GENOMIC ANALYSIS BY PULSED-FIELD GEL ELECTROPHORESIS OF ERWINIA AMYLOVORA STRAINS FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION INCLUDING ITALY

Erwinia amylovora strains from the Mediterranean region including Italy, and from eastern Europe were assayed for their PFGE patterns after an XbaI digest of the genomic DNA. The strains from eastern Europe and the Mediterranean region were placed into the same group (Pt2), although a strain from Bulgaria and two strains from Israel carried an RFLP-pattern which distinguished them from the other strains in that regions. Strains from Austria and Czechia belonged to the central European type (Pt1), whereas strains from Italy could be divided into three groups, i.e. with patterns observed before for strains from northern France (Pt3), the Mediterranean region (Pt2), and central Europe (Pt1). Grouping of E. amylovora strains from northeastern Italy to strains from northern France was confirmed by PFGE analysis after SpeI digests. With an increasing number of E. amylovora strains isolated in the Mediterranean region, their differentiation by PFGE could possibly give clues about the distribution of fire-blight in the surrounding European countries.