Draft genome sequence of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni strain Xap33, causal agent of bacterial spot disease on almond

We report the annotated genome sequence of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni strain Xap33, isolated from almond leaves showing bacterial spot disease symptoms in Spain. The availability of this genome sequence will aid our understanding of the infection mechanism of this bacterium as well as its relationship to other species of the same genus.Publishe

Presence of extracellular DNA during biofilm formation by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri strains with different host range

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) A strain causes citrus bacterial canker, a serious leaf, fruit and stem spotting disease of several Citrus species. X. alfalfae subsp. citrumelonis (Xac) is the cause of citrus bacterial spot, a minor disease of citrus nursery plants and X. campestris pv. campestris (Xc) is a systemic pathogen that causes black rot of cabbage. Xanthomonas spp. form biofilms in planta that facilitate the host infection process. Herein, the role of extracellular DNA (eDNA) was evaluated in the formation and stabilization of the biofilm matrix at different stages of biofilm development. Fluorescence and light microscopy, as well as DNAse treatments, were used to determine the presence of eDNA in biofilms and bacterial cultures. DNAse treatments of Xcc strains and Xac reduced biofilm formation at the initial stage of development, as well as disrupted preformed biofilm. By comparison, no significant effect of the DNAse was detected for biofilm formation by Xc. DNAse effects on biofilm formation or disruption varied among Xcc strains and Xanthomonas species which suggest different roles for eDNA. Variation in the structure of fibers containing eDNA in biofilms, bacterial cultures, and in twitching motility was also visualized by microscopy. The proposed roles for eDNA are as an adhesin in the early stages of biofilm formation, as an structural component of mature bacterial aggregates, and twitching motility structures. � 2016 Sena-V�lez et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Biofilm formation and motility of Xanthomonas strains with different citrus host range

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) strain A is the causal agent of citrus bacterial canker (CBC) on most Citrus spp.;close relatives. Two restricted host range strains of CBC, Aw and A*, from Florida and southwest Asia, respectively, infect Mexican lime. Several studies have linked biofilm formation by Xcc to bacterial colonization prior to and after plant ingress, but none have evaluated connections between biofilm formation and the behaviour of different strains of Xcc on citrus hosts and non-hosts. In this study biofilm formation and swimming motility were evaluated for citrus pathogenic xanthomonads including wide and restricted host range strains of Xcc, X. alfalfae subsp. citrumelonis (Xac) (the causal agent of citrus bacterial spot) and X. campestris pv. campestris (Xc). Differential biofilm formation was observed in vitro and in planta among the Xanthomonas strains assayed. Minimal medium XVM2 increased biofilm formation, especially for those strains with a host range restricted to Mexican lime. In planta, strains produced more biofilm on leaves or fruits of their host than on non-hosts. Scanning electron microscopy of biofilms on leaf and fruit surfaces revealed differences in structure of bacterial aggregates with respect to the strain's host range. In addition, swimming motility varied widely depending on the host range of the strain. It was concluded that biofilm formation in vitro and in planta for strains of Xcc and Xac was related to their host range, as these processes affect colonization at the early stages of the infection process. © 2014 British Society for Plant Pathology

Influence of selected bactericides on biofilm formation and viability of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri

Citrus Bacterial Canker (CBC) is a serious disease that affects production of almost all commercial citrus cultivars in subtropical citrus growing regions worldwide. The causal agent, Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), is classified as a quarantine pathogen in European Union (EU) which necessitates treatment of citrus fruit before entry into the EU marketing zone. In this study, the effectiveness of selected bactericides for leaf and fruit disinfection was evaluated. Bacterial aggregation and viability were assayed on abiotic or biotic surfaces in vitro and in planta after treatments with NaCl, CuSO4, NaClO, sodium orthophenylphenate and two hydrogen peroxide based compounds. Most of the bactericides at higher concentrations reduced biofilm formation and Xcc viability compared to the non-treated control, but did not completely prevent or remove biofilms or eradicate Xcc from either biotic or abiotic surfaces. Some of the bactericides at sub-lethal concentrations increased aggregates in which Xcc was viable. Based on these results, we conclude that exposure to the bactericides is variable depending on biofilm formation and that plant and fruit disinfection will not only require treatment with an effective bactericide to kill the bacterium but also include the biofilm disruption. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd