Phytopathogenicity of fluorescent pseudomonads from polluted soil

The impacts of microbial community can be felt in every aspect of life. From the antibiotic resistance to the degradation of hazardous wastes, microbial communities are capable of radical impacts on our environment. The genus Pseudomonas includes species with functions of ecological, economic and health-related importance. Some species exhibit plant growth-promoting and pathogen-suppressing functions and may be exploited for use in biological control. Some are pathogenic for plants, while others are opportunistic pathogens of animals or humans. Therefore, it is necessary to characterize and identify these organisms for evaluating their behavior in the environment. Our aim was to compare some fluorescent Pseudomonas isolated from polluted soil in Serbia and observe their pathogenicity on the plants. We analyzed 43 isolates from oil polluted soil by exhibiting fluorescence on King's B medium, exopolysaccharides (EPSI/EPSII) production on Yeast Manitol Agar with Calcofluor dye, SDS-PAGE and plasmid profiles to determine their diversity. Their pathogenicity was evaluated by causing necrose of green fruits' tissues. We compared Pseudomonas from the polluted soil with known plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Using polyphasic approach, we identified 8 plant pathogen Pseudomonas.