Molecular characterization of plant pathogenic bacteria from Brazil by Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA)

• Grant number: 19/01245-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2019
• End date: October 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: José Belasque Junior
• Grantee: José Belasque Junior
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the last decades, new scientific and technical tools were applied to the identification of microorganisms. Biochemical and pathogenicity protocols, before essential to the diagnosis of plant diseases induced by bacteria, were partially replaced by molecular methods. However, until now, these changes were not extensively applied in plant pathology laboratories in Brazil. As a consequence, we have poor knowledge about the populations of plant pathogenic bacteria associated with some of the most important diseases occurring in the country. Our main objective is to characterize a strain collection of near 150 strains from tomato, mango, potato, lettuce, between others. To these, we will apply the technique named multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) by the amplification and sequencing 16S rDNA and 4 housekeeping genes per strain. As consequence, we will perform the correct identification of strains associated with some important crop diseases in Brazil: a) blackleg/soft rot on potatoes (Pectobacterium, Dickeya); and b) Xanthomonas and Pseudomonas from symptomatic tomato, lettuce, Cucurbitaceae and Brassicaceae plants. Protocols for disease diagnosis will be adapted from the international literature, gene sequences from Brazilian strains will be available on international databanks, and improvements will be applied to quarantine services, plant disease diagnostics, and disease management. (AU)