The bean (Phaseolus spp.) plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola is characterized by the ability to produce phaseolotoxin (Tox(+)). We recently reported that the majority of the Spanish P. syringae pv. phaseolicola population is unable to synthesize this toxin (Tox(-)). These Tox(-) isolates appear to lack the entire DNA region for the biosynthesis of phaseolotoxin (argK-tox gene cluster), as shown by PCR amplification and DNA hybridization using DNA sequences specific for separated genes of this cluster. Tox(+) and Tox(-) isolates also showed genomic divergence that included differences in ERIC-PCR and arbitrarily primed-PCR profiles. Tox(+) isolates showed distinct patterns of IS801 genomic insertions and contained a chromosomal IS801 insertion that was absent from Tox(-) isolates. Using a heteroduplex mobility assay, sequence differences were observed only among the intergenic transcribed spacer of the five rDNA operons of the Tox(-) isolates. The techniques used allowed the unequivocal differentiation of isolates of P. syringae pv. phaseolicola from the closely related soybean (Glycine max) pathogen, P. syringae pv. glycinea. Finally, a pathogenicity island that is essential for the pathogenicity of P. syringae pv. phaseolicola on beans appears to be conserved among Tox(+), but not among Tox(-) isolates, which also lacked the characteristic large plasmid that carries this pathogenicity island. It is proposed that the results presented here justify the separation of the Tox(+) and Tox(-) P. syringae pv. phaseolicola isolates into two distinct genetic lineages, designated Pph1 and Pph2, respectively, that show relevant genomic differences that include the pathogenicity gene complement.
Base Sequence Conserved Sequence