A FAFLP system for the improved identification of plant-pathogenic and plant-associated species of the genus Pantoea

The majority of Pantoea species are either plant-pathogenic or plant-associated and cause a wide variety of symptoms on a range of hosts. Identification of Pantoea species is difficult due to minor differences in phenotypic characteristics between them and related Enterobacteriaceae. Fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (FAFLP) analysis was investigated for use as a rapid, molecular-based identification technique to the species level of the genus Pantoea. Following analysis of the band patterns generated by FAFLP, seven distinct clusters were observed, one for each validly published species of the genus. FAFLP has proven to be a rapid, reproducible identification technique for all species of the genus Pantoea.