Paper · 2024 · Plant Disease

First Report of Fire Blight Caused by Erwinia amylovora on Pear in Saudi Arabia

Yasser E. Ibrahim; Abdurrehman M. Rafique; Mohammed A. Al Saleh

9
claims
17
verbatim quotes
1
citations
3
research areas
✓
Open access

Abstract

In the spring of 2020 and 2021, pear trees (Pyrus communis cv. Williams) in orchards (27°46'36.0"N 42°29'44.7"E, 30°00'00.2"N 40°15'11.8"E, and 28°44'52.9"N 36°18'47.8" E) in Hail, Al Jouf, and Tabuk regions exhibited fire blight symptoms. After removing bark, the affected trees showed shoot blight, brown-blighted shoot tips and blossom blight, dead flowers on the stems, and reddish-colored cankers. The disease incidence varied from 10% to 25%. Pathogen was isolated from 21 symptomatic samples including fruits, flowers, and shoots. Bacteria were isolated from washed tissues on King's B (KB) and semi-selective CCT media (Ishimaru and Klos, 1984). After 48 hours, colonies resembling Erwinia amylovora on KB media were 1.5-2 mm in diameter, white, circular, slightly convex, with a smooth surface, and exhibited no fluorescence under ultraviolet light. Colonies on CCT after 72 h were 3-4 mm in diameter, mucoid with shiny surfaces, semitransparent, speckled with craters, and slightly violet. All isolates were purified by subculturing on KB. All isolates were Gram-negative and rod-shaped, fermentative of glucose, positive for catalase and negative for oxidase, and potato rot. They induced a hypersensitive reaction when infiltrated in tobacco leaves (cv. Xanthi). Based on morphology and biochemical tests (EPPO, 2004), the strains were identified as Erwinia sp. Twenty-six strains from Saudi Arabia (SA) and the reference strain (NCPPB 683T) hydrolyzed gelatin and formed white, highly mucous colonies on the levan medium. These strains could not reduce nitrate to nitrite and tested negative for urease and indole production. All the isolates and the reference strain were confirmed to be E. amylovora based on a PCR 0.9-kb DNA fragment amplification with a species-specific primer set, A/B targets pEA29 (Bereswill et al. 1992). 16S-rDNA fragments from Saudi isolates were amplified with 27F and 1492R primers (Lane, 1991). Purified amplicons from PCR were sequenced (OR717505 and OR743536-OR743560), and a BLAST search of the GenBank database revealed 100% (927/927) homology with E. amylovora strain CP066796.1. The housekeeping gene rpoB was PCR amplified with primers CM7-F and CM31b-R (Rezzonico et al. 2012), and the products were sequenced (PP465516-PP465541). BLAST analysis showed 100% (944/944 nt) and 96.19% (908/944 nt) identities with the sequences of E. amylovora ATCC 15580 CP066796.1 and E. pyrifoliae CP201486 CP103445.1, respectively. To fulfill Koch's postulates, SA strains were inoculated on five healthy 3-month-old clones of apple (Malus domestica cv. Gala) per strain with a 10-μl bacterial suspension containing 107 colony-forming units per milliliter by injecting directly in the veins of the upper second leaf plus 5 healthy plants injected with sterile distilled water as control. Plants were incubated at 28°C for six days under a 12-hour light regime. Observed symptoms were similar to the ones observed in the field. The experiment was replicated twice. Bacterial colonies on CCT media were re-isolated from the inoculated apple rootstocks and confirmed by the A/B primer set. To our knowledge, this is the first peer-reviewed report of E. amylovora in SA since the fire blight-like symptoms were observed in SA in 2013 (Alhudaib, 2013). Further research will identify new host plants for the fire blight pathogen within SA which is important due to the importation of pome fruit seedlings (quince, apple, and pear) from neighboring Jordan where E. aylovora was reported (Tehabsim et al. 1992).

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Claims 9

Observationobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Pear trees showed fire blight symptoms in three Saudi regions.

Taxon
pear treesPyrus communise0
Material
Pyrus communis cv. Williamse0
Interactor
Erwinia amylovoraErwinia amylovorat0pathogen
Outcome
fire blight symptomse0
Setting
Hail, Al Jouf, and Tabuk regionse0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Pyrus communis
Pyrus communis · TaxonDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Erwinia amylovora
Erwinia amylovora · InteractorSebastian Stabinger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“pear trees (Pyrus communis cv. Williams) in orchards (27°46'36.0"N 42°29'44.7"E, 30°00'00.2"N 40°15'11.8"E, and 28°44'52.9"N 36°18'47.8" E) in Hail, Al Jouf, and Tabuk regions exhibited fire blight symptoms”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 32–238 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Disease incidence in pear varied from 10% to 25%.

Interactor
Erwinia amylovoraErwinia amylovorat0pathogen
Outcome
disease incidencee0
Value
10% to 25%e0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Pyrus communis
Pyrus communis · TaxonDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Erwinia amylovora
Erwinia amylovora · InteractorSebastian Stabinger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“The disease incidence varied from 10% to 25%.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 403–448 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The isolates were confirmed as E. amylovora by species-specific PCR.

Interactor
E. amylovoraErwinia amylovorae0pathogen
Outcome
confirmed to be E. amylovorae0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Pyrus communis
Pyrus communis · TaxonDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Erwinia amylovora
Erwinia amylovora · InteractorSebastian Stabinger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“All the isolates and the reference strain were confirmed to be E. amylovora based on a PCR 0.9-kb DNA fragment amplification with a species-specific primer set”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1639–1798 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The Saudi isolates had 100% 16S sequence homology with an E. amylovora reference.

Interactor
E. amylovoraErwinia amylovorae0pathogen
Outcome
homology with E. amylovora strain CP066796.1e0
Value
100% (927/927)e0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Pyrus communis
Pyrus communis · TaxonDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Erwinia amylovora
Erwinia amylovora · InteractorSebastian Stabinger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“a BLAST search of the GenBank database revealed 100% (927/927) homology with E. amylovora strain CP066796.1”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 2019–2126 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The Saudi isolates had 100% rpoB identity with E. amylovora.

Interactor
E. amylovoraErwinia amylovorae0pathogen
Outcome
identities with the sequences of E. amylovorae0
Value
100% (944/944 nt)e0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Pyrus communis
Pyrus communis · TaxonDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Erwinia amylovora
Erwinia amylovora · InteractorSebastian Stabinger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“BLAST analysis showed 100% (944/944 nt) and 96.19% (908/944 nt) identities with the sequences of E. amylovora ATCC 15580 CP066796.1 and E. pyrifoliae CP201486 CP103445.1, respectively”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 2282–2465 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The Saudi isolates had 96.19% rpoB identity with E. pyrifoliae.

Interactor
E. pyrifoliaeErwinia pyrifoliaee0pathogen
Outcome
E. pyrifoliae CP201486 CP103445.1e0
Value
96.19% (908/944 nt)e0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Pyrus communis
Pyrus communis · TaxonDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“BLAST analysis showed 100% (944/944 nt) and 96.19% (908/944 nt) identities with the sequences of E. amylovora ATCC 15580 CP066796.1 and E. pyrifoliae CP201486 CP103445.1, respectively”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 2282–2465 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultnegativemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Inoculated apple clones developed symptoms like those observed in pear orchards.

Material
Malus domestica cv. Galae0
Treatment
SA strains were inoculatede0
Interactor
SA strainse0pathogen
Outcome
Observed symptomse0
Comparator
sterile distilled watere0

Not reportedDirection

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“SA strains were inoculated on five healthy 3-month-old clones of apple (Malus domestica cv. Gala) per strain with a 10-μl bacterial suspension containing 107 colony-forming units per milliliter by injecting directly in the veins of the upper second leaf plus 5 healthy plants injected with sterile distilled water as control. Plants were incubated at 28°C for six days under a 12-hour light regime. Observed symptoms were similar to the ones observed in the field.”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 2497–2961 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Bacterial colonies were reisolated from inoculated apple rootstocks and confirmed by PCR.

Interactor
Bacterial coloniese0pathogen
Outcome
Bacterial colonies on CCT media were re-isolatede0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Malus domestica
Malus domestica · TaxonW.carter · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“Bacterial colonies on CCT media were re-isolated from the inoculated apple rootstocks and confirmed by the A/B primer set”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 2999–3120 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

The authors report E. amylovora in Saudi Arabia for the first time in a peer-reviewed report.

Interactor
E. amylovoraErwinia amylovorae0pathogen
Outcome
first peer-reviewed report of E. amylovora in SAe0

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Pyrus communis
Pyrus communis · TaxonDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Erwinia amylovora
Erwinia amylovora · InteractorSebastian Stabinger · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e0

“this is the first peer-reviewed report of E. amylovora in SA”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 3140–3200 · show in text ↑
t0

“Erwinia amylovora on Pear”

✓ located verbatim in the source · title, characters 38–63 · show in text ↑

salicylic acid · disease · Malus domestica (apple)Positive and negative results

7 papers: 6 positive, 1 negative or no effect

6 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

3 papers more in this group

See all 7 papers →

inoculation · disease · Malus domestica (apple)Positive and negative results

63 papers: 23 positive, 40 negative or no effect

39 papers in the same direction as this paper · 23 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

59 papers more in this group

See all 63 papers →

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.