Plant Protect. Sci., 2025, 61(3):255-261 | DOI: 10.17221/196/2024-PPS

Evidence and characterisation of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis causing bacterial blight of walnut in MontenegroOriginal Paper

Jelena Latinović1, Nedeljko Latinović1, Bogoljub Kandić1, Aleksandra Jelušić2, Tatjana Popović Milovanović ORCID...3
1 University of Montenegro, Biotechnical Faculty, Podgorica, Montenegro
2 University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Belgrade, Serbia
3 Institute for Plant Protection and Environment, Belgrade, Serbia

This study represents the first evidence of the bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj) on walnut trees in Podgorica (Montenegro). Disease symptoms appeared on leaves in the form of dark, angular leaf spots surrounded by yellow-green haloes and lesions spread across the whole leaf. Isolated bacteria were preliminarily identified using PCR with pathovar-specific primer pair XajF/XajR and further characterised based on multi-locus sequence analysis with nine housekeeping genes (fusA, gapA, gltA, gyrB1, lepA, rpoD, dnaK, fyuA, and gyrB2). Montenegrin walnut isolates were homogeneous among themselves and the most closely related to different X. arboricola strains originating from Juglans regia isolated elsewhere. The pathogenicity of isolates was confirmed on walnut leaves, fruits, and branches. All inoculations resulted in the formation of necrotic lesions that initially developed at the site of bacteria entry, with later developing chlorotic areas on leaves along the leaf veins. This finding of Xaj causing leaf blight symptoms on walnuts in Montenegro highlights its expanding distribution across Europe and indicates a potential threat to walnut plantations in Montenegro.

Keywords: Juglans regia; detection; identification; pathogenicity; multi-locus sequence analysis

Received: October 17, 2024; Revised: February 14, 2025; Accepted: March 11, 2025; Prepublished online: April 3, 2025; Published: July 20, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Latinović J, Latinović N, Kandić B, Jelušić A, Popović Milovanović T. Evidence and characterisation of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis causing bacterial blight of walnut in Montenegro. Plant Protect. Sci. 2025;61(3):255-261. doi: 10.17221/196/2024-PPS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Almeida N.F., Yan S., Cai R., Clarke C.R., Morris C.E., Schaad N.W., Schuenzel E.L., Lacy G.H., et al. (2010): PAMDB, a multi-locus sequence typing and analysis database and website for plant-associated microbes. Phytopathology, 100: 208-215. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    2. Gironde S., Guillaumes J., Manceau C. (2009): Specific detection of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis pathogen on walnut. EPPO Conference on Diagnostics and Associated workshops, York, May 10-15, 2009, Great Britain.
    3. Iličić R., Bagi F., Blagojević M., Gošić J., Milovanović P., Popović T. (2021): Etiology of bacterial diseases of young walnut trees in Serbia. Pesticides and Phytomedicine (Pesticidi i Fitomedicina), 36: 101-109. Go to original source...
    4. Ivanović Ž., Popović T., Janse J., Kojić M., Stanković S., Gavrilović V., Fira D. (2015): Molecular assessment of genetic diversity of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis strains from Serbia by various DNA fingerprinting techniques. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 141: 133-145. Go to original source...
    5. Kim H.S., Cheon W., Lee Y., Kwon H.T., Seo S.T., Balaraju K., Jeon Y. (2021): Identification and characterisation of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis causing bacterial blight of walnuts in Korea. The Plant Pathology Journal, 37: 137-151. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Kimura M. (1980): A simple method for estimating evolutionary rate of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequences. Journal of Molecular Evolution, 16: 111-120. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Lamichhane J.R. (2014): Xanthomonas arboricola diseases of stone fruit, almond, and walnut trees: progress toward understanding and management. Plant Disease, 98: 1600-1610. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Marcelletti S., Ferrante P., Scortichini M. (2010): Multi-locus sequence typing reveals relevant genetic variation and different evolutionary dynamics among strains of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis. Diversity (Basel), 2: 1205. Go to original source...
    9. Mijušković M. (1990): Neke značajnije bolesti oraha u Crnoj Gori. Agriculture and Forestry, 36: 3-21. (In Serbian)
    10. Moragrega C. (2012): Detection and identification methods and new tests as developed and used in the framework of COST 873 for bacteria pathogenic to stone fruits and nuts: Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis. Journal of Plant Pathology, 94: S1.155-S1.159.
    11. Popović T., Mitrović P., Jelušić A., Dimkić I., Marjanović-Jeromela A., Nikolić I., Stanković S. (2019): Genetic diversity and virulence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris isolates from Brassica napus and six Brassica oleracea crops in Serbia. Plant Pathology, 68: 1448-1457. Go to original source...
    12. Schaad N.W., Jones J.B., Chum W. (2001). Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria. APS Press, St. Paul, MN, USA.
    13. Scortichini M., Marchesi U., Di Prospero P. (2001): Genetic diversity of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (synonyms: X. campestris pv. juglandis; X. juglandis pv. juglandis) strains from different geographical areas shown by repetitive polymerase chain reaction genomic fingerprinting. Journal of Phytopathology, 149: 325-332. Go to original source...
    14. Vagelas L.K., Rumbos C.I., Tsiantos J. (2012): Variation in disease development among persian walnut cultivars, selections and crosses when inoculated with Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis in Greece. Journal of Plant Pathology, 94 (Supplement): S1.57-S1.61.
    15. Young J.M., Park D.C., Shearman H.M., Fargier E. (2008): A multi-locus sequence analysis of the genus Xanthomonas. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 31: 366-377. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content