Publications

4848

AbstractBACKGROUND: In the present investigation, the effect of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), a bacterium considered to be responsible for causing huanglongbing (HLB) disease in citrus, on the physiology of its vector, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, was determined. Specifically, the effects of Las infection on the susceptibility of ACP to selected insecticides were determined. Furthermore, total protein content and general esterase activity were quantified in Las‐infected and uninfected ACP to gain insight into the possible mechanism(s) responsible for altered susceptibility to insecticides owing to Las infection.RESULTS: LC50 values were significantly lower in Las‐infected than in uninfected ACP adults for chlorpyrifos and spinetoram. Furthermore, there was a general trend towards lower LC50 values for three other insecticides for Las‐infected ACP; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Total protein content (µg mL−1) was significantly lower in Las‐infected (23.5 ± 1.3 in head + thorax; 27.7 ± 1.9 in abdomen) than in uninfected (29.7 ± 2.1 in head + thorax; 35.0 ± 2.3 in abdomen) ACP. Likewise, general esterase enzyme activity (nmol min−1 mg−1 protein) was significantly lower in Las‐infected (111.6 ± 4.5 in head + thorax; 109.5 ± 3.7 in abdomen) than in uninfected (135.9 ± 7.5 in head + thorax; 206.1 ± 23.7 in abdomen) ACP.CONCLUSION: Susceptibility of ACP to selected insecticides from five major chemistries was greater in Las‐infected than in uninfected ACP. The lower total protein content and reduced general esterase activity in Las‐infected than in uninfected ACP may partly explain the observed higher insecticide susceptibility of Las‐infected ACP. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

Five Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-spore-forming, coccoid rod-shaped bacterial isolates were obtained from infant formula and an infant formula production environment and were investigated by use of a polyphasic taxonomic study. Biochemical tests and partialrpoBgene sequence analysis of the five isolates revealed that they formed two distinct groups in the familyEnterobacteriaceae, closely related to several species of the generaPantoeaandErwinia, which indicated a phylogenetic position within the genusPantoeaor the genusErwinia. Multilocus sequence analysis of concatenated partialatpD,gyrB,infBandrpoBgene sequences of two of the isolates suggested that they represented two novel species of the genusPantoea, phylogenetically related most closely toPantoea septica. The five isolates had general characteristics consistent with those of the genusPantoea, and DNA–DNA hybridizations between two representatives and the type strains of their phylogenetically closest relatives based on comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the isolates represented two novel genospecies. These two genospecies could be differentiated from each other based on fermentation of galacturonate, sorbitol and potassium 5-ketogluconate. They could be differentiated from phylogenetically relatedPantoeaspecies based on their ability to ferment lactose and to utilizeβ-gentiobiose and raffinose, their inability to ferment or utilized-arabitol, and their inability to produce indole. On the basis of the results obtained, the five isolates are considered to represent two novel species of the genusPantoea, for which the namesPantoea gaviniaesp. nov. (type strain A18/07T=LMG 25382T=DSM 22758T) andPantoea calidasp. nov. (type strain 1400/07T=LMG 25383T=DSM 22759T) are proposed.