Quantification of Ralstonia solanacearum Colonization of Potato Germplasm Using Luminescence

Abstract

We have developed an unsophisticated, non-disruptive and accurate method for evaluation of pathogen colonization in planta. In this protocol we use a Ralstonia solanacearum (R. solanacearum) UY031 strain genetically modified to constitutively generate light from a synthetic luxCDABE operon stably inserted in its chromosome. This system allows bacterial quantification in a high-throughput manner, avoiding time-consuming and tedious bacterial dilution plating and colony counting. In addition, this system could be especially useful in plant breeding programs to detect bacterial latent growth in symptomless parental lines before their inclusion in long-term disease resistance breeding programs.