Comparison of the behavior of epiphytic fitness mutants of pseudomonas syringae under controlled and field conditions

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:6642409

Beattie, G A; Lindow, S E ^[1]

---

1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

The epiphytic fitness of four Tn5 of Pseudomonas syringae that exhibited reduced epiphytic fitness in the laboratory was evaluated under field conditions. The mutants differed more from the parental strain under field conditions than under laboratory conditions, in their survival immediately following inoculation onto bean leaves and in the size of the epiphytic populations that they established at near-wild type rates, while the others exhibited reduced survival only in the warmest, driest conditions tested and grew epiphytically at reduced rates or, in the case of one mutant, not at all. The presence of the parental strain, B728a, did not influence the survival or growth of three of the mutants under field conditions; however, one mutant, an auxotroph, established larger populations in the presence of B728a than in its absence, possibly because of cross-feeding by By28a in planta. Experiments with B728a demonstrated that established epiphytic populations survived exposure of leaves to dry conditions better than newly inoculated cells did and that epiphytic survival was not dependent on the cell density in the inoculum. Three of the mutants behaved similarly to two nonpathogenic strains of P. syringae, suggesting that the mutants may be altered in traits that are missing or poorly expressed in naturally occurring nonpathogenic epiphytes. 58 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

• DOE Contract Number: FG03-86ER13518
• OSTI ID: 6642409
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States), Journal Name: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States) Vol. 60:10; ISSN AEMIDF; ISSN 0099-2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550700* -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ECOLOGY
EVALUATION
MICROORGANISMS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PSEUDOMONAS