Genetic diversity of Xylella fastidiosa isolates extracted from Texas plants.

• Author(s): Bextine, Blake;
• Abstract: Given the great number of plants in south Texas that host X. fastidiosa there is strong evidence that this bacterium has been present along the Gulf Coast for thousands of years. Despite the clear need to analyze the strain diversity of X. fastidiosa in Texas there has been nothing published on X. fastidiosa strains from this region. Specifically the goal of this project were to analyze the X. fastidiosa cultures from a diversity of plants, both infected grapevines with PD and potential reservoir plants surrounding vineyards. By utilizing the gyraseB and mop sequences in our initial strains we determined that there are two main strains of X. fastidiosa in Texas, a grape strain very similar to the Temecula strain in California and a ragweed strain which appears similar to the California multiplex strain. Comparison of small sequence repeats (SSRs) between strains also suggests there are multiple genotypes of grape and ragweed strains in and around Texas vineyards.
• Publication Date: Mar 2007
• Journal: Proceedings Of The 55Th Annual Meeting Of The Southwestern Branch Of The Entomological Society Of America