Two Pathogenic Groups in Acidovorax valerianellae Causing Bacterial Black Spot on the Various Crop Plants

Abstract

Acidovorax valerianellae had been reported a causal agent of bacterial black spot disease on corn salad in France, 2003 and on watermelon in Korea 2011. In this study, difference in host specificity between 2 groups, corn salad strains and watermelon strains, of Acidovorax valerianellae was recognized and compared. In the pathogenicity test, all 5 watermelon strains showed pathogenicity on the 6 Cucurbitaceae plants but not on corn salad, whereas 4 corn salad strains showed pathogenicity only on the corn salad. Utilization of Biolog substrates was different between watermelon strains and corn salad strains on 4 substrates, Malonic Acid, α- Hydroxybutyric Acid, α-Keto Butyric Acid, and Glycyl-L Glutamic Acid. The phylogenetic tree built with the 16S rDNA sequences showed that all of A. valerianellae stains was grouped into 1 clade separating from the other species of Acidovorax genus. Within A. valerianellae clade, watermelon strains and corn salad strains were separated into 2 sub-groups. REP-PCR analysis also separated the two groups. Host specificity, substrate utilization, and some genetic characteristics suggested that there are two pathogenic groups, watermelon group and corn salad group in A. valerianellae.

Keywords

• Acidovorax valerianellae
• Bacterial black spot disease
• Corn salad
• Pathogenic group
• Watermelon