High diversity in Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens characterized by serology and rep-PCR genomic fingerprinting

The diversity found in culture collection strains of Curtobacterium flaccum faciens pv. flaccumfaciens was characterized by serology and repetitive-seq uence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR). Using strain NCPPB 559 as the reference antigen, immunofluorescence tests with polyclonal and monoclo nal antibodies confirmed that no epitope appeared to be common to all strai ns of this pathovar. Screening of hybridoma cell lines against strains of t his pathovar, as well as against other members of this genus and species, i dentified two distinct epitopes. Phylogenetic analysis of the rep-PCR genom ic fingerprints of Curtobacter, Clavibacter, and Rathayibacter species, gro uped all the C. flaccumfaciens strains and pathovars together, but the C. f laccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens strains did not form a single cluster. Rat her, they dispersed into two clusters, along with strains of other pathovar s of this species. Members of one cluster reacted with one of the monoclona l antibodies, while members of the other did not.