Articles
COLONIZATION OF PEAR PLANTLETS INOCULATED WITH ERWINIA AMYLOVORA BY SOIL IRRIGATION
Article number
896_42
Pages
301 – 305
Language
English
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that E. amylovora is able to survive and maintain its pathogenic potential in natural water, suggesting its possible dissemination through water.
To investigate this possibility, the ability
of E. amylovora to infect pear plantlets inoculated by irrigation has been evaluated.
Pear plantlets (Passe Crassane) were periodically irrigated at the soil level using water inoculated with a wild type strain of E. amylovora or a green fluorescent protein (GFP) transformant of this strain (108 CFU/ml). Irrigation assays were performed using unwounded and wounded-root plantlets grown in sterile soil, which were incubated at 26°C. Plantlets showing fire blight symptoms were sampled and analyzed for the presence of the inoculated strains following the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization) standard PM 7/20 (2004) for E. amylovora. Plantlets inoculated with the GFP-marked strain were also visualized by epifluorescence microscopy (EFM) to localize the bacterium inside them.
Root infection and colonization of pear plantlets occurred after inoculation with E. amylovora by soil irrigation.
Diseased plants showed fire blight symptoms as progressive necrosis from leaves and/or the stem to the rest of the plant, from where E. amylovora was isolated.
Further, the GFP-marked strain was visualized inside host tissues.
Therefore, E. amylovora is able to colonize susceptible pear plants through roots, suggesting that the transmission of this pathogen by irrigation water is possible.
This raises new concerns on the dissemination routes of E. amylovora that should be necessarily taken into consideration to improve preventive and control measures against fire blight.
To investigate this possibility, the ability
of E. amylovora to infect pear plantlets inoculated by irrigation has been evaluated.
Pear plantlets (Passe Crassane) were periodically irrigated at the soil level using water inoculated with a wild type strain of E. amylovora or a green fluorescent protein (GFP) transformant of this strain (108 CFU/ml). Irrigation assays were performed using unwounded and wounded-root plantlets grown in sterile soil, which were incubated at 26°C. Plantlets showing fire blight symptoms were sampled and analyzed for the presence of the inoculated strains following the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization) standard PM 7/20 (2004) for E. amylovora. Plantlets inoculated with the GFP-marked strain were also visualized by epifluorescence microscopy (EFM) to localize the bacterium inside them.
Root infection and colonization of pear plantlets occurred after inoculation with E. amylovora by soil irrigation.
Diseased plants showed fire blight symptoms as progressive necrosis from leaves and/or the stem to the rest of the plant, from where E. amylovora was isolated.
Further, the GFP-marked strain was visualized inside host tissues.
Therefore, E. amylovora is able to colonize susceptible pear plants through roots, suggesting that the transmission of this pathogen by irrigation water is possible.
This raises new concerns on the dissemination routes of E. amylovora that should be necessarily taken into consideration to improve preventive and control measures against fire blight.
Publication
Authors
R.D. Santander, J.F. Català-Senent, E.G. Biosca, M. Ordax, E. Marco-Noales
Keywords
fire blight, water dissemination, infection, Pyrus communis, GFP, EFM
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