Kj. Hackett et al., THE SPIROPLASMA MOTILITY INHIBITION TEST, A NEW METHOD FOR DETERMINING INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION AMONG COLORADO POTATO BEETLE SPIROPLASMAS, International journal of systematic bacteriology, 47(1), 1997, pp. 33-37
The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, is a major hola
rctic pest of solanaceous crops. Presumably, this insect spread from S
olanum species in central America to the Mexican plateau, and this was
followed by multiple invasions of North America and Europe. Attempts
are being made to control this beetle by using a genetically modified
spiroplasma that occurs naturally in its gut. In the current study, sp
iroplasmas isolated from beetles collected in North America and Poland
exhibited serologic (spiroplasma motility inhibition test) and genomi
c (restriction fragment length polymorphism) profiles that suggest tha
t there were multiple spiroplasma introductions. Two serovars were ide
ntified; one is found in northern North America and at high elevations
in Poland, and the other is found in southern North America and at lo
w elevations in Poland. The patterns of genovar distribution coincide
with the serovar patterns. The existence of such biovars-intraspecific
taxal units reflected by serologic and genomic differences-should be
taken into consideration when taxonomies are developed and strains are
chosen for biocontrol.