Inferring the evolutionary history of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae from its biogeography in headwaters of rivers in North America, Europe, and New Zealand.

Nonhost environmental reservoirs of pathogens play key roles in their evolutionary ecology and in particular in the evolution of pathogenicity. In light of recent reports of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae in pristine waters outside agricultural regions and its dissemination via the water cycle, we have examined the genetic and phenotypic diversity, population structure, and biogeography of P. syringae from headwaters of rivers on three continents and their phylogenetic relationship to strains from crops. A collection of 236 strains from 11 sites in the United States, in France, and in New Zealand was characterized for genetic diversity based on housekeeping gene sequences and for phenotypic diversity based on measures of pathogenicity and ice nucleation activity. Phylogenetic analyses revealed several new genetic clades from water. The genetic structure of P. syringae populations was not influenced by geographic location or water chemistry, whereas the phenotypic structure was affected by these parameters. Comparison with strains from crops revealed that the metapopulation of P. syringae is structured into three genetic ecotypes: a crop-specific type, a water-specific type, and an abundant ecotype found in both habitats. Aggressiveness of strains was significantly and positively correlated with ice nucleation activity. Furthermore, the ubiquitous genotypes were the most aggressive, on average. The abundance and diversity in water relative to crops suggest that adaptation to the freshwater habitat has played a nonnegligible role in the evolutionary history of P. syringae. We discuss how adaptation to the water cycle is linked to the epidemiological success of this plant pathogen.

The Relationship of Host Range, Physiology, and Genotype to Virulence on Cantaloupe in Pseudomonas syringae from Cantaloupe Blight Epidemics in France.

ABSTRACT In 1993, a bacterial blight caused important losses of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis) in southwestern France and has now been reported in all cantaloupe-growing regions of France. The causal agent of this blight is Pseudomonas syringae, although on a worldwide basis this bacterium has not been a major pathogen of melon for over 50 years. To identify the pathovar of the cantaloupe pathogen, we employed biochemical tests, plasmid and chromosomal profiling, and host range studies for 23 strains from cantaloupe and 47 reference strains of 14 pathovars of P. syringae. Numerical analysis of 119 traits, serological typing, syringomycin production, and BOX-polymerase chain reaction profiles did not allow us to differentiate among pathovars related to P. syringae pv. syringae. Host range studies of cantaloupe and references strains on 18 plant species showed that virulence to sugar beet was a common feature of strains virulent on cantaloupe, but was not common to strains avirulent on cantaloupe. Virulence to other species of plants varied among strains, but the overall extent of the host range was proportional to aggressiveness to cantaloupe. We propose that the strains attacking cantaloupe in France be considered P. syringae pv. aptata and that adequate host range testing may reveal that this pathovar is the cause of cantaloupe blight reported in other parts of the world.