Minutes of the Bacteriology Committee Meeting 1998
Las Vegas, NV
Current Committee Chair: Wesley Chun, wchun@uidaho.edu
Immediate Past Chair: Mark Wilson, mwilson@coloradocollege.edu
Current Vice-Chair: Walter Mahaffee, mahaffew@ava.bcc.orst.edu
Current Committee Members: S. Beck von Bodman, C. T. Bull, J.C. Chen, D. Coplin, R. Frederick, C. H. Liao, W. Mahaffee, S. Miller, P. S. McManus, L. S. Pierson, A. Poplawsky, G. Sundin, R. Yucel,
Outgoing Committee Members: W. Chun, L. W. Keith, R. Loria, I. M. Ming, D. P. Roberts, M. Wilson
AttendeesMembers: S. Beck von Bodman, C. T. Bull, J.C. Chen, W. Chun, D. Coplin, I.-M. Lee, R. Loria, W. Mahaffee, A. Poplawsky. G. Sundin
Visitors: C. Allen, A. Anderson, G. Beattie, S. Beer, J. Barak, T. Burr, G. Franc, D. Gross, C. Ishimaru, J. Jones, P. Lindgren, F. Louws, M. Mellano, V. Mellano, D. Norman, S.Q. Pan, A. Reilley, N. Schaad, K. Schroeder, A. Vidaver
I Old Business
Meeting called to order by Wesley Chun at 8:05 pm
Committee Chair's Report (Wesley Chun)
This year the committee established a website (http://www.uidaho.edu/~wchun/Bacteriology), discussion forum (http://www.scisoc.org/forums/webx.exe?14@@.ee6b5fe) and a listing of Email and web addresses of bacteriologist (http://www.uidaho.edu/~wchun/Bacteriology/list.html) . The Committee also worked on several projects: 1) thirde dition of the Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria (APS Press); 2) Establishing a list of endemic phytobacteria for APHIS; 3) Establishing a U.S. effort for the sequencing of the genomes of three plant pathogenic bacteria and 4) A letter to the Editor Pathology of in regards to recent taxonomic changes in the genera of Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas.
II Current Business
A. Update on the third edition of Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria by Norm Schaad.
The editors are Jeff Jones, Wesley Chun, and Norm Schaad with outside reviewers being Donald Cooksey, Tom Burr, and Ann Alverez. Chapters are currently being submitted and the book should be ready for delivery to APS Press on June 1. The editors have asked for an additional $5.00 charge be added to the cost of the book to allow for electronic updates (over a web page)
B. Clarification of Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas Taxonomy. Presented by
Norm Schaad
A letter to the editor of Phytopathology was prepared by N. W. Schaad, A. K. Vidaver, G. H. Lacy, K. Rudolph, and J. Jones in an attempts to clarify the recent proposed changes in the taxonomy of Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas species. Committee approval and editing is being sought prior to submission (see the Committee’s discussion forum at (http://www.scisoc.org/forums/webx.exe?14@@.ee6b5fe). A copy of the manuscript can be viewed at the Bacteriology Committee’s Web site (http://www.uidaho.edu/~wchun/Bacteriology). Discussion will continue in the discussion forum and a committee vote will be taken by Email at the end of November. Addendum December 1998: The Committee approved and supported the contents of the manuscript.
C. APHIS List of endemic phytobacteria. Presented by Carol Ishimaru.
A list of bacteria endemic to each State is being prepared by Carol Ishimaru, Wesley Chun with input from several other bacteriologist. This list will be used to expedite APHIS approval Import (PPQ) permits for obtaining cultures of plant pathogenic bacteria. Fifty percent of the states have currently reported. APHIS is providing $10,000.00 to the Committee that will be used to cover travel costs of individuals working to develop the list to APS annual meetings in 1999.
D. Genome Project. Presented by Dr. Keen
Rolstonia solanacearum - C. Boucher, France
Agrobacterium tumefaciens - Gene Nester and others with Monsanto
Rhizobium meliloti- Sharon Long, U.S.
Erwinia. carotovora pv. carotovora - T. Palva, Finland and SCRI, Scotland
Xyella fastidosa - F. Reinach, Brazil
Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris - F. Reinach, Brazil
Xanthomonas oryzae - H. kaku, Japan
Burkholderia. cepacia - A European Group
Proposed U.S. effort
P. sryingae pv. pyringae DC3000
Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937
Clavibacter (Species to be determined)
Possibly E. amylovora
E. Electronic communication. Presented by Wesley Chun
They committee agreed that the Website, E-mail list and discussion forum should be maintained and Wesley Chun agreed to maintain the Website and Email list while the discussion forum will be maintained by APS.
III New Business
A. Sandie Peirson was elected as Vice-Chair for 1998-1999
B. Nominated New Members
C. Special Sessions
The proposal of symposium on Type II Secretion Systems in Bacterial Pathogens will not be pursued due to the recent Fallen leaf Lake Conference. Instead the committee elected to pursue to special sessions.
The Fine Line of Species Determination (Organized by Walt Mahaffee)
Topics will include: biochemical tests, primary nucleic acid tests, fatty acid analysis, protein and LPS profiles, ribosomal RNA techniques, PCR, Taxonomic rules, and a moderated discussion
Plant Pathology’s Role in Food Quality and Protection
(Organized by Norm Schaad)
Topics will include: Identification of global disease threats, detection technologies, surveillance and reporting, global movement of emerging diseases, pathogen evolution, methods of protection crops and infrastructure, accidental and purposeful introduction, pathogen manipulation and engineering
The use of genomics in studying bacterial pathogenesis
To be Organized by Sandi Pearson and other volunteers
The role of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of pathogenesis
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
D. Items for discussion during the up coming year
1. Fund for Rural America
a volunteer coordinator needed and assistant are needed
2. Book on genetic regulation in plant pathogenic bacteria (Cambridge Press)
3. Net-based teaching materials
i. Laboratory Exercise Manual
ii. "Phytobacteriology" text
iii. Peer Review committee