Multiple Introductions of Tomato Pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis into Iran as Revealed by a Global-Scale Phylogeographic Analysis

Clavibacter michiganensis subsp.michiganensis , the causal agent of tomato bacterial canker disease, is one of the economically important pathogens of solanaceous crops (e.g., eggplant, pepper, and tomato) around the world. The disease occurs in many countries, with a particular importance in regions characterized by high precipitation and humid environmental conditions. As a seed-borne pathogen,C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis is included in the A2 (high risk) list of quarantine pathogens by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). Bacterial canker disease was reported for the first time in 1993 in Iran, while the geographic distribution, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of the causal agent remain undetermined. In this study, using the multilocus sequence analysis and typing (MLSA/MLST) approach, we provided a phylogeographic scheme for theC. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis strains isolated in Iran. Furthermore, global-scale phylogenetic analyses led to determination of phylogenetic position of IranianC. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis strains among worldwide population of the pathogen. Based on diversity parameters and population structure, we suggest relatively higher genetic diversity of the bacterial canker pathogen in Iran than has so far been observed in the other areas of the world. Results obtained in this study provide a novel insight into the genetic diversity and population structure of the bacterial canker pathogen on a global scale.