AFLP Fingerprinting of the Strains of Xanthomonas axonopodis Inducing Citrus Canker Disease in Southern Iran

A total of 73 strains of Xanthomonas axonopodis, 57 of which were isolated from affected citrus trees in southern Iran and the remaining 16 were representatives of all five currently described pathogenicity groups of the pathogen that cause citrus canker and spot diseases(A, B, C, D and E), were compared by amplified fragment length poymorphism fingerprinting. The following five clusters were found: 1, strains of group C; 2, strains of group B and D; 3, strains of pathotype E; 4, strains of pathotype A together with the main group of the Iranian strains; 5, seven strains from Iran which constituted a separate cluster. These latter seven strains are of new pathotype due to their dissimilarity with the other pathotypes.