Plant pathologists from the University of California, Davis, report the use of comparative genomics to identify specific sequences that are Clavibacter michiganensis detection targets. The results are published in Phytopathology journal.

C. michiganensis is a bacterial pathogen that causes bacterial canker disease in tomatoes, which leads to significant losses in greenhouse and field production systems. Thus, the UC Davis team used DNA sequencing data gathered over the past decade to pinpoint particular genetic locations that accurately detect the pathogen causing bacterial canker. By analyzing 37 different strains of the pathogen, they were able to develop a diagnostic platform that can be used without restriction to facilitate the distribution of clean tomato seed to growers.

[apsjournals.apsnet.org]