Characterization of the Xanthomonas sp. causing wilt of enset and banana and its proposed reclassification as a strain of X. vasicola

Comparative analyses were undertaken to characterize Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, the causal agent of a wilt of enset and banana, and to assess its relatedness to other xanthomonads by fatty acid methyl esters, genomic fingerprinting using rep-PCR and partial nucleotide sequencing of the gyrase B gene. The results from all three analyses indicated that strains of X. campestris pv. musacearum are homogeneous and very similar to X. vasicola strains isolated from sugarcane and maize from Africa. Pathogenicity studies indicated that strains of X. vasicola pv. holcicola and X. vasicola from sugarcane induced no symptoms on banana, whereas X. campestris pv. musacearum produced severe disease. These data will support a future proposed reclassification of X. campestris pv. musacearum as X. vasicola pv. musacearum when more data are available. © 2007 The Authors.