title: Genetic and electron-microscopic characterization of 'Rickettsiella agriotidis', a new Rickettsiella pathotype associated with wireworm, Agriotes sp. (Coleoptera: Elateridae).
abstract: Wireworms, the polyphagous larvae of click beetles belonging to the genus Agriotes (Coleoptera: Elateridae), are severe and widespread agricultural pests affecting numerous crops. A previously unknown intracellular bacterium has been identified in a diseased Agriotes larva. Microscopic studies revealed the subcellular structures characteristic of Rickettsiella infections. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 16S ribosomal RNA and signal recognition particle receptor (FtsY) encoding sequences demonstrates that the wireworm pathogen belongs to the taxonomic genus Rickettsiella. Therefore, the new pathotype designation 'R. agriotidis' is proposed to refer to this organism. Moreover, genetic analysis makes it likely that--on the basis of the currently accepted organization of the genus Rickettsiella--this new pathotype should be considered a synonym of the nomenclatural type species, Rickettsiella popilliae.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Heinrichstrasse 243, Darmstadt, Germany. leclerque@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leclerque
authors.forename: Regina G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Kleespies
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feiertag
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D044125:Coxiellaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; C087406:FtsY protein, Bacteria; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear