Bacterial Pustule Disease Research Articles

INTRODUKSI FORMULA RIZOBAKTERIA Bacillusthuringiensis pv. toumanoffi PADA TANAMAN KEDELAI UNTUK PENINGKATAN KETAHANAN TERHADAP PENYAKIT PUSTUL BAKTERI (Xanthomonas axonopodispvglycines) DI LAPANGAN

Bacillus thuringiensis srv.toumanoffi is an indigenous endophytic rizobacteria from healthy soybean rizosphere capable of controlling bacterial pustule disease (Xanthomonas axonopodispvglycines). Rhizobacteria needs to be formulated to remain effective in storage and application. The aimed of this research was to obtain a stable bacterial formula in controlling bacterial pustule disease in soybeans. This research was designed in factorial in a randomized group consisting of 13 treatments with 3 replications. The Treatment was a combination of carrier material (peat, tapioca and coconut water+1% palm oil) and storage time (0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks). Soybean seeds were introduced with each Bacillus thuringiensis srv. toumanoffi formula before planting. The results showed that the formula Bacillus thuringiensissrv. toumanofi was relatively stable in suppressing the incidence and severity of bacterial pustule disease in soybean leaf. The best formula for controlling bacterial pustules was Bacillus thuringiensis srv. toumanoffi in peat, coconut water + palm oil and tapioca each 2 weeks storage.

Thymol nanoemulsion exhibits potential antibacterial activity against bacterial pustule disease and growth promotory effect on soybean

An antibacterial and plant growth promoting nanoemulsion was formulated using thymol, an essential oil component of plant and Quillaja saponin, a glycoside surfactant of Quillaja tree. The emulsion was prepared by a sonication method. Fifty minutes of sonication delivered a long term stable thymol nanoemulsion which was characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryogenic-field emission scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-FESEM) and fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. Creaming index, pH and dilution stability were also studied for deliberation of its practical applications. The nanoemulsion (0.01–0.06%, v/v) showed substantial in vitro growth inhibition of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycine of soybean (6.7-0.0 log CFU/ml). In pot experiments, seed treatment and foliar application of the nanoemulsion (0.03–0.06%, v/v) significantly lowered the disease severity (DS) (33.3–3.3%) and increased percent efficacy of disease control (PEDC) (54.9–95.4%) of bacterial pustule in soybean caused by X. axonopodis pv. glycine. Subsequently, significant enhancements of plant growth were also recorded in plants treated with thymol nanoemulsion. This is the first report of a thymol based nanoemulsion obtained using Quillaja saponin as a surfactant. Our study claims that nano scale thymol could be a potential antimicrobial and plant growth promoting agent for agriculture.

Induction of soybean resistance to bacterial pustule disease (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines) by rhizobacteria and organic material treatment

This study aimed to evaluate the role of different formulations and types of organic matter in improving yield and resistance of soybean plants to bacterial pustule disease. The study was prepared based on a randomized block design with a factorial pattern. The first factor was the application of rhizobacterial formulation (biofresh), ie F0 = without the application of rhizobacteria, F1 = application of biofresh in solid formulation, and F2 = application of biofresh in liquid formulation. The second factor was the application of organic materials, namely B1 = compost of soybean litter + cow dung, B2 = compost of rice straw + cow dung, B3 = compost of soybean litter + rice straw + cow dung. Observation of disease severity and soybean yield was conducted on five sample plants in each treatment. The results showed that the treatment of biological agent biofresh in solid formulation combined with compos of soybean litter, was the best treatment in increasing plant resistance to bacterial pustule disease and seed weight. Plant resistance induction occurred systemically characterized by salicylic acid increase of 0.3 mg and peroxidase increase of 0.07 unit / mL in the sample plants.

FORMULASI PADAT RHIZOBAKTERIA INDIGENUS BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS TS2 DAN WAKTU PENYIMPANAN UNTUK MENGENDALIKAN PENYAKIT PUSTUL BAKTERI XANTHOMONAS AXONOPODIS PV. GLYCINES

Solid formulations of indigenous rhizobacteria Bacillus thuringiensis TS2 and storage time to control bacterial pustule disease Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines. Bacterial pustule disease caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Glycines is a major constraint in soybean cultivation. Indigenous rhizobacteria Bacillus thuringiensis TS2 from soybean rhizosphere acquired from previous research is the best isolate which can control soybean bacterial pustule disease and increase growth rate of soybean. To increased its stability and interaction with soybean plants, Bacillus thuringiensis TS2 was urged to test furthermore especially its formulation with based formula tapioca powder, peat and bulk. The most effective storage time also need to test. Result showed that all rhizobacterial formula had ability to decrease incidence of bacterial pustule disease compared to control. Moreover, all the three formula could increase plant growth, total of leaves, total of branch and yields. Flowering time was also advanced by 1-8 days compared to control. Decreasing of disease rate and increasing of plant growth rate variated between different formulations.

Draft genome sequence of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines 8ra possessing transcription activator-like effectors used for genetic engineering

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines 8ra is a causal agent of bacterial pustule disease in soybean. This bacterium possesses transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors which are useful for genetic/protein engineering applications in higher organisms including plants and humans. Here, we report that the draft genome sequence consists of 5,337,885-bp double-stranded DNA encoding 4674 open reading frames (ORFs) in 13 different contigs. This genome sequence would be useful in applications of TAL effectors in genetic engineering and in elucidating virulence factors against plants.

English

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines (Xag) causes bacterial pustule disease on soybean. This bacterium is present worldwide around hot and humid growing regions such as Southeast Asia. To understand if the gene coding for hemin transport protein (hem) is involved in virulence of the pathogen in soybean, we generated a hem mutant in Xag by overlapping PCR mutagenesis. Disruption of hem significantly reduced the population size and the disease incidence when sprayed on soybean but not when injected directly to soybean. The hem mutant caused the hypersensitive response induction on tobacco as an Xag wildtype. Interestingly, the hem expression was also reduced when the Xag wildtype grow in planta. The hemin transporter protein involved in the production of extracellular polysaccharide, biofilm formation, motility and attachment but not for extracellular enzymes. This confirmed that epiphytic fitness of Xag strongly required hem functions. These results suggest that hem gene is essential for virulence of Xag on soybean during the infection process. Key words: Bacterial pustule disease, virulence factors, iron uptake system, hem gene, epiphytic fitness.

Pemanfaatan Mulsa Jerami dan Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria untuk Menekan Penyakit Pustul Bakteri pada Tanaman Kedelai

Bacterial pustule caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines is one of important bacterial diseases of soybean in Indonesia. The development of alternative control of the disease is required to support integrated diseases management for sustainable agriculture. This research was conducted to observe the effect of straw mulch and plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) on the incidence of bacterial pustule disease on two soybean varieties in the farmer field at Cigombong, Sukabumi, West Java. The result of this research showed that all of the factors as combinations did not significantly affect the value of total area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) of bacterial pustule. Factor that significantly affected the values of AUDPC was soybean varieties. Gepak Kuning variety has lowest AUDPC value compared to Anjasmoro variety. In addition, combination of Gepak Kuning variety and straw mulch showed significantly different effect on AUDPC value. Therefore, this treatment combination should be recommended for the farmers.Key word: PGPR, soybean variety, straw mulch, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines

RNA-Seq Analysis of a Soybean Near-Isogenic Line Carrying Bacterial Leaf Pustule-Resistant and -Susceptible Alleles

Bacterial leaf pustule (BLP) disease is caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines (Xag). To investigate the plant basal defence mechanisms induced in response to Xag, differential gene expression in near-isogenic lines (NILs) of BLP-susceptible and BLP-resistant soybean was analysed by RNA-Seq. Of a total of 46 367 genes that were mapped to soybean genome reference sequences, 1978 and 783 genes were found to be up- and down-regulated, respectively, in the BLP-resistant NIL relative to the BLP-susceptible NIL at 0, 6, and 12h after inoculation (hai). Clustering analysis revealed that these genes could be grouped into 10 clusters with different expression patterns. Functional annotation based on gene ontology (GO) categories was carried out. Among the putative soybean defence response genes identified (GO:0006952), 134 exhibited significant differences in expression between the BLP-resistant and -susceptible NILs. In particular, pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) and damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) receptors and the genes induced by these receptors were highly expressed at 0 hai in the BLP-resistant NIL. Additionally, pathogenesis-related (PR)-1 and -14 were highly expressed at 0 hai, and PR-3, -6, and -12 were highly expressed at 12 hai. There were also significant differences in the expression of the core JA-signalling components MYC2 and JASMONATE ZIM-motif. These results indicate that powerful basal defence mechanisms involved in the recognition of PAMPs or DAMPs and a high level of accumulation of defence-related gene products may contribute to BLP resistance in soybean.

Metabolic stress-induced programmed cell death in Xanthomonas

Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines (Xcg), an etiological agent of the bacterial pustule disease of soybean, displayed nutritionally regulated caspase-dependent programmed cell death (PCD). Experiments showed that Xcg was under metabolic stress during PCD, as evident from the intracellular accumulation of NADH and ATP. Further, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as confirmed by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate labeling, electron spin resonance spectroscopy, and scopoletin assay, was also observed along with the activation of caspase-3. ROS scavengers such as dimethylsulfoxide, glutathione, n-propyl gallate, and catalase significantly inhibited caspase biosynthesis as well as its activity, eventually leading to the inhibition of PCD. The presence of a sublethal concentration of an electron transport chain uncoupler, 2,4-dinitrophenol, was found to reduce the ROS generation and the increase in the cell survival. These results indicated that Xcg cells grown in a protein-rich medium experienced metabolic stress due to electron leakage from the electron transport chain, leading to the generation of ROS and the expression as well as the activation of caspase-3, and resulting in PCD. A bacterial DNA gyrase inhibitor, nalidixic acid, was also found to inhibit PCD. Gyrase, which regulates DNA superhelicity, and consequently DNA replication and cell multiplication, appears to be involved in the process.

Characterization of a Novel Necrotic Response of Glycine max Line 'PI96188' to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines

Typical susceptible symptoms of the bacterial pustule disease caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines are pustule and chlorotic haloes that usually occur in leaves of Glycine max plants. The soybean genotype `PI96188` showed an atypical response to all tested races X. axonopodis pv. glycines, accompanied with necrosis without chlorotic haloes on the underside of the necrotic symptoms. X. axonopodis pv. glycines 8ra grew to levels from 10 to 100 fold lower on PI96188 than on susceptible cultivar Jinjoo1, but 10-fold higher than on the resistant cultivar CNS. The chlorophyll content in PI96188 leaves remained unchanged until 12 days after bacterial infection. Ultrastructural observation showed that the infected leaf cells of PI96188 had intact normal chloroplasts compared to those of the susceptible cultivar Jinjoo1. Chloroplast degradation or the absence of chloroplasts in cells of the infected tissues was observed in Jinjoo1. Senescence-related ACS7 gene was significantly induced in PI96188 compared to those in Jinjoo1 at 2 days after inoculation. While photosynthesis-related rbcS gene showed the dramatic change in Jinjoo1, this gene was constitutively expressed in PI96188. However, expression of the defense-related genes, such as peroxidase and isoflavone synthase in the infected PI96188 leaves was similar to that in Jinjoo1. Together, these results suggest that the novel necrotic symptom in PI96188 is a kind of resistant response different from a typical hypersensitive response in the resistant genotypes.

Evidence for a Link Between Pathogenicity and the Role of ImpBacterial Transport Effector Proteins in Soybean Infection by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines (Xag) is the causal agent of bacterial pustule disease of soybeans. A nonpathogenic mutant of Xag (M715) was constructed employing transposon mutagenesis which showed similar epiphytic survival in planta to its wild type strain (YR32). The objective of this work was to identify and to analyze genes involved in pathogenicity in Xag YR32. Inverse Polymerase Chain Reaction (IPCR) was used to isolate the DNA flanking transposon insertion. A 1.3 kb flanking DNA fragment was sequenced and analyzed employing BLAST program to study homology, the position of transposon insertion and to predict the structure and function of the gene. One of the Open Reading Frames (ORFs) shared homology with inner membrane proteins (imps) of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (GenBank accession No. NC 003919). Northern blot analysis revealed that an imps gene was monocistronic and the size of imps mRNA in YR32 was slightly longer than in M715. Reverse Transcriptase- PCR analysis demonstrated that the imps transcript in M715 was much less abundant than in the wild type YR32. Transposon (mini-Tn5-Kmr-Tpr) was determined to be inserted close to the end of C-terminal region of imps gene and might be sufficient to destabilize the imps transcript in M715 and so influence effectors transportation from Xag to plant cell.

Deteksi Cepat Penyakit Pustul Bakteri pada Kedelai Menggunakan Teknik PCR dengan Primer Spesifik

A rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based procedure was developed for detection of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines, the causal agent of bacterial pustule disease on soybean. A set of primers was designed from partial sequence of the pathogenicity gene of X. axonopodis pv. glycines strain YR32. Specific PCR product of 490 base pairs was produced from strains of X. axonopodis pv. glycines originally from Indonesia as well as from Taiwan. No other pathovars and bacterial species among those tested showed amplification product under optimized PCR conditions. Shaking infected soybean leaves in phosphate buffer saline during six hours was proved to be an essential in order to increase cell number of the bacterial. The procedure was applicable and reliable for detecting of pathogens in infected plant materials. The procedure was proved to be more effective than that of conventional detection and could be of great help for monitoring of pustule bacterial disease in the soybean fields.

A Pectate Lyase Homolog, xagP, in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines Is Associated with Hypersensitive Response Induction on Tobacco

ABSTRACT Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines is the causal agent of bacterial pustule disease of soybeans. A transposon insertional mutant (KU-P-M670) of X. axonopodis pv. glycines derived from wild-type strain KU-P-34017 lost the ability to induce the hypersensitive response (HR) on tobacco and pepper but retained its HR induction capacity on cucumber, sesame, and tomato. The mutation also resulted in loss of ability to cause a potato soft rot and express pectolytic activity at pH 6.5. An approximate 1.4-kb DNA fragment carrying the transposon insertion contained a single open reading frame that showed high homology with PSTRU-3, a pectate lyase gene in X. axonopodis pv. malvacearum. Complemented KU-P-M670 regained HR induction on tobacco and also pectolytic activity. Treatment of plants with inhibitors of eukaryotic metabolism blocked HR induction by wild-type strains and by complemented KU-P-M670. The presence of the pectate lyase homolog, which we designated xagP, in 26 X. axonopodis pv. glycines strains was highly correlated with their ability to induce an HR on tobacco. To our knowledge, this is the first study indicating a role for a functional pectate lyase in induction of a plant HR.

Aggressiveness of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines isolates to soybean and hypersensitivity responses by other plants

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines (Xag) causes bacterial pustule disease which can significantly reduce the production of soybean. A collection of 26 isolates of Xag from different soybean‐production areas of Thailand was shown to differ with regard to aggressiveness on soybean. They also differed in their ability to induce a hypersensitive response (HR) on four cultivars of tobacco and on other plant species including pepper, tomato, cucumber, pea and sesame. Tomato was most sensitive to HR induction by Xag. Isolate KU‐P‐34017 caused an HR on all the plant species tested. The minimal concentration of KU‐P‐34017 needed to induce HR on tobacco was approximately 5 × 108 CFU mL−1. A bacterium–plant interaction period of at least 2·5 h was necessary for HR, and different temperatures, relative humidity and light periods did not affect HR development. Inhibitors of eukaryotic metabolism, including cobalt chloride, lanthanum chloride and sodium orthovanadate (completely), and cycloheximide (partially) blocked the HR on tobacco, indicating the association of an active plant response. In contrast, the HR on tomato was inhibited only by cobalt chloride.

Molecular and functional characterization of a unique sucrose hydrolase from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines.

A novel sucrose hydrolase (SUH) from Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines, a causative agent of bacterial pustule disease on soybeans, was studied at the functional and molecular levels. SUH was shown to act rather specifically on sucrose (K(m) = 2.5 mM) but not on sucrose-6-phosphate. Protein analysis of purified SUH revealed that, in this monomeric enzyme with an estimated molecular mass of 70,223 +/- 12 Da, amino acid sequences determined for several segments have corresponding nucleotide sequences in XAC3490, a protein-coding gene found in the genome of X. axonopodis pv. citri. Based on this information, the SUH gene, consisting of an open reading frame of 1,935 bp, was cloned by screening a genomic library of X. axonopodis pv. glycines 8ra. Database searches and sequence comparison revealed that SUH has significant homology to some family 13 enzymes, with all of the crucial invariant residues involved in the catalytic mechanism conserved, but it shows no similarity to known invertases belonging to family 32. suh expression in X. axonopodis pv. glycines requires sucrose induction, and insertional mutagenesis resulted in an absence of sucrose-inducible sucrose hydrolase activity in crude protein extracts and a sucrose-negative phenotype. Recombinant SUH, overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified, was shown to have the same enzymatic characteristics in terms of kinetic parameters.

Involvement of caspase-3-like protein in rapid cell death of Xanthomonas.

Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines strain AM2 (XcgAM2), the aetiological agent of bacterial pustule disease of soybean, as well as some other strains of Xanthomonas including X. campestris pv. malvacearum NCIM 2310 and X. campestris NCIM 2961, exhibited post-exponential rapid cell death (RCD) in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium. RCD was not displayed by Xanthomonas strains while growing in starch medium. Addition of starch to LB culture of XcgAM2 at any point of incubation during the exponential growth was found to arrest the onset of RCD. RCD in this organism was found to be associated with the synthesis of an endogenous enzyme similar to human caspase-3, a known marker of apoptosis in eukaryotes. On sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel elecrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) the XcgAM2 caspase appeared to run along a 55 kDa protein molecular weight marker. The caspase-3-like protein was detected in all Xanthomonas strains tested. RCD was not detected in Escherichia coli cultures in LB medium. The caspase-3-like enzyme activity or pro-tein was also found to be absent in this bacterium. Caspase-3-like protein or Xanthomonas caspase was detected only in the cells of XcgAM2 growing in LB medium and not in those growing in starch medium. The Xanthomonas caspase protein appeared in cells at around 4 h of incubation, and peaked at around 24 h, before finally disappearing at around 54 h of incubation. However, caspase enzyme activity was detected only 12-13 h after incubation and peaked around 18-20 h. Addition of starch at the beginning or during the period of exponential growth in LB cultures of XcgAM2 terminated the synthesis of this protein. It is presumed that starch acted as the repressor of biosynthesis of the Xanthomonas caspase, thereby preventing the organism from undergoing RCD. The cells undergoing RCD also displayed the other markers of eukaryotic apoptosis. These included binding of annexin V to plasma membrane of cells undergoing RCD and the presence of nicked DNA in culture supernatant as evidenced by the TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling) assay. Caspase-negative mutants of XcgAM2 did not display post-exponential RCD. The importance of RCD in Xanthomonas life cycle is not yet clear, however the phenomenon appears to have similarities with eukaryotic apoptosis.

Rapid cell death in Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines.

Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines strain AM2 (XcgAM2), the etiological agent of bacterial pustule disease of soybean, exhibited post-exponential rapid cell death (RCD) in LB medium. X. campestris pv. malvacearum NCIM 2310 and X. campestris NCIM 2961 also displayed RCD, though less pronouncedly than XcgAM2. RCD was not observed in Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycines, or Escherichia coli DH5alpha. Incubation of the post-exponential LB-grown XcgAM2 cultures at 4 degrees C arrested the RCD. RCD was also inhibited by the addition of starch during the exponential phase of LB-growing XcgAM2. Protease negative mutants of XcgAM2 were found to be devoid of RCD behavior observed in the wild type XcgAM2. While undergoing RCD, the organism was found to transform to spherical membrane bodies. The presence of membrane bodies was confirmed by using a membrane specific fluorescent label, 1,6-diphenyl 1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH), and also by visualizing these structures under microscope. The membrane bodies of XcgAM2 were found to contain DNA, which was devoid of the indigenous plasmids of the organism. The membrane bodies were found to bind annexin V indicative of the externalization of membrane phosphatidyl serine. Nicking of DNA in XcgAM2 cultures undergoing RCD in LB medium was also detected using a TUNEL assay. The RCD in XcgAM2 appeared to have features similar to the programmed cell death in eukaryotes.

Survival and epiphytic fitness of a nonpathogenic mutant of Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines.

Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines is the causal agent of bacterial pustule disease of soybeans. The objective of this work was to construct a nonpathogenic mutant derived from the pathogenic wild-type strain YR32 and to evaluate its effectiveness in preventing growth of its parent on the soybean phyllosphere. A mini-Tn5-derived transposon was used to generate nonpathogenic mutants. Southern hybridization and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of a single transposon in each of the nonpathogenic mutants. One of the nonpathogenic mutants, M715, failed to induce a hypersensitive response in tomato leaves. An ice nucleation gene (inaZ) carried in pJL1703 was introduced into strain YR32 as a reporter gene to demonstrate that the presence of M715 could reduce colonization of the soybean phyllosphere by YR32. de Wit serial replacement analysis showed that M715 competed equally with its wild-type parental strain, YR32. Epiphytic fitness analysis of YR32 in the greenhouse indicated that the population dynamics of strains YR32, YR32(pJL1703), and M715 were similar, although the density of the mutant was slightly less than that of its parent. The M715 mutant was able to survive for 16 days after inoculation on soybean leaves and maintained population densities of approximately 10(4) to 10(5) cells g (fresh weight) of leaf(-1). Therefore, M715 shows promise as an effective biocontrol agent for bacterial pustule disease in soybeans.

An hrcU-homologous gene mutant of Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines 8ra that lost pathogenicity on the host plant but was able to elicit the hypersensitive response on nonhosts.

Transposon mutagenesis was used to isolate nonpathogenic mutants of Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines 8ra, which causes bacterial pustule disease in soybean. A 6.1-kb DNA region in which a mutation gave loss of pathogenicity was isolated and found to carry six open reading frames (ORFs). Four ORFs had homology with hrcU, hrcV, hrcR, and hrcS genes of Ralstonia solanacearum and X. campestris pv. vesicatoria. One nonpathogenic mutant, X. campestris pv. glycines H80, lost pathogenicity on soybean but was able to elicit the hypersensitive response (HR) on nonhost pepper and tomato plants. This mutant still multiplied as well as the wild type in the leaves or cotyledons of soybean. Although the DNA and amino acid sequences showed high homology with known hrp genes, the hrcU-homolog ORF is not required for HR induction on nonhost plants, pepper and tomato, or for the multiplication of bacteria in the host plant. This gene was only required for the pathogenic symptoms of X. campestris pv. glycines 8ra on soybean.

Characterization and Plasmid Profile of Xanthomonas campestris pv. Glycines from Maharashtra, India

Abstract Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines, (Xcg), the causative agent of the bacterial pustule disease of soybean was isolated and characterized. On susceptible soybean the pathogenic isolates displayed characteristic chlorotic lesions around the site of infection within 48 h of inoculation. The pathogenic isolates were found to contain two cryptic plasmids. A smaller plasmid of 1.5 kb and a larger one of size about 25 kb. SDS‐PAGE profile of the soluble proteins of the pathogenic isolatess, howed a different pattern compared to that of the non‐pathogenic isolates.