Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of 18 Agrobacterium vitis Isolates

Abstract

Agrobacterium vitis is the causal organism of crown gall in grapevine. Infection is particularly severe in areas that experience winter damage to vines. Improving resistance to A. vitis will require a detailed knowledge about this organism. In this study, 18 grapevine isolates of A. vitis were collected from different locations near Lubbock, Texas. Isolates were subjected to a phenotypic characterization using 12 biochemical tests, including production of alkali from L-tartrate, production of 3-ketolactose, utilization of citrate, and others. Previously characterized isolates of A. vitis and A. tumefaciens obtained from the American Type Culture Collection served as positive and negative controls in these assays. Isolates were also evaluated for host range, tumor morphology, and opine utilization, and were compared at the molecular level by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the oncogenic regions of the T-DNA plasmid. Although all isolates were able to metabolize tartrate and grow on Roy–Sasser media, there was much variability based on other tests. Twelve of 18 isolates were able to utilize octopine as a sole carbon source. All isolates tested thus far have been pathogenic on tomato and tests on grapevines are underway.