• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.123-133
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• 2001

Many pathovars of the species Pseudomonas syringae are known to produce different phytotoxins as secondary metabolites. Although phytotoxins generally enhance the virulence of P. syringae, they are not required for pathogenesis. Among the phytotoxins produced by P. syringae, lipodepsipeptides, coronatine, phaseolotoxin, and tabtoxin are the most well-known toxins which have been intensively studied for their structure, mode of action, biosynthesis, and regulation. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique that amplifies a segment of the phytotoxin gene cluster using a primer set has been developed in recent years. This method offers the advantages of speed and sensitivity compared to the approaches based on physiological and biochemical methods. PCR detection of genes involved in the production of toxins could be exploited for early diagnosis of plant diseases caused by P. syringae pathovars.