title: Characterization of Erwinia amylovora strains from Bulgaria by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
abstract: The aim of this study was to characterize genetically Bulgarian Erwinia amylovora strains using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. Fifty E. amylovora strains isolated from different hosts, locations, as well as in different years were analysed by PFGE after XbaI, SpeI, and XhoI digestion of the genomic DNA. The strains were distributed into four groups according to their XbaI-generated profile. About 82% of the strains displayed a PFGE profile identical to that of type Pt2. Three strains belonged to the Central Europe Pt1 type. Two new PFGE profiles, not reported so far, were established--one for a strain isolated from Malus domestica and another for all Fragaria spp. strains. The same grouping of the strains was obtained after analysis of the SpeI digestion patterns. On the basis of PFGE profiles, after XbaI and SpeI digestion, a genetic differentiation between the strains associated with subfamily Maloideae and subfamily Rosoideae was revealed. The presence of more than one PFGE profile in the population of E. amylovora in Bulgaria suggests a multiple source of inoculum.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, Biological Faculty, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 8 Dragan Tsankov Str., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Iliana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Atanasova
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Urshev
authors.forename: Petya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hristova
authors.forename: Nevena
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bogatzevska
authors.forename: Penka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moncheva
mesh_terms: D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods*; D044084:Erwinia amylovora / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant