Data from: Multilocus microsatellite analysis of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' associated with citrus Huanglongbing worldwide

The objectives of this study were to develop microsatellite markers and conduct genetic analyses of ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ from a worldwide collection.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most destructive citrus diseases in the world. The disease is associated with the presence of a fastidious, phloem-limited a- proteobacterium, ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, ‘Ca. Liberibacter africanus’ or ‘Ca. Liberibacter americanus’. HLB-associated Liberibacters have spread to North America and South America in recent years. While the causal agents of HLB have been putatively identified, information regarding the worldwide population structure and epidemiological relationships for ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ is limited. The availability of the ‘Ca. L. asiaticus’ genome sequence has facilitated development of molecular markers from this bacterium. Two hundred eighty seven isolates from USA (Florida), Brazil, China, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Japan were analyzed.

Funding for this project was provided by the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council. USDA-ARS Project Number: 5302-22000-008-40T