Bacterial host range describes the hosts in which a specified bacterial strain can establish a defined biological interaction, such as sustained colonization or disease. The endpoint must be stated: detecting the bacterium, observing growth and measuring host damage are different observations. In plant-pathogen classification, a pathovar summarizes disease-response characteristics in one or more hosts.[ref]
International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Prokaryotic Code (2022 Revision) by Aharon Oren and others. Appendix10B, Pathovar/Pathotype row
Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 provides a concrete example of a label that does not enumerate the complete range. Its genome paper identifies both tomato and Arabidopsis thaliana as susceptible hosts.[ref]
The complete genome sequence of the Arabidopsis and tomato pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 by C. Robin Buell and others. Abstract, disease on tomato and Arabidopsis
The pathovar word tomato therefore cannot be interpreted as an exclusive host list.For a hypothetical three-host panel, strain X gives the chosen response in hosts A and B, while strain Y does so in hosts A and C. Both have two positive hosts, yet their tested ranges differ; counting positives discards which hosts they were. An untested host D remains unclassified by this panel. Even a negative observation is conditional on the readout and setting.
A 2011 experiment illustrates that context: prior colonization by some Sphingomonas strains reduced DC3000 growth and disease symptoms in Arabidopsis thaliana.[ref]
Protection of Arabidopsis thaliana against leaf-pathogenic Pseudomonas syringae by Sphingomonas strains in a controlled model system by Gerd Innerebner and others. Abstract and Figure2, colonist comparison
A changed disease outcome in one host need not imply a change in host identity or a newly established species-wide host boundary. Articles by others on the same topic
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