title: Phylogenetic characterization of the bacterium-like organism associated with marginal chlorosis of strawberry and proposition of a Candidatus taxon for the organism, 'Candidatus phlomobacter fragariae'.
abstract: Marginal chlorosis is a new disease of strawberry which was first seen in France in 1988. A phloem-restricted bacterium-like organism was found associated with the disease. Even though the organism could not be cultured and resembles in this way most other phloem-restricted pathogens, characterization was achieved from the sequence of its PCR-generated 16S rDNA, and comparison with other organisms. From these studies, the strawberry agent was found to be a new bacterium within group 3 of the gamma subclass of Proteobacteria, a group of Gram-negative bacteria including, in particular, insect symbionts or parasites as well as enterobacteria. Its closest relative, Arsenophonus nasoniae, is the causal agent of the son-killer trait in wasps. The two bacteria share 92% 16S rDNA sequence identity. We propose a Candidatus taxon for the marginal-chlorosis-associated bacterium, 'Candidatus Phlomobacter fragariae'.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Villenave d'Ornon, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zreik
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bové
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garnier
mesh_terms: D005638:Fruit / Q000382:microbiology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S