First report of tumorigenic Agrobacterium radiobacter on raspberry in Serbia

Abstract

During the spring of 2003, gall symptoms on the roots and crowns of young raspberry plants cv. Vilamette were observed near Valjevo. Phytopathogenic bacteria were isolated from diseased plant samples. Based on the pathogenic, morphological, differential biochemical and physiological characteristics, the isolated strains were identified as tumorigenic Agrobacterium radiobacter (biovar 1 Agrobacterium). In order to confirm the identity of isolated strains by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers complementary to tms2 gene located on the Ti plasmid were used. In the first PCR protocol using a tms2F1 + tms2R2 primer pair, 617 bp products specific for tumorigenic Agrobacterium strains were amplified. The second PCR protocol, using a tms2F1 + tms2B primer pair, amplified the expected 458 bp products. On the basis of multiplex PCR with primers complementary to chromosomal gene coding for 23S rRNA, the isolated strains were classified as biovar 1 Agrobacterium (A. radiobacter). This is the first report of tumorigenic A. radiobacter on raspberry in Serbia.

Tokom proleća 2003. godine, zapaženi su tumori na korenu i korenovom vratu mladih biljaka maline sorte Vilamette u okolini Valjeva. Iz obolelih uzoraka izolovane su fitopatogene bakterije. Proučavanjem patogenih, morfoloških i diferencijalnih biohemijsko-fizioloških karakteristika izolovanih sojeva, utvrđeno je da proučavani sojevi pripadaju bakteriji Agrobacterium radiobacter (biovar 1). U cilju potvrde identiteta izolovanih sojeva lančanom reakcijom polimeraze (PCR), korišćeni su prajmeri komplementarni tms2 genu lociranom na Ti plazmidu. U prvoj PCR reakciji izvedenoj korišćenjem tms2F1 + tms2R2 para prajmera, detektovani su fragmenti nukleinske kiseline veličine 617 baznih parova (bp), specifični za tumorogene sojeve A. tumefaciens. U drugoj PCR reakciji korišćenjem para prajmera tms2F1 i tms2B su amplifikovani PCR produkti očekivane veličine 458 bp, karakteristični za ovu bakteriju. Na osnovu multiplex PCR reakcije korišćenjem prajmera komplementarnih na hromozomalni gen koji kodira 23S rRNA sojevi izolovani iz tumora na korenu maline svrstani su u biovar 1 Agrobacterium (A. radiobacter). Ovo je prvi nalaz ove bakterije na malini u Srbiji.