Publications

4856

A novel bacterium of the genusPasteuriawas discovered parasitizing bacterivorous nematodes of the genusBursilla, in selected bermudagrass (Cynodon) field plots in Davie, FL, USA. Soil containing this bacterium was sampled and supplied with bi-weekly inoculations of cultured species of the genusBursillain order to build and maintain a source of endospores for continuousin vivoconservation of the bacteria for further study and characterization. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities supported its congeneric ranking with other members of the genusPasteuriathat have been identified from nematodes and cladocerans. There were, however, no clear sister candidates for this organism, which supported the evidence of endospore ultrastructure and host-range studies, suggesting it belonged to a novel taxon. Because members of the genusPasteuriacannot yet be isolated, definitive type strains could not be maintained; therefore, the name ‘CandidatusPasteuria aldrichii’ is proposed for this organism.

In addition to the grapevine flavescence dorée phytoplasmas, other members of taxonomic group 16SrV phytoplasmas infect grapevines, alders and species of the genera Clematis and Rubus in Europe. In order to investigate which phytoplasmas constitute discrete, species-level taxa, several strains were analysed by comparing their 16S rRNA gene sequences and a set of five housekeeping genes. Whereas 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values were >97.5 %, the proposed threshold to distinguish two ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ taxa, phylogenetic analysis of the combined sequences of the tuf, rplV-rpsC, rplF-rplR, map and uvrB-degV genetic loci showed that two discrete phylogenetic clusters could be clearly distinguished. The first cluster grouped flavescence dorée (FD) phytoplasmas, alder yellows (AldY) phytoplasmas, Clematis (CL) phytoplasmas and the Palatinate grapevine yellows (PGY) phytoplasmas. The second cluster comprised Rubus stunt (RS) phytoplasmas. In addition to the specificity of the insect vector, the Rubus stunt phytoplasma contained specific sequences in the 16S rRNA gene. Hence, the Rubus stunt phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene was sufficiently differentiated to represent a novel putative taxon: ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma rubi’.