Phylogenetic analysis of the citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) bacterium based on the sequences of 16S rDNA and 16S/23S rDNA intergenic regions among isolates in China

Phylogenetic analysis of Chinese isolates of the citrus Huanglongbing (HLB) bacterium based on the 16S rDNA and 16S/23S rDNA intergenic regions sequences was carried out. Nine HLB samples collected from different hosts with different symptoms in seven Chinese provinces, were subjected to PCR for amplifying and sequencing the 16S rDNA. The identity level among Chinese isolates was 98.5% to 100% and was the same with the Indian HLB isolate ‘Poona’ (GenBank accession number: L22532). By contrast, identity values were 97.5% to 97.8% with Candidatus Liberibacter africanus strain ‘Nelspruit’ (L22533), 96.3% to 97.3% with Ca. L. africanus subsp. ‘Capensis’ (AF137368), 95.3% to 96.5% with the Ca. Liberibacter sp. ‘LSg2’ (AY919312), and 94.9% to 96.0% with a strain of Ca. L. americanus from Brazil (São Paulo State; AY742824). A phylogenetic tree constructed with 16S rDNA sequences showed that all Chinese isolates belong to Ca. L. asiaticum. Analysis of the 16S/23S rDNA intergenic region was conducted on 18 HLB-diseased citrus samples with different symptoms, collected in seven provinces. These isolates showed no obvious variation and had an identity level >99.0% with one another. Sequence analysis of 16S/23S rDNA intergenic region and the relative phylogenetic tree showed that the Chinese isolates are very close to Ca. L. asiaticus, and distinct from Ca. L. africanus and Ca. L. americanus. These results suggest that the Chinese HLB isolates belong to the species Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. This is the first report on the classification of HLB isolates from China based on molecular investigations.