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Title: POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION FOR DETECTION OF ERWINIA TRACHEIPHILA IN CUCURBITS

Author
item Bruton, Benny
item MELCHER, U. - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item ZITTER, T. - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Pair, Sammy
item FLETCHER, J. - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item MITCHELL, F. - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Bruton, B.D., Melcher, U., Zitter, T., Pair, S.D., Fletcher, J., Mitchell, F. 1999. Polymerase chain reaction for detection of Erwinia tracheiphila in cucurbits [abstract]. Phytopathology. 89:S10.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In 1998, a severe wilt was observed in pumpkin in Albany, Monroe, and Orange County, New York. Cut stems revealed darkened xylem rings with numerous tyloses and bacteria in the xylem elements. Biolog data suggested the bacterium was within the genus Erwinia. A partial nucleotide sequence of 16S rDNA amplified using general bacterial primers was identical in 523 of 526 positions to that of E. tracheiphila. A primer pair that should amplify a 706 bp fragment only from E. tracheiphila (among sequences available in the database) was designed. Using primers ET1 (5'TGAGTTCCCGACCAAAT3') and ET2 (5'GGGAGGAAGGGACGCTG3'), a DNA fragment of expected size (0.71 kbp) was consistently amplified from E. tracheiphila reference strains (ATCC), symptomatic plant-derived bacterial cultures, greenhouse-inoculated plants, and symptomatic field-collected pumpkin plants, but no band was amplified from greenhouse-grown control plants. The primer pair ET1/ET2 should facilitate diagnosis and epidemiological studies of this disease.