ARS | Publication request: Enrichment and characterization of “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” in tomato host

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 25, 2012
Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Citation: Chen, J. 2012. Enrichment and characterization of “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” in tomato host. Meeting Abstract. p. 154-158.

Technical Abstract: “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” is a putative bacterial pathogen associated with potato zebra chip disease (ZCD). The bacterium is currently not culturable in vitro, posing a great challenge in the bacterial characterization. As a result, very little is known about the bacterial biology. In this study, tomato plants were evaluated as a medium for maintenance and enrichment of this bacterium, i.e. tomato plants were used for in planta culture. Both soil and solution cultures of tomato were developed and fine-tuned for quick and easy propagation of “Ca. L. solanacearum”. Examination by transmission electron microscopy revealed the accumulation of walled bacteria, presumably “Ca. L. solanacearum”, in tomato phloem tissue. The solution culture system was used to examine how nutrients could affect growth of “Ca. L. solanacearum”. Preliminary results, which used quantitative PCR to monitor bacterial titers, demonstrated that a lack of nutrient(s) did not change the titer of “Ca. L. solanacearum” significantly but could induce/enhance the expression of ZCD symptoms and reduce tomato plant growth.