Erwinia chrysanthemi: Serological Relationships Among Strains from Several Hosts

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Abstract
Nine antisera were produced against formalin-treated strains of E. chrysanthemi, and 4 serovars were distinguished that were designated serovars I, II, III and IV. Antisera produced to 5 strains originally different geographical locations were similar when tested by Ouchterlony double diffusion for reaction of identity (serovar I); the 2 strains from Musa paradisiaca produced similar antisera (serovar IV). Three hundred and fifteen (78%) of 404 strains of E. chrysanthemi originally isolated from 42 hosts reacted with 2 or more of the 9 antisera, whereas none of the 103 strains of other Erwinia sp. or ssp. reacted with any of the antisera. All strains isolated from 25 of 42 hosts reacted only with the antisera of serovar 1, and all strains from M. paradisiaca reacted only with antisera of serovar IV. None of the strains isolated from 7 hosts reacted with any of the antisera; some strains from each of the 9 remaining hosts reacted with 1 or more antisera, whereas other strains from the same host did not react with any of the antisera. There was no correlation between reaction to antisera and assignment of strains to 5 of the 6 previously described phenotypic subdivisions. Strains (90) of E. chrysanthemi (serovar I) from 34 plant species, subspecies or cultivars were tested for agglutination with unabsorbed antiserum produced against a strain isolated from Dianthus caryophyllus and with antisera absorbed with a strain from Dieffenbachia amoena or from Saintaqulia ionantha. Three kinds of reactions to the absorbed antisera were observed; however, a definite relationship between original host or phenotypic properties and reaction to absorbed antisera was not demonstrated.