Pyoverdine siderophores as taxonomic and phylogenic markers

Abstract

A total of 638 fluorescent Pseudomonas strains, representing 64 different species, have been analyzed through siderotyping. Altogether, the data allow considering pyoverdine, the fluorescent pigment and siderophore, which characterizes these species, as a very powerful taxonomic marker. Pyoverdine characterization through isoelectrophoresis and iron transport capacity allows an easy and rapid identification at the species level of most strains without the need of any other phenotypic or genomic identification tests. Moreover, the comparison of the 63 pyoverdine molecular structures, which are presently fully determined, allows the identification of groups of structurally closely related pyoverdines, which producer strains correspond to highly phylogenetically related strains. Thus, pyoverdines, as taxonomic as well as phylogenic markers, are molecules of great importance for the characterization and a better knowledge of the fluorescent Pseudomonas.