Pathogen Adaptation to the Xylem Environment

A group of aggressive pathogens have evolved to colonize the plant xylem. In this vascular tissue, where water and nutrients are transported from the roots to the rest of the plant, pathogens must be able to thrive under acropetal xylem sap flow and scarcity of nutrients while having direct contact...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of phytopathology 2022-08, Vol.60 (1), p.163-186
Main Authors: De La Fuente, Leonardo, Merfa, Marcus V, Cobine, Paul A, Coleman, Jeffrey J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
bacteria
biofilm
fungi
pseudogenes
vascular
xylem-limited
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Request full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A group of aggressive pathogens have evolved to colonize the plant xylem. In this vascular tissue, where water and nutrients are transported from the roots to the rest of the plant, pathogens must be able to thrive under acropetal xylem sap flow and scarcity of nutrients while having direct contact only with predominantly dead cells. Nevertheless, a few bacteria have adapted to exclusively live in the xylem, and various pathogens may colonize other plant niches without causing symptoms unless they reach the xylem. Once established, the pathogens modulate its physicochemical conditions to enhance their growth and virulence. Adaptation to the restrictive lifestyle of the xylem leads to genome reduction in xylem-restricted bacteria, as they have a higher proportion of pseudogenes in their genome. The basis of xylem adaptation is not completely understood; therefore, a need still exists for model systems to advance the knowledge on this topic.
ISSN:0066-4286
1545-2107
DOI:10.1146/annurev-phyto-021021-041716