January 14, 2005
Source: American Phytopathological Society, Plant Disease Notes [edited]

First report of Erwinia persicina from Phaseolus vulgaris in Spain
AJ Gonzalez, Laboratorio de Fitopatologia, SERIDA, carretera de Oviedo s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, Asturias. Spain; JC Tello, M de Cara, Departamento de Produccion Vegetal. Universidad de Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain. Plant Dis 2005; 89: 109, published online as DOI: 10.1094/PD-89-0109C, 2005. Accepted for publication 20 Oct 2004.

A previously unreported leaf spot disease of common bean, which caused crop losses as high as 50 per cent, was observed in south eastern Spain (Almeria, Granada, and Malaga provinces) in November 2003.

In 2004, samples of cv. Donna with chlorotic and necrotic leaf spots were collected from Granada and processed for microbiological analysis. Bacteria isolated from the symptomatic leaves were determined to be fermentative on the basis of the ability to metabolize glucose in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

3 isolates were selected for pathogenicity tests. Bacterial suspensions (100 million CFU/ml) were spray-inoculated on bean seedlings (3 true leaves) of cv. Andecha. Beans were covered with transparent plastic bags for 2 days and held in an incubation chamber at 22 deg C and 80 per cent relative humidity with a 12-h photoperiod. Assays were repeated at least twice.

Symptoms that developed on plants inoculated with the 3 isolates were similar to those originally observed, while symptoms did not occur on control plants (inoculated with distilled water).

The pathogenic isolates were identified by sequencing of the 16S rDNA after amplification (1). The amplified sequences were compared with available DNA sequences in databases by using BLAST (2); 99 per cent homology with 16S rDNA of _Erwinia persicina_ was shown. Microbiological characteristics (gram staining, motility, morphology, and results of biochemical tests) were in agreement with the molecular identification of the isolates.

_E. persicina_ has been isolated from bean in the United States (3) and described on tomato, banana, and cucumber in Japan (4).

To our knowledge, this is the 1st report of _E. persicina_ from common bean in Spain and in Europe.

References:
1. U Edwards, et al. Nucleic Acids Res 1989; 17: 7843.
2. SF Altschul, et al. J Mol Biol 1990; 215: 403.
3. ML Schuster, et al. Fitopatol Bras 1981; 6: 345.
4. MV Hao, et al. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1990; 40: 379.

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[The taxonomy of _Erwinia persicinus_ has changed. The new species name is _E. persicina_ (Hao MV, Brenner DJ, Steigerwalt AG, Kosako Y, Komagata K. Erwinia persicinus, a new species isolated from plants. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1990; 40: 379-83.

There is not much information about _Erwinia persicinus_ (now _Erwinia persicina_, [Ep]) since it was first described in 1990 after being isolated from a variety of fruits and vegetables, including bananas, cucumbers, and tomatoes. In 1994, Ep was shown to be the causative agent of necrosis of bean pods and was also reported to be the 1st human isolate of Ep. The strain was isolated from the urine of an 88 year old woman who presented with a urinary tract infection. By the hydroxyapatite method, DNA from this strain was shown to be 94.5 per cent related at 60 deg C and 86 per cent related at 75 deg C to the type strain of Ep. The biochemical profile of Ep is most similar to those of 2 plant pathogens, _Erwinia rhapontici_ and _Pantoea agglomerans_, and species of _Enterobacter_. It is negative in tests for lysine, arginine, ornithine, dulcitol, and urea and is motile and positive in tests for D-sorbitol and sucrose. It is susceptible to the expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones, but it is resistant to ampicillin, ticarcillin, and cefazolin. There have been several other bacterial plant pathogens reported to be involved in human infections.

Links:
<http://jcm.asm.org/cgi/content/full/36/1/248>
<http://www.bacterio.cict.fr/e/erwinia.html>
<http://aac.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/46/11/3401>  - Mod.DH]