''Erwinia'' is a genus of

Enterobacterales Enterobacterales is an order of Gram-negative, non-spore forming, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria with the class Gammaproteobacteria. The type genus of this order is ''Enterobacter.'' The name Enterobacterales is derived from th ...

bacteria containing mostly

plant pathogen Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomy ...

ic species which was named for the famous

plant pathologist Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomy ...

Erwin Frink Smith Erwin Frink Smith (January 21, 1854 – April 6, 1927) was an American plant pathology, plant pathologist with the United States Department of Agriculture. He played a major role in demonstrating that bacteria could cause plant disease. Life an ...

. It contains

Gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wa ...

bacteria related to ''

Escherichia coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus '' Esc ...

'', ''

Shigella ''Shigella'' is a genus of bacteria that is Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, non-spore-forming, nonmotile, rod-shaped, and genetically closely related to '' E. coli''. The genus is named after Kiyoshi Shiga, who first discovered it in ...

'', ''

Salmonella ''Salmonella'' is a genus of rod-shaped (bacillus) Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The two species of ''Salmonella'' are '' Salmonella enterica'' and '' Salmonella bongori''. ''S. enterica'' is the type species and is ...

'', and ''

Yersinia ''Yersinia'' is a genus of bacteria in the family Yersiniaceae. ''Yersinia'' species are Gram-negative, coccobacilli bacteria, a few micrometers long and fractions of a micrometer in diameter, and are facultative anaerobes. Some members of ''Yer ...

''. They are primarily rod-shaped bacteria. Many infect

woody plant A woody plant is a plant that produces wood as its structural tissue and thus has a hard stem. In cold climates, woody plants further survive winter or dry season above ground, as opposite to herbaceous plants that die back to the ground until sp ...

s. A well-known member of this genus is the species '' E. amylovora'', which causes

fire blight Fire blight, also written fireblight, is a contagious disease affecting apples, pears, and some other members of the family Rosaceae. It is a serious concern to apple and pear producers. Under optimal conditions, it can destroy an entire orchard ...

on apples, pears, and other

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorb ...

crops; ''E. tracheiphila'', though, causes

bacterial wilt Bacterial wilt is a complex of diseases that occur in plants such as Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae (tomato, common bean, etc.) and are caused by the pathogens ''Erwinia tracheiphila'', a gram-negative bacterium, or '' Curtobacterium flaccumfacien ...

cucurbits The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: *''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds *'' Lagena ...

. Other familiar species, such as '' E. carotovora'' (another major cause of plant diseases), are more distantly related to the fire blight bacterium, and have been moved to genera ''

Brenneria ''Brenneria'' is a genus of Pectobacteriaceae, containing mostly pathogens of woody plants. This genus is named after the microbiologist Don J. Brenner. Some members of this genus were formerly placed in ''Erwinia''. Species Species now pl ...

'', ''

Dickeya ''Dickeya'' is a genus of the family Pectobacteriaceae that consists mainly of pathogens from herbaceous plants. Dickeya is the result of the reclassification of 75 strains of ''Pectobacterium chrysanthemi'', as well as ''Brenneria paradisiaca' ...

'', and ''

Pectobacterium ''Pectobacterium'' is a bacterial genus of the family Pectobacteriaceae; it used to be a member of the genus '' Erwinia'', which was split into three genera: ''Erwinia'', ''Pectobacterium'', and ''Brenneria''. Species include ''Pectobacterium ...

''. ''Erwinia aphidocola'' and ''E. persicina'' species were both observed to be present within the floral nectar microbial community of seven different orchid (''

Epipactis ''Epipactis'', or helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade. Description Their creeping, fleshy rhizomes grow offshoots, from which then eme ...

'') flower species. ''E. aphidicola'' appears to display characteristics of a pathogen as it had decimated fifty percent of a bean crop in Spain in late 2003. ''Erwinia rhapontici'' has been identified as a plant pathogen that produces a distinct diffusible pink pigment on sucrose-peptone agar and creates pink seeds in the hosts. It is also found to be a wound pathogen. Wound pathogens are replicating microorganisms in a wound that can cause the host injury. It is possible that the bacterium can penetrate though young pea pods through wounds or injuries and infect seeds produced in the pod, causing deformed leaves.

Species

Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

remaining in ''Erwinia'' are: * ''

Erwinia amylovora Fire blight, also written fireblight, is a contagious disease affecting apples, pears, and some other members of the family Rosaceae. It is a serious concern to apple and pear producers. Under optimal conditions, it can destroy an entire orchard ...

'' (Fire blight) * ''

Erwinia aphidicola ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia billingiae ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia endophytica ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia gerundensis ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia iniecta ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia mallotivora ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia oleae ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia papayae ''Erwinia papayae'' is a bacteria species causing bacterial crown rot, or bacterial canker, a noteworthy and grave disease of papaya (''Carica papaya''). Importance ''Erwinia papayae'', the bacterial pathogen responsible for the disease, was fi ...

'' * ''

Erwinia persicina ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia piriflorinigrans ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia psidii ''Erwinia psidii'' is a Gram-negative bacterium and a phytopathogen of the common guava (''Psidium guajava''), causing rot in branches, flowers and fruits. Recently, it was demonstrated that this species produces two acyl homoserine lactones (' ...

'' * '' Erwinia pyrifoliae'' * '' Erwinia rhapontici'' * '' Erwinia tasmaniensis'' * '' Erwinia teleogrylli'' * ''

Erwinia toletana ''Erwinia'' is a genus of Enterobacterales bacteria containing mostly plant pathogenic species which was named for the famous plant pathologist, Erwin Frink Smith. It contains Gram-negative bacteria related to ''Escherichia coli'', ''Shigella'', ...

'' * ''

Erwinia tracheiphila Bacterial wilt is a complex of diseases that occur in plants such as Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae (tomato, common bean, etc.) and are caused by the pathogens ''Erwinia tracheiphila'', a gram-negative bacterium, or '' Curtobacterium flaccumfacien ...

'' * '' Erwinia typographi'' * '' Erwinia uzenensis'' ''

Dickeya dadantii ''Dickeya dadantii'' is a gram-negative bacillus that belongs to the family Pectobacteriaceae. It was formerly known as ''Erwinia chrysanthemi'' but was reassigned as ''Dickeya dadantii'' in 2005. Members of this family are facultative anaerobes, ...

'' was formerly classified as ''Erwinia chrysanthemi''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q134827 Bacterial plant pathogens and diseases Bacteria genera Enterobacterales