Erwinia chrysanthemi

Erwinia chrysanthemi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Proteobacteria
Class:	Gamma Proteobacteria
Order:	Enterobacteriales
Family:	Enterobacteriaceae
Genus:	Erwinia
Species:	E. chrysanthemi
Binomial name
Erwinia chrysanthemi Burkholder et al. 1953
Synonyms
Pectobacterium chrysanthemi Erwinia carotovora var. chrysanthemi Pectobacterium carotovorum var. chrysanthemi Dickeya chrysanthemi Pectobacterium parthenii Pectobacterium parthenii var. dianthicola Pectobacterium parthenii var. chrysanthemi

Erwinia chrysanthemi is a gram-negative bacillus that belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is a close relative of E. coli and other animal pathogens that include Salmonella, Shigella, Klebsiella, Proteus and Yersinia. Members of this family are facultative anaerobes, able to ferment sugars to lactic acid, have nitrate reductase, but lack oxidases. Even though many clinical pathogens are part of the Enterobacteriaceae family, most members of this family are plant pathogens.

In the natural plant environment, Erwinias cause plant maladies such as necrosis, blight and “soft rot,” a progressive tissue maceration^{[disambiguation needed ]}. Erwinia chrysanthemi contains many pectinases that are able to macerate and break down the plant cell wall material. This exposed part of the plant releases nutrients that can facilitate bacterial growth. Commonly infected plants include potato tubers, bulbs of vegetables, and ornamental crops.