Genetic analyses of Pseudomonas syringae isolates from Belgian fruit orchards reveal genetic variability and isolate-host relationships within the pathovar syringae, and help identify both races of the pathovar morsprunorum

Abstract

A collection of Pseudomonas syringae and viridiflava isolates was established between 1993 and 2002 from diseased organs sampled from 36 pear, plum and cherry orchards in Belgium. Among the 356 isolates investigated in this study, phytotoxin, siderophore and classical microbiology tests, as well as the genetical methods REP-, ERIC- and BOX- (collectively, rep-) and IS50-PCR, enabled identification to be made of 280 isolates as P. syringae pv. syringae (Pss), 41 isolates as P. syringae pv. morsprunorum (Psm) race 1, 12 isolates as Psm race 2, three isolates as P. viridiflava and 20 isolates as unclassified P. syringae. The rep-PCR methods, particularly BOX-PCR, proved to be useful for identifying the Psm race 1 and Psm race 2 isolates. The latter race was frequent on sour cherry in Belgium. Combined genetic results confirmed homogeneities in the pvs avii, and morsprunorum race 1 and race 2 and high diversity in the pv. syringae. In the pv. syringae, homogeneous genetic groups consistently found on the same hosts (pear, cherry or plum) were observed. Pathogenicity on lilac was sometimes variable among Pss isolates from the same genetic group; also, some Psm race 2 and unclassified P. syringae isolates were pathogenic to lilac. In the BOX analyses, four patterns included 100% of the toxic lipodepsipeptide (TLP)-producing Pss isolates pathogenic to lilac. Many TLP-producing Pss isolates non-pathogenic to lilac and the TLP-non-producing Pss isolates were classified differently. Pseudomonas syringae isolates that differed from known fruit pathogens were observed in pear, sour cherry and plum orchards in Belgium.