The temperate phage 59 from Erwinia carotovora and its DNA were studied. The phage particles have an icosahedral head and a long noncontractile tail with a base plate. The virus DNA makes up 50% of the total virus and exists as a linear molecule (molecular weight, 2.6 X 10(7)). A model of virus structural organization is presented.

RsmC and FlhDC are global regulators controlling extracellular proteins/enzymes, rsmB RNA, motility, and virulence of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. FlhDC, the master regulator of flagellar genes, controls these traits by positively regulating gacA, fliA, and rsmC and negatively regulating hexA. RsmC, on the other hand, is a negative regulator of extracellular proteins/enzymes, motility,...

The purpose of this study was to clone the carocin S1 gene and express it in a non-carocin-producing strain of Erwinia carotovora. A mutant, TH22-10, which produced a high-molecular-weight bacteriocin but not a low-molecular-weight bacteriocin, was obtained by Tn5 insertional mutagenesis using H-rif-8-2 (a spontaneous rifampin-resistant mutant of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora 89-H-4). Us...

rsmB(Ecc) specifies a nontranslatable RNA regulator that controls exoprotein production and pathogenicity in soft rot-causing Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. This effect of rsmB(Ecc) RNA is mediated mostly by neutralizing the function of RsmA(Ecc), an RNA-binding protein of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, which acts as a global negative regulator. To determine the occurrence of functiona...

The bacterial pathogens Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica, E. carotovora subsp. carotovora and E. chrysanthemi are responsible for soft rot diseases, affecting plants in the field and/or in storage. Thirty-one strains from Portugal and elsewhere were characterised by classical, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and molecular methods (MSP-PCR and BOX-PCR). Ten strains were identified as E. caro...

Four sterilants–bactericides (Physan-20, Fixed Copper, Phyton27, and Virkon) were compared as preplanting dips of Zantedeschia elliottiana Engl. W. Wats ‘Yellow’ (a susceptible cultivar) rhizomes to reduce plant losses due to latent fieldinfected Erwinia carotovora soft rot during greenhouse forcing as a flowering potted plant. All sterilant solutions were prepared in combination with Promalin,...