Calcium modulation of bacterial wilt disease on potato.

Unlabelled: species complex (RSSC) is a phytopathogenic bacterial group that causes bacterial wilt in several crops, being potato () one of the most important hosts. The relationship between the potato plant ionome (mineral and trace elements composition) and the resistance levels to this pathogen has not been addressed until now. Mineral content of xylem sap, roots, stems and leaves of potato genotypes with different levels of resistance to bacterial wilt was assessed in this work, revealing a positive correlation between divalent calcium (Ca) cation concentrations and genotype resistance.

Complete functional analysis of type IV pilus components of a reemergent plant pathogen reveals neofunctionalization of paralog genes.

Type IV pilus (TFP) is a multifunctional bacterial structure involved in twitching motility, adhesion, biofilm formation, as well as natural competence. Here, by site-directed mutagenesis and functional analysis, we determined the phenotype conferred by each of the 38 genes known to be required for TFP biosynthesis and regulation in the reemergent plant pathogenic fastidious prokaryote Xylella fastidiosa. This pathogen infects > 650 plant species and causes devastating diseases worldwide in olives, grapes, blueberries, and almonds, among others.

Zinc Oxide-Based Nanoformulation Zinkicide Mitigates the Xylem-Limited Pathogen in Tobacco and Southern Highbush Blueberry.

The xylem-limited pathogen causes severe economic losses worldwide, and no effective antimicrobial disease management options are available. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel ZnO-based nanoparticle formulation, Zinkicide TMN110 (ZnK), against in vitro and in planta. In vitro, minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of ZnK analyzed in Pierce's Disease 2 medium was estimated at approximately 60 ppm.

Growth of ' Liberibacter asiaticus' in Commercial Grapefruit Juice-Based Media Formulations Reveals Common Cell Density-Dependent Transient Behaviors.

The phloem-restricted, insect-transmitted bacterium ' Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas) is associated with huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating disease of citrus worldwide. The inability to culture CLas impairs the understanding of its virulence mechanisms and the development of effective management strategies to control this incurable disease. Previously, our research group used commercial grapefruit juice (GJ) to prolong the viability of CLas in vitro.

Zinkicide Is a ZnO-Based Nanoformulation with Bactericidal Activity against Liberibacter crescens in Batch Cultures and in Microfluidic Chambers Simulating Plant Vascular Systems.

Phloem-limited bacterial " Liberibacter" species are associated with incurable plant diseases worldwide. Antimicrobial treatments for these pathogens are challenging due to the difficulty of reaching the vascular tissue they occupy at bactericidal concentrations. Here, antimicrobial mechanisms of Zinkicide TMN110 (ZnK), a nonphytotoxic zinc oxide (ZnO)-based nanoformulation, were compared to those of bulk ZnO (b-ZnO) using as a model the only culturable species of the genus, Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) determination and time-kill assays showed that ZnK has a bactericidal effect against , whereas b-ZnO is bacteriostatic.

Progress and Obstacles in Culturing ' Liberibacter asiaticus', the Bacterium Associated with Huanglongbing.

In recent decades, ' Liberibacter spp.' have emerged as a versatile group of psyllid-vectored plant pathogens and endophytes capable of infecting a wide range of economically important plant hosts. The most notable example is ' Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas) associated with Huanglongbing (HLB) in several major citrus-producing areas of the world.

Evidence that the stress hormone cortisol regulates biofilm formation differently among Flavobacterium columnare isolates.

The impact of cortisol on Flavobacterium columnare biofilm formation was explored. Firstly, the dynamics of biofilm formation by one highly (HV) and one low virulent (LV) F. columnare isolate with and without the stress hormone cortisol under microfluidic flow conditions was characterized.

Liberibacter crescens biofilm formation in vitro: establishment of a model system for pathogenic 'Candidatus Liberibacter spp.'.

The Liberibacter genus comprises insect endosymbiont bacterial species that cause destructive plant diseases, including Huanglongbing in citrus and zebra chip in potato. To date, pathogenic 'Candidatus Liberibacter spp.' (CLs) remain uncultured, therefore the plant-associated Liberibacter crescens (Lcr), only cultured species of the genus, has been used as a biological model for in vitro studies.