Sensitive and specific detection of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria by PCR using pathovar-specific primers based on rhs family gene sequences

Bacterial Leaf Spot Susceptibility Screening of Chili Pepper Cultivars Using qPCR Determination of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria Titers

Bacterial leaf spot is a serious disease of chili pepper (Capsicum spp.) caused by Xanthomonas euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria. Conventional resistance screening is time and resource intensive. It was considered that a quick and simple determination of cultivar susceptibility could be achieved through estimating bacterial titers of inoculated plants. A SYBR quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based assay was compared with conventional PCR, then used to detect and enumerate pathogen titers in serial dilutions and DNA extracted from infected plant leaves. The qPCR detection limit was approximately 1 CFU µl-1, 10 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. A linear correlation (R2 = 0.994) was obtained from the standard curve comparing plate-truthed serial dilutions of the pathogen with the qPCR cycle threshold. Six strains were used to inoculate cultivars Hugo and Warlock. One strain, X. euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria BRIP62403, was consistently the most virulent based on visual symptoms and pathogen titers in planta inferred by qPCR performed on DNA extracted from infected leaves 2 and 6 weeks postinoculation. Visual observations 6 weeks after inoculation were highly correlated (R2 = 0.8254) to pathogen titers. The qPCR method was used to categorize 20 chili pepper cultivars 2 weeks after inoculation. A high positive correlation (R2 = 0.6826) was observed between visual scoring and pathogen titers from 20 chili pepper cultivars, facilitating categorization of susceptible, intermediate, and resistant cultivars. The qPCR approach developed here facilitates susceptibility screening of chili pepper cultivars at an early stage of selection and could be readily adapted to a range of other pathosystems.

A Pan-Global Study of Bacterial Leaf Spot of Chilli Caused by Xanthomonas spp

Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS) is a serious bacterial disease of chilli (Capsicum spp.) caused by at least four different Xanthomonas biotypes: X. euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria, X. euvesicatoria pv. perforans, X. hortorum pv. gardneri, and X. vesicatoria. Symptoms include black lesions and yellow halos on the leaves and fruits, resulting in reports of up to 66% losses due to unsalable and damaged fruits. BLS pathogens are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Xanthomonas is able to survive in seeds and crop residues for short periods, leading to the infections in subsequent crops. The pathogen can be detected using several techniques, but largely via a combination of traditional and molecular approaches. Conventional detection is based on microscopic and culture observations, while a suite of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays are available. Management of BLS is challenging due to the broad genetic diversity of the pathogens, a lack of resilient host resistance, and poor efficacy of chemical control. Some biological control agents have been reported, including bacteriophage deployment. Incorporating stable host resistance is a critical component in ongoing integrated management for BLS. This paper reviews the current status of BLS of chilli, including its distribution, pathogen profiles, diagnostic options, disease management, and the pursuit of plant resistance.

Understanding molecular identification and polyphasic taxonomic approaches for genetic relatedness and phylogenetic relationships of microorganisms

The major proportion of earth's biological diversity is inhabited by microorganisms and they play a useful role in diversified environments. However, taxonomy of microorganisms is progressing at a snail's pace, thus less than 1% of the microbial population has been identified so far. The major problem associated with this is due to a lack of uniform, reliable, advanced, and common to all practices for microbial identification and systematic studies. However, recent advances have developed many useful techniques taking into account the house-keeping genes as well as targeting other gene catalogues (16S rRNA, rpoA, rpoB, gyrA, gyrB etc. in case of bacteria and 26S, 28S, β-tubulin gene in case of fungi). Some uncultivable approaches using much advanced techniques like flow cytometry and gel based techniques have also been used to decipher microbial diversity. However, all these techniques have their corresponding pros and cons. In this regard, a polyphasic taxonomic approach is advantageous because it exploits simultaneously both conventional as well as molecular identification techniques. In this review, certain aspects of the merits and limitations of different methods for molecular identification and systematics of microorganisms have been discussed. The major advantages of the polyphasic approach have also been described taking into account certain groups of bacteria as case studies to arrive at a consensus approach to microbial identification.

A quantitative and direct PCR assay for the subspecies-specific detection of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis based on a ferredoxin reductase gene

The Gram-positive bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis is the causal agent of canker disease in tomato. Because it is very important to control newly introduced inoculum sources from commercial materials, the specific detection of this pathogen in seeds and seedlings is essential for effective disease control. In this study, a novel and efficient assay for the detection and quantitation of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis in symptomless tomato and red pepper seeds was developed. A pair of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers (Cmm141F/R) was designed to amplify a specific 141 bp fragment on the basis of a ferredoxin reductase gene of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis NCPPB 382. The specificity of the primer set was evaluated using purified DNA from 16 isolates of five C. michiganensis subspecies, one other Clavibacter species, and 17 other reference bacteria. The primer set amplified a single band of expected size from the genomic DNA obtained from the C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis strains but not from the other C. michiganensis subspecies or from other Clavibacter species. The detection limit was a single cloned copy of the ferredoxin reductase gene of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. In conclusion, this quantitative direct PCR assay can be applied as a practical diagnostic method for epidemiological research and the sanitary management of seeds and seedlings with a low level or latent infection of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis.

Evolutionary and experimental assessment of novel markers for detection of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria in plant samples

BACKGROUND

Bacterial spot-causing xanthomonads (BSX) are quarantine phytopathogenic bacteria responsible for heavy losses in tomato and pepper production. Despite the research on improved plant spraying methods and resistant cultivars, the use of healthy plant material is still considered as the most effective bacterial spot control measure. Therefore, rapid and efficient detection methods are crucial for an early detection of these phytopathogens.

METHODOLOGY

In this work, we selected and validated novel DNA markers for reliable detection of the BSX Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xeu). Xeu-specific DNA regions were selected using two online applications, CUPID and Insignia. Furthermore, to facilitate the selection of putative DNA markers, a customized C program was designed to retrieve the regions outputted by both databases. The in silico validation was further extended in order to provide an insight on the origin of these Xeu-specific regions by assessing chromosomal location, GC content, codon usage and synteny analyses. Primer-pairs were designed for amplification of those regions and the PCR validation assays showed that most primers allowed for positive amplification with different Xeu strains. The obtained amplicons were labeled and used as probes in dot blot assays, which allowed testing the probes against a collection of 12 non-BSX Xanthomonas and 23 other phytopathogenic bacteria. These assays confirmed the specificity of the selected DNA markers. Finally, we designed and tested a duplex PCR assay and an inverted dot blot platform for culture-independent detection of Xeu in infected plants.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study details a selection strategy able to provide a large number of Xeu-specific DNA markers. As demonstrated, the selected markers can detect Xeu in infected plants both by PCR and by hybridization-based assays coupled with automatic data analysis. Furthermore, this work is a contribution to implement more efficient DNA-based methods of bacterial diagnostics.

Identification of Xanthomonas fragariae, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli, and Xanthomonas fuscans subsp. fuscans with novel markers and using a dot blot platform coupled with automatic data analysis

Phytosanitary regulations and the provision of plant health certificates still rely mainly on long and laborious culture-based methods of diagnosis, which are frequently inconclusive. DNA-based methods of detection can circumvent many of the limitations of currently used screening methods, allowing a fast and accurate monitoring of samples. The genus Xanthomonas includes 13 phytopathogenic quarantine organisms for which improved methods of diagnosis are needed. In this work, we propose 21 new Xanthomonas-specific molecular markers, within loci coding for Xanthomonas-specific protein domains, useful for DNA-based methods of identification of xanthomonads. The specificity of these markers was assessed by a dot blot hybridization array using 23 non-Xanthomonas species, mostly soil dwelling and/or phytopathogens for the same host plants. In addition, the validation of these markers on 15 Xanthomonas spp. suggested species-specific hybridization patterns, which allowed discrimination among the different Xanthomonas species. Having in mind that DNA-based methods of diagnosis are particularly hampered for unsequenced species, namely, Xanthomonas fragariae, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli, and Xanthomonas fuscans subsp. fuscans, for which comparative genomics tools to search for DNA signatures are not yet applicable, emphasis was given to the selection of informative markers able to identify X. fragariae, X. axonopodis pv. phaseoli, and X. fuscans subsp. fuscans strains. In order to avoid inconsistencies due to operator-dependent interpretation of dot blot data, an image-processing algorithm was developed to analyze automatically the dot blot patterns. Ultimately, the proposed markers and the dot blot platform, coupled with automatic data analyses, have the potential to foster a thorough monitoring of phytopathogenic xanthomonads.

Sensitive and Specific Detection of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae by Real-Time Bio-PCR Using Pathovar-Specific Primers Based on an rhs Family Gene

The present study describes bio-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to detect bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in rice. Successful control of X. oryzae. pv. oryzae requires a specific and reliable diagnostic tool. However, other X. oryzae pathovars are detected by currently available molecular and serological methods. In this study, SYBR Green real-time and conventional PCR primer sets were designed based on an rhs family gene of X. oryzae pv. oryzae KACC10331 because these genes are structurally diverse. The specificity of the primers was evaluated using purified DNA from 11 isolates of two X. oryzae pathovars, 21 other Xanthomonas species, and 4 other reference phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi. The assay was also able to detect at least two genome equivalents of cloned amplified target DNA using purified DNA. Thus, the SYBR Green real-time PCR-based method can be used for the rapid and specific detection of X. oryzae pv. oryzae and will potentially simplify and facilitate diagnosis and monitoring of this pathogen and guide plant disease management.

PCR-based assay for the detection of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria causing pepper and tomato bacterial spot

AIMS

To develop a PCR-based assay for Xanthomonas euvesicatoria detection in culture and in planta.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A fragment of 1600 bp specific for X. euvesicatoria was found by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-PCR. Among the primers designed on the basis of the partially sequenced fragment, the primers Xeu2.4 and Xeu2.5 direct amplification of the expected product (208 bp) for all the X. euvesicatoria strains and not for other related and unrelated phytopathogenic bacteria or saprophytic bacteria isolated from pepper and tomato phyllosphere. The assay permits the detection of X. euvesicatoria in pure culture, with a limit of detection of two bacterial cells and 1 pg of DNA per PCR, and in extracts obtained from asymptomatic inoculated tomato and pepper plants.

CONCLUSIONS

Primers Xeu2.4 and Xeu2.5 provide a specific, sensitive and rapid assay for the detection of X. euvesicatoria in culture and in pepper and tomato plants.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Because X. euvesicatoria is a quarantine organism in the European Union, and it is subjected to stringent international phytosanitary measures, this highly sensitivity PCR-based assay is suitable for its detection in pepper and tomato plant materials to avoid the introduction and spread of the bacterium.