Candidatus Liberibacter

Candidatus Liberibacter is a genus of gram-negative bacteria in the Rhizobiaceae family. The term Candidatus is used to indicate that it has not proved possible to maintain this bacterium in culture. Detection of the liberibacters is based on PCR amplification of their 16S rRNA gene with specific primers. Members of the genus are plant pathogens mostly transmitted by psyllids. The genus was originally spelled Liberobacter. ^[1]

Species

Named species include:^[2]

• Liberibacter africanus - Originating in Africa and a causal agent of huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening disease and vectored by the african citrus psyllid Tioza erytreae.^[3]
• Liberibacter americanus - A novel species from Brazil described in 2005 and associated with huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening disease and vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri.^[4]
• Liberibacter asiaticus - Originating in Asia and a causal agent of huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening disease and vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri.^[5]
• Liberibacter europaeus - A novel species described in 2010, found in pear trees where it seems to cause no symptoms and vectored by the psyllid, Cacopsylla pyri.^[6]
• Liberibacter psyllaurous - A novel species described in 2008 from solanaceous host plants potato and tomato and vectored by the potato tomato psyllid (TPP), Bactericera cockerelli.^[7]
• Liberibacter solanacearum^[8] - A causal agent of zebra chip disease in potatoes and vectored by the potato tomato psyllid (TPP), Bactericera cockerelli .^[9] This synonym is more often used in preference to "psyllaurous". The 16s sequences deposited in Genbank are identical ^[10]
  

The commonly used abbreviations are Laf, Lam, Las, Leu and Lso.

References