Multilocus sequence analysis of four housekeeping genes (
dnaK,
fyuA,
gyrB, and
rpoD) was conducted on all 65 strains used in this study. BLAST searches using the sequences of each of the individual genes revealed that the strains isolated in Iran had 99 to 100% sequence identity with the type/reference strains of
X. translucens, i.e.,
X. translucens pv. undulosa (LMG 892
T),
X. translucens pv. secalis (LMG 883
T), and
X. translucens pv. translucens (ICMP 5752
T). A phylogenetic tree constructed using the data set of concatenated sequences of
dnaK,
fyuA,
gyrB, and
rpoD genes confirmed the results obtained from the BLAST analyses. All of the strains isolated in Iran clustered in a monophyletic clade within
X. translucens, although they were scattered through different pathovars and phylogroups of the species (
Fig. 1; Fig. S2). Similar results were obtained when the sequences of individual housekeeping genes were subjected to the phylogenetic analysis (data not shown).
Eighty-seven percent of
X. translucens strains isolated in Iran (57 of 65 strains) were clustered with the pathotype strains of
X. translucens pv. undulosa and
X. translucens pv. secalis. These strains were divided into two main subclusters (subcluster I, including 23 strains, and subcluster II, including 18 strains), as well as 16 unclustered strains (
Fig. 1). Among the aforementioned 57 strains, 49 strains were isolated from wheat, 6 strains were isolated from barley, and each of the 2 remaining strains was isolated from rye or from ryegrass. According to the host of isolation, we refer to the wheat, barley and ryegrass strains as
X. translucens pv. undulosa, while the rye strain (XtKm3) is considered
X. translucens pv. secalis. Regardless of their geographic origin (province/county), all 49 wheat strains, as well as the 2 strains isolated from weed species (XtKm3 and XtKm15, isolated from rye and ryegrass, respectively), were identified as
X. translucens pv. undulosa, while only 43% (6 of 14) of the barley strains were clustered in this pathovar (
Fig. 1). The remaining eight barley strains were clustered among the strains of
X. translucens pv. translucens; however, they were scattered through three subclusters. Interestingly, all of the Iranian strains identified as
X. translucens pv. translucens were isolated from barley in Kerman Province (Fig. S3). Although strains XtKm18, XtKm33, XtKm34, XtKm8, and XtKm7 were clustered in a monophyletic group, XtKm7 was differentiated from the remaining four strains and placed in a separate subcluster (
Fig. 1). Strain XtKm7 showed one and five nucleotide differences in the
gyrB and
rpoD gene sequences, respectively, compared to the sequences of the subcluster consisting of strains XtKm8, XtKm18, XtKm33, and XtKm34. Furthermore, strains XtKm11, XtKm4, and XtKm9, which clustered together with the strains isolated from barley in the United States, had one, three, and six nucleotide differences in the
dnaK,
fyuA, and
rpoD gene sequences, respectively, from the sequences of the subgroup containing strains XtKm8, XtKm18, XtKm33, and XtKm34. Moreover, there were three nucleotides differences in the
fyuA sequences and one nucleotide difference in the
dnaK,
gyrB, and
rpoD sequences between strain XtKm7 and the three strains XtKm4, XtKm9, and XtKm11.
The phylogenetic positions of the strains were in congruence not only with their host of isolation but also with the experimental host range of the strains. For instance, all the strains identified as X. translucens pv. undulosa were pathogenic on wheat, barley, Harding’s grass (Phalaris aquatica), and rye except the wheat strain XtKm35, which was not pathogenic on rye, whereas all X. translucens pv. translucens strains were pathogenic on barley and Harding’s grass and none of them was pathogenic on wheat and rye except strain XtKm18, which induced water soaking symptoms on wheat plants. The pathogenicity patterns on ryegrass and oat plants were variable among the strains regardless of their host of isolation and phylogenetic position. Interestingly, all 23 strains that clustered in subcluster I of X. translucens pv. undulosa were pathogenic on all six plant species evaluated. However, neither oat nor ryegrass plants were infected with the 18 strains in subcluster II. More specifically, none of the strains XtFa2, XtFa3, XtHn2, XtKm10, XtKm22, XtKm24, XtKm30, XtKr1, XtLr1, and XtZa1, which were in the same multilocus haplotype (MH), was pathogenic on oat.