ROLE OF XYLELLA FASTIDIOSA ATTACHMENT ON PATHOGENICITY

• Author(s): Lindow, Steven; Purcell, Alexander;
• Abstract: Xylella fastidiosa is a gram negative bacterium which causes serious diseases of plants such as Pierces disease (PD), citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC), or almond leaf scorch and inhabits many other insect and plant host (Purcell 1997). The control of plant diseases caused by this bacterium will ultimately require treating plants with chemical or biological methods, or manipulating plants genetically. In this proposal, we propose to identify inhibitors to the attachment and colonization processes of X. fastidiosa. A striking feature of X. fastidiosa is its polar attachment via the production of fimbriae (Kitajima et al. 1975, Purcell et al. 1979, Davis et al. 1981, Backus 1985, Purcell and Suslow 1988, H. Feil unpublished data). This is an adhesion mechanism that appears to be unique to X. fastidiosa and clearly requires traits special to this organism. This suggests the existence of either compounds or conditions that would prevent X. fastidiosa to form this polar fimbriae bundle and to attach to its host might confer disease resistance. A method of controlling X. fastidiosa would be to target these special traits that allow X. fastidiosa to adhere to its host. By interfering with the binding of X. fastidiosa to its host, these inhibitors would reduce X. fastidiosa virulence and therefore prevent the bacterium from establishing and causing disease.
• Publication Date: Dec 2001
• Journal: 2001 Pierce's Disease Research Symposium