Genetic Diversity of <i>Pectobacterium</i> spp. on Potato in Serbia
2022
Marta Loc | Dragana Milošević | Žarko Ivanović | Maja Ignjatov | Dragana Budakov | Jovana Grahovac | Mila Grahovac
<i>Pectobacterium</i> is a diverse genus which comprises of multiple destructive bacterial species which cause soft rot/blackleg/wilt disease complex in a wide variety of crops by employing high levels of virulence factors. During the 2018, 2019 and 2020 potato growing seasons, numerous outbreaks of bacterial wilt, stem blackleg and tuber soft rot were recorded, and symptomatic plant samples from ten localities in the Province of Vojvodina (Serbia) were collected and analysed. Bacterial soft-rot pathogens were detected in 63 samples using genus and species-specific primers. Through 16S rRNA Sanger sequencing of 19 representative isolates, the identity of <i>P. brasiliense</i> (73.7%), <i>P. punjabense</i> (15.8%), and <i>P. carotovorum</i> (10.5%) species were revealed. To further validate the identification, genotypic profiling of <i>Pectobacterium</i> strains using rep-PCR (ERIC, BOX, REP) was conducted for 25 selected isolates and the phylogenetic assessment based on four selected housekeeping genes (<i>gyrA</i>, <i>recA</i>, <i>rpoA</i>, and <i>rpoS)</i>. Physiological and biochemical properties were analysed using basic microbiological tests and VITEK<sup>®</sup> 2 GN card, and pathogenicity was confirmed on cv. VR808 and cv. Desiree potato tubers and plants. This study confirmed the distinctiveness of the newly described <i>P. punjabense</i> in Serbia as well as the high diversity of <i>Pectobacterium brasiliense</i> and <i>Pectobacterium carotovorum</i> species in Serbia.
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