Identification and characterization of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strains from various plants and geographical regions

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) constitutes a diverse group of bacterial strains that cause canker of stone fruits, blight of cereals and red streak of sugarcane. The purpose of this study was to determine how diverse Iranian strains of Pss are when they come from different hosts. We compared a total of 32 Pss strains isolated from stone fruits, barley, wheat and sugarcane from different geographical regions of Iran based on their phenotypic and molecular properties. Strains showed some variation regarding carbon and nitrogen utilization. Pss strains were similar in their protein banding patterns. Additional bands were found in sugarcane strains. Most strains showed one indigenous plasmid DNA and a few had two and some none. The genes of syrB and syrD encoding syringomycin synthesis and secretion, respectively, were amplified using specific primers in polymerase chain reaction. Syringomycin, producing strains amplified two DNA fragments of 752 and 446 bp representing syrB and syrD genes, respectively. Primer specificity was shown for Pss using various genera. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that Pss strains from different hosts and geographical regions show diversity in phenotypic and molecular characters. It is thought that phenotypic variation is due to adaptation to specific hosts and niches for survival and pathogenicity.