Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae: Ecology, Infection Dynamics and Disease Epidemiology.

Since 2008, the kiwifruit industry has been devastated by a pandemic outbreak of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), the causal agent of bacterial canker. This disease has become the most significant limiting factor in kiwifruit production. Psa colonizes different organs of the host plant, causing a specific symptomatology on each of them. In addition, the systemic invasion of the plant may quickly lead to plant death. Despite the massive risk that this disease poses to the kiwifruit industry, studies focusing on Psa ecology have been sporadic, and a comprehensive description of the disease epidemiology is still missing. Optimal environmental conditions for infection, dispersal and survival in the environment, or the mechanisms of penetration and colonization of host tissues have not been fully elucidated yet. The present work aims to provide a synthesis of the current knowledge, and a deeper understanding of the epidemiology of kiwifruit bacterial canker based on new experimental data. The pathogen may survive in the environment or overwinter in dormant tissues and be dispersed by wind or rain. Psa was observed in association with several plant structures (stomata, trichomes, lenticels) and wounds, which could represent entry points for apoplast infection. Environmental conditions also affect the bacterial colonization, with lower optimum values of temperature and humidity for epiphytic than for endophytic growth, and disease incidence requiring a combination of mild temperature and leaf wetness. By providing information on Psa ecology, these data sets may contribute to plan efficient control strategies for kiwifruit bacterial canker.

Some strains that have converged to infect Prunus spp. trees are members of distinct Pseudomonas syringae genomospecies and ecotypes as revealed by in silico genomic comparison.

A complementary taxonomic and population genetic study was performed to delineate genetically and ecologically distinct species within the Pseudomonas syringae complex by assessing 16 strains including pathovar strains that have converged to infect Prunus spp. trees, and two outgroups. Both average nucleotide identity and genome-to-genome distance comparison methods revealed the occurrence of distinct genomospecies, namely 1, 2, 3 and 8 (sensu Gardan et al.), with the latter two being closely related. Strains classified as P. s. pv. morsprunorum clustered into two distinct genomospecies, namely 2 and 8. Both the AdaptML and hierarchical Bayesian analysis of population structure methods highlighted the presence of three ecotypes, and the taxonomically related genomospecies 3 and 8 strains were members of the same ecotype. The distribution of pathogenic and virulence-associated genetic traits among Pseudomonas strains did not reveal any distinct type III secretion system effector or phytotoxin distribution pattern that characterized single genomospecies and strains that infect Prunus spp. The complete WHOP (Woody HOst and Pseudomonas spp.) genomic region and the entire ß-ketoadipate gene cluster, including the catBCA operon, were found only in the members of genomospecies 2 and in the two P. s. pv. morsprunorum strains of genomospecies 8. A reduced gene flow between the three ecotypes suggested that point mutations played a larger role during the evolution of the strains than recombination. Our data support the idea that Prunus trees can be infected by different strains of distinct Pseudomonas genomospecies/ecotypes through diverse mechanisms of host colonization and infection. Such strains may represent particular lineages that emerged from environments other than that of the infected plant upon acquiring genetic traits that gave them the ability to cause plant diseases. The complementary assessment of bacterial strains using both taxonomic approaches and methods that reveal ecologically homogeneous populations has proven useful in confirming the cohesion of bacterial clusters.

Identification of Loci of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae Involved in Lipolytic Activity and Their Role in Colonization of Kiwifruit Leaves.

Bacterial canker disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, an emerging pathogen of kiwifruit plants, has recently brought about major economic losses worldwide. Genetic studies on virulence functions of P. syringae pv. actinidiae have not yet been reported and there is little experimental data regarding bacterial genes involved in pathogenesis. In this study, we performed a genetic screen in order to identify transposon mutants altered in the lipolytic activity because it is known that mechanisms of regulation, production, and secretion of enzymes often play crucial roles in virulence of plant pathogens. We aimed to identify the set of secretion and global regulatory loci that control lipolytic activity and also play important roles in in planta fitness. Our screen for altered lipolytic activity phenotype identified a total of 58 Tn5 transposon mutants. Mapping all these Tn5 mutants revealed that the transposons were inserted in genes that play roles in cell division, chemotaxis, metabolism, movement, recombination, regulation, signal transduction, and transport as well as a few unknown functions. Several of these identified P. syringae pv. actinidiae Tn5 mutants, notably the functions affected in phosphomannomutase AlgC, lipid A biosynthesis acyltransferase, glutamate-cysteine ligase, and the type IV pilus protein PilI, were also found affected in in planta survival and/or growth in kiwifruit plants. The results of the genetic screen and identification of novel loci involved in in planta fitness of P. syringae pv. actinidiae are presented and discussed.

Effect of chitosan treatment on strawberry allergen-related gene expression during ripening stages.

The effectiveness of a chitosan coating treatment on the allergen-related genes expression of three strawberry cultivars (Fragaria × ananassa Duch., namely cvs. "Sabrina", "Candonga" and "Jonica") harvested at three ripening stages was evaluated. Fruits were treated with a 1% chitosan coating and stored at 20 °C for 48 h. Three genes, encoding Fra a1, Fra a3 and Fra a4 allergens, were evaluated by real-time qPCR. The transcript levels of several genes showed different patterns during ripening stages in strawberry cultivars but were up-regulated by chitosan treatment.

Xylella fastidiosa CoDiRO strain associated with the olive quick decline syndrome in southern Italy belongs to a clonal complex of the subspecies pauca that evolved in Central America.

Xylella fastidiosa, a xylem-limited bacterium transmitted by xylem-fluid-feeding Hemiptera insects, causes economic losses of both woody and herbaceous plant species. A Xyl. fastidiosa subsp. pauca strain, namely CoDiRO, was recently found to be associated with the 'olive quick decline syndrome' in southern Italy (i.e. Apulia region). Recently, some Xyl. fastidiosa strains intercepted in France from Coffea spp. plant cuttings imported from Central and South America were characterized. The introduction of infected plant material from Central America in Apulia was also postulated even though an ad hoc study to confirm this hypothesis is lacking. In the present study, we assessed the complete and draft genome of 27 Xyl. fastidiosa strains. Through a genome-wide approach, we confirmed the occurrence of three subspecies within Xyl. fastidiosa, namely fastidiosa, multiplex and pauca, and demonstrated the occurrence of a genetic clonal complex of four Xyl. fastidiosa strains belonging to subspecies pauca which evolved in Central America. The CoDiRO strain displayed 13 SNPs when compared with a strain isolated in Costa Rica from Coffea sp. and 32 SNPs when compared with two strains obtained from Nerium oleander in Costa Rica. These results support the close relationships of the two strains. The four strains in the clonal complex contain prophage-like genes in their genomes. This study strongly supports the possibility of the introduction of Xyl. fastidiosa in southern Italy via coffee plants grown in Central America. The data also stress how the current global circulation of agricultural commodities potentially threatens the agrosystems worldwide.

Genome-wide comparison and taxonomic relatedness of multiple Xylella fastidiosa strains reveal the occurrence of three subspecies and a new Xylella species.

A total of 21 Xylella fastidiosa strains were assessed by comparing their genomes to infer their taxonomic relationships. The whole-genome-based average nucleotide identity and tetranucleotide frequency correlation coefficient analyses were performed. In addition, a consensus tree based on comparisons of 956 core gene families, and a genome-wide phylogenetic tree and a Neighbor-net network were constructed with 820,088 nucleotides (i.e., approximately 30-33 % of the entire X. fastidiosa genome). All approaches revealed the occurrence of three well-demarcated genetic clusters that represent X. fastidiosa subspecies fastidiosa, multiplex and pauca, with the latter appeared to diverge. We suggest that the proposed but never formally described subspecies 'sandyi' and 'morus' are instead members of the subspecies fastidiosa. These analyses support the view that the Xylella strain isolated from Pyrus pyrifolia in Taiwan is likely to be a new species. A widely used multilocus sequence typing analysis yielded conflicting results.

Oxidative damage and cell-programmed death induced in Zea mays L. by allelochemical stress.

The allelochemical stress on Zea mays was analyzed by using walnut husk washing waters (WHWW), a by-product of Juglans regia post-harvest process, which possesses strong allelopathic potential and phytotoxic effects. Oxidative damage and cell-programmed death were induced by WHWW in roots of maize seedlings. Treatment induced ROS burst, with excess of H2O2 content. Enzymatic activities of catalase were strongly increased during the first hours of exposure. The excess in malonildialdehyde following exposure to WHWW confirmed that oxidative stress severely damaged maize roots. Membrane alteration caused a decrease in NADPH oxidase activity along with DNA damage as confirmed by DNA laddering. The DNA instability was also assessed through sequence-related amplified polymorphism assay, thus suggesting the danger of walnut processing by-product and focusing the attention on the necessity of an efficient treatment of WHWW.

Definition of Plant-Pathogenic Pseudomonas Genomospecies of the Pseudomonas syringae Complex Through Multiple Comparative Approaches.

A total of 34 phytopathogenic strain genomes belonging to the Pseudomonas syringae species complex and related species, including many pathotype strains, were assessed using average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis. Their taxonomic relationships were consistently confirmed by the tetranucleotide frequency correlation coefficient (TETRA) values, multilocus sequence typing analysis (MLSA) performed with seven housekeeping genes, using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, and split consensus network analyses. The ANI, MLSA, and split consensus analyses provided consistent and identical results. We confirmed the occurrence of the well-demarcated genomospecies inferred sensu Gardan et al. using DNA-DNA hybridization and ribotyping analyses. However, some P. syringae strains of the pathovars morsprunorum and lachrymans were placed in different genomospecies in our analyses. Genomospecies 1, 2, 4, 6, and 9 resulted well demarcated, whereas strains of genomospecies 3 and 8 had ANI values between 95 and 96% in some cases, confirming that this threshold reveals very closely related species that might represent cases of splitting entities or the convergence of different species to the same ecological niche. This study confirms the robustness of the combination of genomic and phylogenetic approaches in revealing taxonomic relationships among closely related bacterial strains and provides the basis for a further reliable demarcation of the phytopathogenic Pseudomonas species. Within each species, the pathovars might represent distinct ecological units. The possibility of performing extensive and standardized host range and phenotypic tests with many strains of different pathovars can assist phytobacteriologists for better determining the boundaries of these ecological units.

Isolation and partial characterization of bacteriophages infecting Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, causal agent of kiwifruit bacterial canker.

The phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is the causal agent of bacterial canker of kiwifruit. In the last years, it has caused severe economic losses to Actinidia spp. cultivations, mainly in Italy and New Zealand. Conventional strategies adopted did not provide adequate control of infection. Phage therapy may be a realistic and safe answer to the urgent need for novel antibacterial agents aiming to control this bacterial pathogen. In this study, we described the isolation and characterization of two bacteriophages able to specifically infect Psa. φPSA1, a member of the Siphoviridae family, is a temperate phage with a narrow host range, a long latency, and a burst size of 178; φPSA2 is a lytic phage of Podoviridae family with a broader host range, a short latency, a burst size of 92 and a higher bactericidal activity as determined by the TOD value. The genomic sequence of φPSA1 has a length of 51,090 bp and a low sequence homology with the other siphophages, whereas φPSA2 has a length of 40 472 bp with a 98% homology with Pseudomonas putida bacteriophage gh-1. Of the two phages examined, φPSA2 may be considered as a candidate for phage therapy of kiwifruit disease, while φPSA1 seems specific toward the recent outbreak's isolates and could be useful for Psa typing.

A Decade after the Outbreak of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca in Apulia (Southern Italy): Methodical Literature Analysis of Research Strategies.

In 2013, an outbreak of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) was identified for the first time in Europe, in the extreme south of Italy (Apulia, Salento territory). The locally identified subspecies pauca turned out to be lethal for olive trees, starting an unprecedented phytosanitary emergency for one of the most iconic cultivations of the Mediterranean area. Xf pauca (Xfp) is responsible for a severe disease, the olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS), spreading epidemically and with dramatic impact on the agriculture, the landscape, the tourism and the cultural heritage of this region. The bacterium, transmitted by insects that feed on xylem sap, causes rapid wilting in olive trees due to biofilm formation, which obstructs the plant xylematic vessels. The aim of this review is to perform a thorough analysis that offers a general overview of the published work, from 2013 to December 2023, related to the Xfp outbreak in Apulia. This latter hereto has killed millions of olive trees and left a ghostly landscape with more than 8000 square kilometers of infected territory, that is 40% of the region. The majority of the research efforts made to date to combat Xfp in olive plants are listed in the present review, starting with the early attempts to identify the bacterium, the investigations to pinpoint and possibly control the vector, the assessment of specific diagnostic techniques and the pioneered therapeutic approaches. Interestingly, according to the general set criteria for the preliminary examination of the accessible scientific literature related to the Xfp outbreak on Apulian olive trees, fewer than 300 papers can be found over the last decade. Most of them essentially emphasize the importance of developing diagnostic tools that can identify the disease early, even when infected plants are still asymptomatic, in order to reduce the risk of infection for the surrounding plants. On the other hand, in the published work, the diagnostic focus (57%) overwhelmingly encompasses all other possible investigation goals such as vectors, impacts and possible treatments. Notably, between 2013 and 2023, only 6.3% of the literature reports addressing the topic of Xfp in Apulia were concerned with the application of specific treatments against the bacterium. Among them, those reporting field trials on infected plants, including simple pruning indications, were further limited (6%).

Assessment of Fatty Acid and Oxylipin Profile of Resprouting Olive Trees Positive to Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca in Salento (Apulia, Italy).

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca ST53 (XFP), the causal agent of olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS), was thoroughly investigated after a 2013 outbreak in the Salento region of Southern Italy. Some trees from Ogliarola Salentina and Cellina di Nardò, susceptible cultivars in the Gallipoli area, the first XFP infection hotspot in Italy, have resprouted crowns and are starting to flower and yield fruits. Satellite imagery and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index analyses revealed a significant improvement in vegetation health and productivity from 2018 to 2022 of these trees. Lipid molecules have long been recognized as plant defense modulators, and recently, we investigated their role in XFP-positive hosts and in XFP-resistant as well as in XFP-susceptible cultivars of olive trees. Here, we present a case study regarding 36 olive trees (12 XFP-positive resprouting, 12 XFP-positive OQDS-symptomatic, and 12 XFP-negative trees) harvested in 2022 within the area where XFP struck first, killing millions of trees in a decade. These trees were analyzed for some free fatty acid, oxylipin, and plant hormones, in particular jasmonic and salicylic acid, by targeted LC-MS/MS. Multivariate analysis revealed that lipid markers of resistance (e.g., 13-HpOTrE), along with jasmonic and salicylic acid, were accumulated differently in the XFP-positive resprouting trees from both cultivars with respect to XFP-positive OQDS symptomatic and XFP-negative trees, suggesting a correlation of lipid metabolism with the resprouting, which can be an indication of the resiliency of these trees to OQDS. This is the first report concerning the resprouting of OQDS-infected olive trees in the Salento area.

Diplodia seriata Isolated from Declining Olive Trees in Salento (Apulia, Italy): Pathogenicity Trials Give a Glimpse That It Is More Virulent to Drought-Stressed Olive Trees and in a Warmth-Conditioned Environment.

The fungi Botryosphaeriaceae are involved in olive declines in both the world hemispheres and in all continents where this species is cultivated. In Salento (Apulia, Italy), the Botryosphaeriaceae Neofusicoccum mediterraneum and N. stellenboschiana have been reported as the agents of a branch and twig dieback that overlaps with olive quick decline syndrome caused by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca. In this study, we report the finding of Diplodia seriata, another Botryosphaeriaceae species, in Salento in Xylella fastidiosa-infected olive trees affected by symptoms of branch and twig dieback. Given that its presence was also reported in olive in the Americas and in Europe (Croatia) with different degrees of virulence, we were prompted to assess its role in the Apulian decline. We identified representative isolates based on morphological features and a multilocus phylogeny. In vitro tests showed that the optimum growth temperature of the isolates is around 25-30 °C, and that they are highly thermo-tolerant. In pathogenicity trials conducted over eleven months, D. seriata expressed a very low virulence. Nonetheless, when we imposed severe water stress before the inoculation, D. seriata significatively necrotized bark and wood in a time frame of 35 days. Moreover, the symptoms which resulted were much more severe in the trial performed in summer compared with that in autumn. In osmolyte-supplemented media with a water potential from -1 to -3 Mpa, the isolates increased or maintained their growth rate compared with non-supplemented media, and they also grew, albeit to a lesser extent, on media with a water potential as low as -7 Mpa. This suggests that olives with a low water potential, namely those subjected to drought, may offer a suitable environment for the fungus' development. The analysis of the meteorological parameters, temperatures and rainfall, in Salento in the timeframe 1989-2023, showed that this area is subjected to a progressive increase of temperature and drought during the summer. Thus, overall, D. seriata has to be considered a contributor to the manifestation of branch and twig dieback of olive in Salento. Coherently with the spiral decline concept of trees, our results suggest that heat and drought act as predisposing/inciting factors facilitating D. seriata as a contributor. The fact that several adverse factors, biotic and abiotic, are simultaneously burdening olive trees in Salento offers a cue to discuss the possible complex nature of the olive decline in Salento.

Satellite monitoring of bio-fertilizer restoration in olive groves affected by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca.

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp), has attacked the olive trees in Southern Italy with severe impacts on the olive agro-ecosystem. To reduce both the Xfp cell concentration and the disease symptom, a bio-fertilizer restoration technique has been used. Our study applied multi-resolution satellite data to evaluate the effectiveness of such technique at both field and tree scale. For field scale, a time series of High Resolution (HR) Sentinel-2 images, acquired in the months of July and August from 2015 to 2020, was employed. First, four spectral indices from treated and untreated fields were compared. Then, their trends were correlated to meteo-events. For tree-scale, Very High Resolution (VHR) Pléiades images were selected at the closest dates of the Sentinel-2 data to investigate the response to treatments of each different cultivar. All indices from HR and VHR images were higher in treated fields than in those untreated. The analysis of VHR indices revealed that Oliarola Salentina can respond better to treatments than Leccino and Cellina cultivars. All findings were in agreement with in-field PCR results. Hence, HR data could be used to evaluate plant conditions at field level after treatments, while VHR imagery could be used to optimize treatment doses per cultivar.

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca, Neofusicoccum spp. and the Decline of Olive Trees in Salento (Apulia, Italy): Comparison of Symptoms, Possible Interactions, Certainties and Doubts.

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (XFP), Neofusicoccum mediterraneum, N. stellenboschiana and other fungi have been found in olive groves of Salento (Apulia, Italy) that show symptoms of severe decline. XFP is well known to be the cause of olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS). It has also been assessed that Neofusicoccum spp. causes a distinct disease syndrome, namely, branch and twig dieback (BTD). All these phytopathogens incite severe symptoms that can compromise the viability of large canopy sectors or the whole tree. However, their specific symptoms are not easily distinguished, especially during the final stages of the disease when branches are definitively desiccated. By contrast, they can be differentiated during the initial phases of the infection when some facets of the diseases are typical, especially wood discoloration, incited solely by fungi. Here, we describe the typical symptomatological features of OQDS and BTD that can be observed in the field and that have been confirmed by Koch postulate experiments. Similar symptoms, caused by some abiotic adverse conditions and even by additional biotic factors, are also described. Thus, this review aims at: (i) raising the awareness that declining olive trees in Salento do not have to be linked a priori to XFP; (ii) defining the guidelines for a correct symptomatic diagnosis to orient proper laboratory analyses, which is crucial for the application of effective control measures. The possibility that bacterium and fungi could act as a polyspecies and in conjunction with predisposing abiotic stresses is also widely discussed.

Phylogeographic Analysis of Soft-Rot-Causing Pectobacterium spp. Strains Obtained from Cabbage in Serbia.

The aim of this study was to establish a link between genetic diversity and the geographic origin of Pectobacterium strains belonging to three species-P. carotovorum, P. versatile, and P. odoriferum-isolated from cabbage in Serbia by comparing their sequences with those of strains sourced from different hosts and countries in Europe, Asia, and North America. Phylogeographic relatedness was reconstructed using the Templeton, Crandall, and Sing's (TCS) haplotype network based on concatenated sequences of the housekeeping genes dnaX, icdA, mdh, and proA, while pairwise genetic distances were computed by applying the p-distance model. The obtained TCS haplotype networks indicated the existence of high intra-species genetic diversity among strains of all three species, as reflected in the 0.2-2.3%, 0.2-2.5%, and 0.1-1.7% genetic distance ranges obtained for P. carotovorum, P. versatile, and P. odoriferum, respectively. Five new haplotypes (denoted as HPc1-HPc5) were detected among cabbage strains of P. carotovorum, while one new haplotype was identified for both P. versatile (HPv1) and P. odoriferum (HPo1). None of the TCS haplotype networks provided evidence of significant correlation between geographic origin and the determined haplotypes, i.e., the infection origin. However, as haplotype network results are affected by the availability of sequencing data in public databases for the used genes and the number of analyzed strains, these findings may also be influenced by small sample size.

1H-NMR Metabolomics Study after Foliar and Endo-Therapy Treatments of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca Infected Olive Trees: Medium Time Monitoring of Field Experiments.

Here we report the medium-term effects of foliar spray and endo-therapy treatments with different doses of a Cu/Zn citric acid biocomplex (Dentamet®) in Xylella fastidiosa infected olive trees of Salento, Apulia region (South-east Italy). Leaf extract samples from field-treated 150 years old olive trees cvs Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò were studied by 1H NMR-based metabolomics. The result of different applications of Dentamet® endo-therapy after 60, 120 and 180 days in comparison with traditional foliar spray treatment and water injection as a control have been investigated. The metabolic profile analyses, performed by 1H NMR-based metabolomic approach, indicated plant metabolites variations connected to the disease progression such as mannitol, quinic acid, and oleuropein related compounds. The best results, in terms of discrimination of the metabolic profiles with respect to water injection, were found for monthly endo-therapy treatments. Dentamet® foliar application demonstrated more specific time related progressive effectiveness with respect to intravascular treatments. Therefore, besides a possible more effective performance of endo-therapy with respect to foliar treatments, the need of further doses/frequencies trimming to obtain long-term results was also assessed. The present field studies confirmed the indication of Dentamet® effectiveness in metabolic variation induction, potentially linked with reducing the X. fastidiosa subspecies pauca related Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) symptoms development.

Identification and Characterization of Neofusicoccum stellenboschiana in Branch and Twig Dieback-Affected Olive Trees in Italy and Comparative Pathogenicity with N. mediterraneum.

For about a decade, olive groves in Apulia (Southern Italy) have been progressively destroyed by Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS), a disease caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp). Recently, we described an additional wilting syndrome affecting olive trees in that area. The botryosphaeriaceous fungus Neofusicoccum mediterraneum was found associated with the diseased trees, and its high virulence toward olive trees was demonstrated. Given the common features with Branch and Twig Dieback (BTD) of olive tree, occurring in Spain and California, we suggested that the observed syndrome was BTD. During our first survey, we also found a botryosphaeriaceous species other than N. mediterraneum. In the present article, we report the morphological and molecular characterization of this fungal species which we identified as Neofusicoccum stellenboschiana. In the study, we also included for comparison additional N. stellenboschiana isolates obtained from olive trees in Latium and Tuscany region (Central Italy). The occurrence of N. stellenboschiana in olive trees is reported here for the first time in the northern hemisphere. The pathogenicity and virulence were tested in nine inoculation trials, where the Apulian N. stellenboschiana isolate was compared with the isolate from Latium and with the Apulian isolate of N. mediterraneum. Both isolates of N. stellenboschiana proved pathogenic to olive trees. They caused evident bark canker and wood discolouration when inoculated at the base of the stem of two/three-year-old trees and on one-year-old twigs. However, virulence of N. stellenboschiana was significantly lower, though still remarkable, compared with N. mediterraneum in term of necrosis progression in the bark and the wood and capacity of wilting the twigs. Virulence of N. stellenboschiana and N. mediterraneum did not substantially change when inoculations were performed in spring/summer and in autumn, suggesting that these fungal species have the potential to infect and damage olive trees in all seasons. The high thermotolerance of N. stellenboschiana was also revealed with in vitro growth and survival tests. The high virulence of these Botryosphaeriaceae species highlights their contribution in BTD aetiology and the necessity to investigate right away their diffusion and, possibly, the role of additional factors other than Xfp in the general decline of olive groves in Apulia. Hence the importance of assessing the degree of overlap of BTD/Botryosphariaceae with OQDS/Xfp is discussed.

"Ectomosphere": Insects and Microorganism Interactions.

This study focuses on interacting with insects and their ectosymbiont (lato sensu) microorganisms for environmentally safe plant production and protection. Some cases help compare ectosymbiont microorganisms that are insect-borne, -driven, or -spread relevant to endosymbionts' behaviour. Ectosymbiotic bacteria can interact with insects by allowing them to improve the value of their pabula. In addition, some bacteria are essential for creating ecological niches that can host the development of pests. Insect-borne plant pathogens include bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These pathogens interact with their vectors to enhance reciprocal fitness. Knowing vector-phoront interaction could considerably increase chances for outbreak management, notably when sustained by quarantine vector ectosymbiont pathogens, such as the actual Xylella fastidiosa Mediterranean invasion episode. Insect pathogenic viruses have a close evolutionary relationship with their hosts, also being highly specific and obligate parasites. Sixteen virus families have been reported to infect insects and may be involved in the biological control of specific pests, including some economic weevils. Insects and fungi are among the most widespread organisms in nature and interact with each other, establishing symbiotic relationships ranging from mutualism to antagonism. The associations can influence the extent to which interacting organisms can exert their effects on plants and the proper management practices. Sustainable pest management also relies on entomopathogenic fungi; research on these species starts from their isolation from insect carcasses, followed by identification using conventional light or electron microscopy techniques. Thanks to the development of omics sciences, it is possible to identify entomopathogenic fungi with evolutionary histories that are less-shared with the target insect and can be proposed as pest antagonists. Many interesting omics can help detect the presence of entomopathogens in different natural matrices, such as soil or plants. The same techniques will help localize ectosymbionts, localization of recesses, or specialized morphological adaptation, greatly supporting the robust interpretation of the symbiont role. The manipulation and modulation of ectosymbionts could be a more promising way to counteract pests and borne pathogens, mitigating the impact of formulates and reducing food insecurity due to the lesser impact of direct damage and diseases. The promise has a preventive intent for more manageable and broader implications for pests, comparing what we can obtain using simpler, less-specific techniques and a less comprehensive approach to Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Genome drafts of four phytoplasma strains of the ribosomal group 16SrIII.

By applying a coverage-based read selection and filtration through a healthy plant dataset, and a post-assembly contig selection based on homology and linkage, genome sequence drafts were obtained for four phytoplasma strains belonging to the 16SrIII group (X disease clade), namely Vaccinium Witches' Broom phytoplasma (647 754 nt in 272 contigs), Italian Clover Phyllody phytoplasma strain MA (597 245 nt in 197 contigs), Poinsettia branch-inducing phytoplasma strain JR1 (631 440 nt in 185 contigs) and Milkweed Yellows phytoplasma (583 806 nt in 158 contigs). Despite assignment to different 16SrIII subgroups, the genomes of the four strains were similar, comprising a highly conserved core (92-98 % similar in their nucleotide sequence among each other over alignments about 500 kb in length) and a minor strain-specific component. As far as their protein complement was concerned, they did not differ significantly in their basic metabolism potential from the genomes of other wide-host-range phytoplasmas sequenced previously, but were distinct from strains of other species, as well as among each other, in genes encoding functions conceivably related to interactions with the host, such as membrane trafficking components, proteases, DNA methylases, effectors and several hypothetical proteins of unknown function, some of which are likely secreted through the Sec-dependent secretion system. The four genomes displayed a group of genes encoding hypothetical proteins with high similarity to a central domain of IcmE/DotG, a core component of the type IVB secretion system of Gram-negative Legionella spp. Conversely, genes encoding functional GroES/GroEL chaperones were not detected in any of the four drafts. The results also indicated the significant role of horizontal gene transfer among different 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' species in shaping phytoplasma genomes and promoting their diversity.

Extensive remodeling of the Pseudomonas syringae pv. avellanae type III secretome associated with two independent host shifts onto hazelnut.

BACKGROUND: Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) decline disease in Greece and Italy is caused by the convergent evolution of two distantly related lineages of Pseudomonas syringae pv. avellanae (Pav). We sequenced the genomes of three Pav isolates to determine if their convergent virulence phenotype had a common genetic basis due to either genetic exchange between lineages or parallel evolution. RESULTS: We found little evidence for horizontal transfer (recombination) of genes between Pav lineages, but two large genomic islands (GIs) have been recently acquired by one of the lineages. Evolutionary analyses of the genes encoding type III secreted effectors (T3SEs) that are translocated into host cells and are important for both suppressing and eliciting defense responses show that the two Pav lineages have dramatically different T3SE profiles, with only two shared putatively functional T3SEs. One Pav lineage has undergone unprecedented secretome remodeling, including the acquisition of eleven new T3SEs and the loss or pseudogenization of 15, including five of the six core T3SE families that are present in the other Pav lineage. Molecular dating indicates that divergence within both of the Pav lineages predates their observation in the field. This suggest that both Pav lineages have been cryptically infecting hazelnut trees or wild relatives for many years, and that the emergence of hazelnut decline in the 1970s may have been due to changes in agricultural practice. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that divergent lineages of P. syringae can converge on identical disease etiology on the same host plant using different virulence mechanisms and that dramatic shifts in the arsenal of T3SEs can accompany disease emergence.