Specificity of bacteriophages and antiserum forPseudomonas pisi

摘要

Of 47 isolates from peas including reference strains and cultures suspected of beingPseudomonas pisi, 36 were considered to be typical of that species, on the basis of phage-, sero-, and symptom-type. Eight were similar toPs. syringaeand three were non-pathogenicPseudomonasspp. The specificity of phage and serological techniques was further tested on a collection of 81 isolates from 27Pseudomonasspecies. Phage El (NZ) was highly specific toPs. pisi. Phage Pg26 (Canadian) cross reacted to a limited extent (6.5 of isolates tested). Antiserum tests for the heat-labile antigen showed 26 cross reactions and for the heat-stable antigen 12 cross reactions. On the basis of serological tests alone (tests for the heat-stable antigen), isolates from three species were indistinguishable fromPs. pisi. On the basis of combined phage and serology tests only one species would have been confused withPs. pisi. For the routine identification ofPs. pisi, serological tests for the heat-stable antigen and occasional confirmatory phage tests were considered to be adequate.