CHARACTERIZATION OF PSEUDOMONAS SAVASTANOI pv. SAVASTANOI STRAINS ISOLATED FROM SEVERAL HOST PLANTS IN TURKEY AND REPORT OF FONTANESIA AS A NEW HOST

Several strains of Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi, causal agent of galls or knots on leaves, twigs, and stems of various plant species, were isolated from infected olive (Olea sp.), oleander (Nerium oleander), jasmine (Jasminium officinale), fontanesia (Fontanesia phillyreoides) and myrtle (Myrtus communis) plants growing in Adana, Antalya, Bursa, Canakkale, Hatay, Izmir, Mersin, Mugla, Samsun and Tekirdag provinces of Turkey. Among the strains initially tested, 33 of them from different hosts were selected for further analyses. The strains were Gram-, oxidase-, pectolytic activity-, levan-, and arginine dihydrolase negative, showed fluorescence on King's B and PVF-1 media and induced hypersensitive reaction on tobacco leaves. Three products 464 bp, 684 bp and 1064 bp in size were amplified by PCR. Fatty acid methyl ester profiles confirmed the identity of tested strains as P savastanoi pv. savastanoi. Based on cluster analysis of fatty acids, the strains were divided into two different groups. No correlation was found, however, between host plant and geographical origin of the strains under study. Olive, oleander, jasmine, fontanesia and myrtle plants were used to determine pathogenicity of the strains, which were generally most virulent when inoculated to the original host. This is the first detailed study showing that P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi can cause knot disease on the new oleaceous host Fontanesia phillyreoides.