Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #80406
Title: MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF BACILLUS POPILLIAE AND BACILLUS LENTIMORBUS, CAUSATIVE AGENTS OF MILKY DISEASE IN SCARAB LARVAE

Author
item RIPPERE, K - VIRGINIA TECH
item TRAN, M - VIRGINIA TECH
item YOUSTEN, A - VIRGINIA TECH
item HILA, K - VIRGINIA TECH
item Klein, Michael

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Bacillus popilliae and B. lentimorbus have been differentiated by the presence of a parasporal inclusion in the former, and its absence in the latter. Thirty four isolates were examined by DNA-DNA hybridization and by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Three distinct but related DNA similarity groups were identified: (1) the type strain and 22 additional strains of B. popilliae; (2) the type strain and 8 additional strains of B. lentimorbus; and (3) 2 strains (one of European and one of North American origin) showing greater than 70% similarity to B. popilliae and yet distinct by both DNA similarity and RAPD from the other B. popilliae isolates. These 2 strains are tentatively referred to as B. popilliae var. Melolonthae. These groupings were verified by RAPD, a technique which further identified 2 distinct subgroups within each of the 2 species. Seven strains received as B. popilliae were identified as being most closely related genetically to B. lentimorbus. Unlike the B. lentimorbus type strain and one other strain, these strains produced parasporal inclusions; an observation contradicting previous species definition. The relationship of the genetically recognizable subgroups within each species to specificity of insect infectivity remains to be investigated. All isolates identified by DNA similarity and RAPD as being most closely related to the B. popilliae type strain were found to be resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin. In contrast all B. lentimorbus (including the paraspore-forming strains) were sensitive to this antibiotic. Vancomycin resistance appears to be a useful phenotypic characteristic for separation of the species. Production of a parasporal body is not a reliable trait for species determination.