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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #424278
Research Project: Solanaceous Crop Improvement and Disease Management

Location: Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory

Title: Description of Streptomyces soliscabiei sp. nov. and Streptomyces echiniscabiei sp. nov., which cause common scab disease on Solanum tuberosum

Author
item Shelley, Brett
item Clarke, Christopher

Submitted to: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2025
Publication Date: 8/21/2025
Citation: Shelley, B.A., Clarke, C.R. 2025. Description of streptomyces soliscabiei sp. nov. and Streptomyces echiniscabiei sp. nov., which cause common scab disease on Solanum tuberosum. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006880.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006880

Interpretive Summary: Common scab disease of potato occurs in all potato-growing regions of the world with severe economic impact. Common scab is known to be caused by more than ten distinct species of Streptomyces bacteria. We identified two additional lineages of plant pathogenic Streptomyces that cause common scab disease and describe them as the novel species: Streptomyces echiniscabiei and Streptomyces soliscabiei. Because different potato cultivars exhibit differential disease susceptibility to the varied species of Streptomyces, it is critical to identify and characterize the diversity of phytopathogenic Streptomyces. Identification and formal description of novel species of disease causing Streptomyces aids growers in choosing potato cultivars best suited for local field conditions and managing control of local pathogen populations.

Technical Abstract: Recent genome sequencing of phytopathogenic Streptomyces strains has revealed previously unknown diversity of species able to cause common scab disease on potato and other root or tuber crops. Here, Streptomyces strain NY05-11A is described as the type-strain for Streptomyces soliscabiei sp. nov., and Streptomyces strain WI04-05B is described as the type-strain for Streptomyces echiniscabiei sp. nov. using polyphasic taxonomy including whole genome average nucleotide identity, multilocus sequence analysis, and phenotypic characterization of morphological and biochemical traits. Both Streptomyces spp. strains NY05-11A and WI04-05B were confirmed to cause common scab on potato.