Ralstonia solanacearum
Taxonomy
Morphology
Cultural characteristics
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Proteobacteria => Betaproteobacteria => Burkholderiales=> Burkholderiaceae => Ralstonia => Ralstonia solanacearum  Yabuuchi et
al. 1996.
Historical synonyms: Pseudomonas solanacearum  Smith 1914 (Bacillus solanacearum Smith 1896), Burkholderia solanacearum  
Yabuuchi et al. 1993.

Classified into 5 biovars based on the ability to use disaccharides and oxidize hexoze alcohols producing acid when positive.
Classified into races based on host range.
Gram negative, 0.5-0.7 by 1.5-2.5 μm, motile  rods (1 to 4 flagella).
S-type or R-type colonies. Some strains can produce a diffusible, non-fluorescent
brown pigment. Strictly aerobic, optimal temperature 30 ºC, do not grow at 41 ºC. Do
not require any growth factors, including sodium chloride.
Grow on edia: TZC agar (Kelman), TTC (triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) medium,
SMSA-E (soil isolation medium).
Isolated from soil (many types of soil with various pH values), water , plants (roots).
Plant pathogen (bacterial wilt) – tobacco (Granville wilt), tomato, potato (brown rot), eggplant, pepper, banana trees (Moko disease),
geranium (Southern wilt) and many others. Pathogenicity may be lost in laboratory conditions  (correlated with colony variation).
  1. Whitmore A.: An account of a glanders-like disease occurring in Rangoon. Journal of Hygiene, 1913, 13, 1-34.
  2. Smith E.F.: A bacterial disease of the tomato, eggplant and Irish potato (Bacillus solanacearum n. sp.). Bulletin, Division of
    Vegetable Physiology and Pathology, United States Department of Agriculture, 1896, 12, 1-28.
  3. Smith E.F.: Bacteria in relation to plant diseases. Carnegie Institute, Washington, 1914, 3, 1-309.
  4. Yabuuchi E., Kosako Y., Oyaizu H., Yano I., Hotta H., Hashimoto Y., Ezaki T. & Arakawa M.: Proposal of Burkholderia gen. nov.
    and transfer of seven species of the genus Pseudomonas homology group II to the new genus, with the type species
    Burkholderia cepacia (Palleroni and Holmes 1981) comb. nov. Microbiol. Immunol., 1992, 36, 1251-1275.
  5. Yabuuchi E., Kosako Y., Yano I., Hotta H., & Nishiuchi Y.: Transfer of two Burkholderia and an Alcaligenes species to Ralstonia
    gen. nov.: proposal of Ralstonia pickettii (Ralston, Palleroni and Doudoroff 1973) comb. nov., Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith
    1896) comb. nov. and Ralstonia eutropha (Davis 1969) comb. nov. Microbiol. Immunol., 1995, 39, 897-904.
  6. Tim Momol, Prakash Pradhanang, and Carlos A. Lopes: Bacterial Wilt of Pepper. Plant Pathology Department, Florida
    Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2001.
  7. French E. B., Gutarra L., Aley P. & Elphinstone J.: Culture media for Ralstonia. solanacearum. Isolation,  identification and
    maintenance. Fitopatologia vol 30 (3), 1995,  126-130.
Oxidase, catalase, urease positive, accumulates poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate. Most strains produce nitrite from nitrate, except those of
biovar 2.
Does not hydrolyze esculin, starch or gelatin.
Can utilize as carbon source: glucose, fructose, sucrose, DL-lactate & sodium citrate.
Does not utilize potassium gluconate, n-caprate, adipate, L-arabinose, D-mannose & N-acetyl-d-glucosamine.

Utilization of

Biovar

1

2

3

4

5

Cellobiose

-

+

+

-

+

Lactose

-

+

+

-

+

Maltose

-

+

+

-

+

Dulcitol

-

-

+

+

-

Mannitol

-

-

+

+

+

Sorbitol

-

-

+

+

-
(c) Costin Stoica
Antibiogram
Encyclopedia
Culture media
Biochemical tests
Stainings
Images
Movies
Articles
Identification
Software
R E G N U M
PROKARYOTAE