorax citrulli

This study explored the pathways of ingress of Acidovorax citrulli, the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits, into watermelon seeds. Up until 7 days post‐inoculation (DPI), a significantly higher percentage of watermelon seeds was infected with A. citrulli when the bacteria were applied (c. 1 × 10⁶ colony‐forming units) to stigmas versus ovary pericarps of female flowers. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that, with stigma inoculation, A. citrulli colonized style and ovary tissues by 1 DPI, and the bacteria co‐localized with pollen germ tubes in these tissues. With ovary pericarp inoculation, A. citrulli cells penetrated the epicarp and mesocarp tissues by 1 DPI but did not reach endocarp until 4 DPI. Finally, manual pollination followed by stigma inoculation led to >53% A. citrulli‐infected seed lots, while A. citrulli was not detected in seeds/ovules generated by stigma inoculation without pollination (chemically induced parthenocarpy). These results show that stigma inoculation results in faster colonization of watermelon ovules by A. citrulli than pericarp inoculation, even though there is no difference in the levels of infection in mature seeds. The data also indicate that pollen germ tubes play an important role in A. citrulli ingress into watermelon seeds via stigmas.     

西甜瓜果斑病菌avrRxo1同源基因激发玉米Rxo1抗性产生的研究

生物信息学分析发现西(甜)瓜果斑病菌(Acidovorax citrulli,Ac)基因组中存在水稻条斑病菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzicola,Xoc)avrRxo1的同源基因avrRxo1_(Ac)。为了揭示avrRxo1_(Ac)是否能够激发玉米R基因Rxo1介导的过敏反应(Hypersensitive response,HR),本研究克隆了avrRxo1_(Ac)基因;氨基酸同源性分析结果显示:AvrRxo1_(Ac)与AvrRxo1的同源性为53.16%。将avrRxo1_(Ac)置于Xoc的avrRxo1突变体中,发现其不能恢复该突变体在含有Rxo1玉米上激发HR反应的能力;借助农杆菌瞬时表达体系发现AvrRxo1A,也不能在Rxo1玉米上激发HR反应。这些结果表明avrRxo1_(Ac)-Rxo1互作不表现为基因-对-基因关系,暗示Rxo1抗病基因转入西甜瓜中,将不能起到抗西(甜)瓜细菌性果斑病的作用。     

瓜类种子细菌性果斑病菌防治研究进展

细菌性果斑病是典型的由种子带菌引起的传染性病害,解决种子带菌问题是防治该病的关键。通过综述近年国内外瓜类种子的发酵处理、热处理、药剂处理以及快速干燥对BFB的防治,对种子处理剂提出新的研究方向,为从事相关研究的工作人员提供参考和借鉴。     

New subspecies-specific polymerase chain reaction-based assay for the detection of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli

New subspecies-specific primers for the detection of Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli ( Aac ), the seedborne bacterium which causes bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits, were designed based on PCR fragments obtained in ERIC- and BOX-PCR profiles of Aac strains. PCR with both primer sets identified 30 strains from different locations and hosts, but did not amplify DNA from other closely related species and subspecies assessed, with the exception of DNA of one strain of A. avenae subsp. avenae , which was amplified by one of the primer sets, named BX-S. This primer set, based on a BOX-PCR fragment, performed under high-stringency conditions without losing its detection sensitivity. The primers were also evaluated for their ability to detect the pathogen in contaminated watermelon and melon seed samples. The BX-S primers facilitated the detection of the pathogen from washings of 5000-seed samples with 0·02% infestation. This primer set was also assessed for detection using immunomagnetic separation polymerase chain reaction (IMS-PCR) and was shown to be as sensitive as a previously described primer set (AACF2/R3), detecting 0·02% infestation in seed samples. This highly specific and sensitive primer set could be used to improve PCR-based detection of this important pathogen.     

Cotyledons are the main source of secondary spread of Acidovorax citrulli in melon nurseries

Acidovorax citrulli (Ac) is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) disease resulting in substantial economic damage to cucurbit crops worldwide. The plant parts and cultural practices (irrigation methods and bactericidal sprays) that affect the secondary spread of Ac in melon nurseries were investigated in this study. Overhead irrigation dispersed the pathogen from infected seedlings to 95% of the neighbouring healthy seedlings, with 80% of them displaying high disease severity. In contrast, when sub‐irrigation by floating was employed, the neighbouring plants of the infected ones did not display disease symptoms and were not colonized by Ac. Foliar treatment with Kocide after cotyledon emergence reduced disease incidence to 40%, with 37% of the plants displaying low disease severity. Assessment of Ac populations in different parts of the seedlings revealed that cotyledons were the most colonized part of the plant. Images of fluorescent binocular and confocal laser‐scanning microscopy of seedlings infected with a GFP‐labelled Ac strain showed that the pathogen forms abundant aggregates on the surface of cotyledons, colonizes the intercellular spaces of the parenchymatic tissues extensively, and moves through the vascular system of the hypocotyls, leading to infection of emerging leaves. Results of this study indicate that preventing secondary spread of Ac in melon nurseries by sub‐irrigation combined with a bactericidal spray at the cotyledon stage may provide an effective means for BFB control.     

种子引发处理对无籽西瓜幼苗生长的影响和对细菌性果斑病菌消毒的效果

 种子出苗率低和传带细菌性果斑病菌是制约三倍体无籽西瓜生产的主要原因。本试验利用KMnO₄、CuSO₄和ZnSO₄的不同浓度溶液对无籽西瓜种子进行不同时间引发处理, 通过滤纸发芽试验, 观测其对种子发芽和幼苗生长的促进作用;借助平板法测定引发溶液对细菌性果斑病菌FC247的抑制作用, 免疫凝聚试纸条和传统PCR检测引发处理对种子人工接菌FC247的消毒效果。结果表明:0.1% CuSO₄溶液引发处理4 h和0.2% ZnSO₄溶液引发处理24 h, 分别比未引发处理的无籽西瓜种子发芽率提高71.1%和73.3%, 并能显著提高发芽整齐度和幼苗素质;同时, 引发溶液对细菌性果斑病菌有显著抑制作用, 并对人工接菌种子表现出-定程度的消毒效果。     

哈密瓜细菌性果斑病病原菌鉴定

 2000年在内蒙古和新疆的哈密瓜上发现一种新细菌病害-哈密瓜细菌性果斑病,从病叶和病果上分离到33个细菌菌株,接种哈密瓜、西瓜和甜瓜后,发病症状与自然发病症状完全一致,而且从接种病株上又重新分离到了此病原细菌,这33个细菌菌株经柯赫法则证明均为该病的致病菌。各菌株致病力无明显差异。经革兰氏染色反应、菌体形态、培养性状、生理生化反应、细胞化学成分分析(糖、蛋白质、氨基酸、脂肪酸、mol% G+C)、DNA-DNA杂交,确认该病原菌为燕麦食酸菌西瓜亚种(Acidovorax avenae subsp.citrulli Willems et al.1992)=类产碱假单胞菌西瓜亚种(Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes subsp.citrulli Schaad et al.1978)。该病菌除侵染哈密瓜外,人工接种尚能侵染多种葫芦科及番茄、茄子等作物。     

西瓜品种资源抗细菌性果斑病苗期鉴定

为筛选高抗瓜类细菌性果斑病的西瓜资源,以24份西瓜品种资源为试材,采用苗期喷雾接种法分别接种分离自甜瓜上的瓜类嗜酸菌Acidovorax citrulli菌株pslb96和ZZ-1,鉴定各品种资源对瓜类细菌性果斑病的苗期抗性。结果表明,24份西瓜品种资源中未发现有对2株菌株表现免疫的材料,有7份资源对菌株pslb96表现高抗,12份资源对菌株ZZ-1表现高抗;9份资源对菌株pslb96表现中感或感病,7份资源对菌株ZZ-1表现中感和感病;对2株菌株均表现高抗的品种资源有野生型种质资源A9及商品种华欣、申蜜968、申选958和申抗988,占总品种资源的20.83%。部分品种资源A4、A13和申蜜7号对菌株pslb96和ZZ-1的抗性表现出明显的差异,表明相同寄主来源的2株不同菌株致病力存在差异。