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Chromosomal and Plasmid Diversity of Agrobacterium Strains Isolated from Ficus benjamina Tumors

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Abstract

Agrobacteria were previously isolated from tumors developing on branches and aerial and hypogeous roots of weeping fig plants in Italy and in The Netherlands. A representative group of 48 strains was analyzed by PCR–RFLP of 16S and 16S + IGS ribosomal regions, PCR–RFLP of six Ti plasmid (pTi) regions and characterized for plasmid content. Two groups of agrobacteria were separated by cluster analysis of PCR–RFLP profiles of rrs gene: seventeen strains were similar to the new species Agrobacterium larrymoorei, while the remaining strains were included within the agrobacterium biovar 1 group. Sixteen different plasmid profiles from one to five plasmids were observed. In addition, 21 ribotypes and 20 pTi structures were arranged in many different combinations, showing that fig agrobacteria were characterized by a wide heterogeneity. A general lack of correlation between strain ribotypes and plasmid content was observed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante, Sezione di Portici, Italy (Fax

    Aida Raio

  2. Dipartimento di Arboricoltura, Botanica e Patologia Vegetale –, Università di Napoli Federico II –, Via Università, 100 – 80055, Portici (NA), Italy

    Raffaele Peluso & Astolfo Zoina

  3. Laboratoire de Ecologie Microbienne/UMR CNRS 5557/, Université Claude Bernard – Lyon 1, F-69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Xavier Nesme

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  1. Aida Raio
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  2. Raffaele Peluso
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  3. Xavier Nesme
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  4. Astolfo Zoina
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Raio, A., Peluso, R., Nesme, X. et al. Chromosomal and Plasmid Diversity of Agrobacterium Strains Isolated from Ficus benjamina Tumors. European Journal of Plant Pathology 110, 163–174 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EJPP.0000015346.78805.7a

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EJPP.0000015346.78805.7a

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