Population Dynamics, Route of Infection, and Velocity of Systemic Spread of in Infected Apple Branches.

Fire blight, caused by , is one of the most devastating diseases of apple and pear worldwide. Young trees are particularly susceptible to the shoot blight phase of the disease, and the rapid downward spread of from infected shoot tips throughout trees to the rootstock often results in the formation of girdling cankers that kill trees. We quantified and tracked the systemic migration of cells in field studies through infected shoot tissues to gain insight into the systemic movement of the pathogen.

Identification of a reduced rate combination of a plant growth inhibitor with a plant defense inducer for the management of the shoot blight phase of fire blight.

The secondary shoot blight phase of fire blight is a critical component of disease epidemics in apples, pears, and other Rosaceae family plants with infection occurring at the tips of vigorously growing branches. Shoot blight infections are exacerbated in modern high-density apple plantings, where growers emphasize maximizing tree growth to recapture planting costs and increase yields of high-quality fruit. The overarching goal of this study was to develop new strategies for shoot blight management that do not impact the growth and yield of young apple trees.

The role of foraging pollinators in assembling the flower microbiota and transmitting the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

Flowers serve as hubs for biotic interactions with pollinators and microbes, which can significantly impact plant reproduction and health. Previous studies have shown that the flower microbiota undergoes dynamic assembly processes during anthesis. However, the influence of foraging pollinators on the assembly and dispersal of the flower microbiota and the transmission of plant pathogens remains poorly understood.

Key Challenges in Plant Pathology in the Next Decade.

Plant diseases significantly impact food security and food safety. It was estimated that food production needs to increase by 50% to feed the projected 9.3 billion people by 2050.

pGpG-signaling regulates virulence and global transcriptomic targets in .

Cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a critical bacterial second messenger that enables the physiological phase transition in , the phytopathogenic bacterium that causes fire blight disease. C-di-GMP generation is dependent on diguanylate cyclase enzymes while the degradation of c-di-GMP can occur through the action of phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzymes that contain an active EAL and/or a HD-GYP domain. The HD-GYP-type PDEs, which are absent in , can directly degrade c-di-GMP into two GMP molecules.

Multisite Field Evaluation of Bacteriophages for Fire Blight Management: Incorporation of Ultraviolet Radiation Protectants and Impact on the Apple Flower Microbiome.

Fire blight, a disease of pome fruits caused by the bacterium , has become increasingly difficult to manage after the emergence of streptomycin-resistant strains. Alternative antibiotics and copper are available; however, these chemicals have use restrictions in some countries and also can carry risks of phytotoxicity. Therefore, there is growing interest in biological-based management options, with bacteriophage (phages) showing promise, as these naturally occurring pathogens of bacteria are easy to isolate and grow.

Evaluation of Plant Defense Inducers and Plant Growth Regulators for Fire Blight Management Using Transcriptome Studies and Field Assessments.

Fire blight, caused by , is a destructive disease of pome fruit trees. In the United States, apple and pear growers rely on applications of copper and antibiotics during bloom to control fire blight, but such methods have already led to regional instances of resistance. In this study, we used transcriptome analyses and field trials to evaluate the effectiveness of three commercially available plant defense elicitors and one plant growth regulator for fire blight management.

Type III Secretion System Inhibitors Reduce Fire Blight Infection Under Field Conditions.

Fire blight, caused by , is an economically important disease in apples and pears worldwide. This pathogen relies on the type III secretion system (T3SS) to cause disease. Compounds that inhibit the function of the T3SS (T3SS inhibitors) have emerged as alternative strategies for bacterial plant disease management, as they block bacterial virulence without affecting growth, unlike traditional antibiotics.

from the Fire Blight Biocontrol Product, Blossom Protect, Induces Host Resistance in Apple Flowers.

Fire blight, caused by , is a devastating disease of apple. Blossom Protect, a product that contains as the active ingredient, is one of the most effective biological controls of fire blight. It has been postulated that the mode of action of is to compete against and antagonize epiphytic growth of on flowers, but recent studies have found that flowers treated with Blossom Protect harbored similar to or only slightly reduced populations compared with nontreated flowers.

Fungicide Exposure in Honey Bee Hives Varies By Time, Worker Role, and Proximity to Orchards in Spring.

Fungicides are commonly applied to prevent diseases in eastern North American cherry orchards at the same time that honey bees (Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)) are rented for pollination services. Fungicide exposure in honey bees can cause negative health effects.

Exopolysaccharides amylovoran and levan contribute to sliding motility in the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight, uses flagella-based motilities to translocate to host plant natural openings; however, little is known about how this bacterium migrates systemically in the apoplast. Here, we reveal a novel surface motility mechanism, defined as sliding, in E. amylovora.

A complete twelve-gene deletion null mutant reveals that cyclic di-GMP is a global regulator of phase-transition and host colonization in Erwinia amylovora.

Cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is an essential bacterial second messenger that regulates biofilm formation and pathogenicity. To study the global regulatory effect of individual components of the c-di-GMP metabolic system, we deleted all 12 diguanylate cyclase (dgc) and phosphodiesterase (pde)-encoding genes in E. amylovora Ea1189 (Ea1189Δ12).

The RNA-Binding Protein ProQ Impacts Exopolysaccharide Biosynthesis and Second Messenger Cyclic di-GMP Signaling in the Fire Blight Pathogen Erwinia amylovora.

Erwinia amylovora is a plant-pathogenic bacterium that causes fire blight disease in many economically important plants, including apples and pears. This bacterium produces three exopolysaccharides (EPSs), amylovoran, levan, and cellulose, and forms biofilms in host plant vascular tissues, which are crucial for pathogenesis. Here, we demonstrate that ProQ, a conserved bacterial RNA chaperone, was required for the virulence of E.

CsrD regulates amylovoran biosynthesis and virulence in Erwinia amylovora in a novel cyclic-di-GMP dependent manner.

Erwinia amylovora is an economically devastating plant pathogen that causes fire blight disease in members of the Rosaceae family, most notably in apple and pear. The exopolysaccharide amylovoran is a pathogenicity determinant in E. amylovora and a major component of the extracellular matrix of biofilms formed within the xylem vasculature of the host plant.

Identification of novel virulence factors in Erwinia amylovora through temporal transcriptomic analysis of infected apple flowers under field conditions.

The enterobacterial pathogen Erwinia amylovora uses multiple virulence-associated traits to cause fire blight, a devastating disease of apple and pear trees. Many virulence-associated phenotypes have been studied that are critical for virulence and pathogenicity. Despite the in vitro testing that has revealed how these systems are transcriptionally regulated, information on when and where in infected tissues these genes are being expressed is lacking.

Resistance to Boscalid, Fluopyram and Fluxapyroxad in from Michigan (U.S.A.): Molecular Characterization and Assessment of Practical Resistance in Commercial Cherry Orchards.

Management of cherry leaf spot disease, caused by the fungus , with succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) fungicides has been ongoing in Michigan tart cherry orchards for the past 17 years. After boscalid-resistant were first isolated from commercial orchards in 2010, premixes of SDHI fungicides fluopyram or fluxapyroxad with a quinone outside inhibitor were registered in 2012. Here, we report widespread resistance to fluopyram (Fluo), fluxapyroxad (Flux), and boscalid (Bosc) in commercial orchard populations of in Michigan from surveys conducted between 2016 and 2019.

A Novel Signaling Pathway Connects Thiamine Biosynthesis, Bacterial Respiration, and Production of the Exopolysaccharide Amylovoran in .

is a plant pathogen causing necrotrophic fire blight disease of apple, pear, and other rosaceous plants. This bacterium colonizes host vascular tissues via the production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) including amylovoran. It is well-established that the nearly ubiquitous plasmid pEA29 of is an essential virulence factor, but the underlying mechanism remains uncharacterized.

Genetic Dissection of the Disease Cycle.

Fire blight, caused by the bacterial phytopathogen , is an economically important and mechanistically complex disease that affects apple and pear production in most geographic production hubs worldwide. We compile, assess, and present a genetic outlook on the progression of an infection in the host. We discuss the key aspects of type III secretion-mediated infection and systemic movement, biofilm formation in xylem, and pathogen dispersal via ooze droplets, a concentrated suspension of bacteria and exopolysaccharide components.

Activation of metabolic and stress responses during subtoxic expression of the type I toxin hok in Erwinia amylovora.

Background: Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, abundant in prokaryotes, are composed of a toxin gene and its cognate antitoxin. Several toxins are implied to affect the physiological state and stress tolerance of bacteria in a population. We previously identified a chromosomally encoded hok-sok type I TA system in Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight disease on pome fruit trees.

Orchestration of virulence factor expression and modulation of biofilm dispersal in Erwinia amylovora through activation of the Hfq-dependent small RNA RprA.

Erwinia amylovora is the causative agent of the devastating disease fire blight of pome fruit trees. After infection of host plant leaves at apple shoot tips, E. amylovora cells form biofilms in xylem vessels, restrict water flow, and cause wilting symptoms.

Cyclic-di-GMP Regulates Autoaggregation Through the Putative Peptidoglycan Hydrolase, EagA, and Regulates Transcription of the Zinc Uptake Gene Cluster in .

is the causal agent of fire blight, an economically impactful disease that affects apple and pear production worldwide. pathogenesis is comprised of distinct type III secretion-dependent and biofilm-dependent stages. Alterations in the intracellular levels of cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) regulate the transition between the different stages of infection in .