ARS | Publication request: MULTI-LOCUS SIMPLE SEQUENCE REPEAT (SSR) MARKERS FOR DIFFERENTIATING STRAINS AND EVALUATING GENETIC DIVERSITY OF XYLELLA FASTIDIOSA

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 22, 2005
Publication Date: August 1, 2005
Citation: Lin, H., Civerolo, E.L., Walker, A., Hu, R., Barros, S., Francis, M. 2005. Multi-locus simple sequence repeat (ssr) markers for differentiating strains and evaluating genetic diversity of xylella fastidiosa. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 71:4888-4892.

Interpretive Summary: We designed and developed PCR-based DNA detection system called Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) DNA markers to differentiate 43 Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) isolates collected from grape, citrus, almond and oleander plants. 34 designed SSR markers show powerful in discriminating genetically close Xf strains. This DNA-based detection system is a precise and repeatable. It useful tool for genetic diversity and population structure studies.

Technical Abstract: A genome wide search was performed to identify simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci among the available sequence databases for four strains of Xylella fastidiosa (strains causing Pierce's disease, citrus variegated chlorosis, almond leaf scorch and oleander leaf scorch). Thirty-four SSR loci were selected for SSR primer design. These primers detected varying levels of polymorphism among 43 X. fastidiosa isolates derived from grape, citrus, almond and oleander. These multi-locus SSR primers are distributed across the X. fastidiosa genome and are useful for differentiating among and within host-associated X. fastidiosa isolates and for genetic diversity and population structure studies.