Isolation and characterization of Agrobacterium strains from grapevines in Bulgarian vineyards and wild grapes, V-vinifera ssp silvestris

• Author(s): Atanassov, Atanas; Atanassov, I.; Genov, I.; Tsvetkov, I.;
• Abstract: Twenty strains of Agrobacterium spp. were isolated from grapevines derived from 9 different grape-growing regions in Bulgaria and from symptomless wild grapes, Phis vinifera ssp. silvestris, naturally growing in forests of South-East Bulgaria. The isolated strains were examined by biochemical and pathogenicity tests and PCR analysis of chromosomal and plasmid-located genes. Two of the studied strains resemble non-pathogenic A. tumefaciens, but the others were determined as tumorigenic A. vitis. Only one out of 18 A. vitis strains, isolated from grapevines, was found to harbor vitopine Ti plasmid type. Surprisingly, all 4 A. vitis strains isolated from symptomless V. vinifera ssp. silvestris plants, proved to be tumorigenic. Thus, for the first time we report the isolation of pathogenic A. vitis strains from wild grapes. The strict correlation between the results from biochemical and virulence tests and PCR analysis suggests that the chosen PCR procedures can be used efficiently for direct PCR testing for the presence and tumorigenicity of A. vitis in grapevines.
• Publication Date: Jan 2006
• Journal: Vitis