Differential Responses of Tobacco to the Citrus Variegated Chlorosis and Coffee Stem Atrophy Strains of Xylella fastidiosa.

Xylella fastidiosa comprises a diverse group of xylem-limited, insect-transmitted bacterial pathogens. In Brazil, the citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and coffee stem atrophy (CSA) diseases are caused by X. fastidiosa subspecies pauca transmitted by common insect vectors. No simple protocol allowing strain discrimination exists, making epidemiological studies, which are important for devising control measures, difficult to undertake. Here, we show that both strains can easily be distinguished based on the pattern of leaf symptoms that they induce on pin prick-inoculated tobacco seedlings, namely small orange lesions and large necrotic lesions induced by the CVC and CSA strains, respectively. These differential responses allowed us to investigate whether mixed strain infections would occur in citrus or coffee trees in the field. Seedlings were individually inoculated with X. fastidiosa colonies recovered from citrus or coffee plants from various locations at three different times. No mixed infections were detected. In two experiments, the citrus and coffee strains infected only their original hosts as well as tobacco. The usefulness of this tobacco bioassay as a tool to study X. fastidiosa spread was demonstrated. It provided evidence that, over the years, the CVC and CSA pathogens have remained limited to their original hosts, despite crop proximity and the presence of sharpshooter vectors that favor transmission of the bacteria to and between both host species.

Effects of morin on snake venom phospholipase A2 (PLA2).

Flavonoids are potent anti-inflammatory compounds isolated from several plant extracts, and have been used experimentally against inflammatory processes. In this work, a PLA2 isolated from the Crotalus durissus cascavella venom and rat paw oedema were used as a model to study the effect of flavonoids on PLA2. We observed that a treatment of PLA2 with morin induces several modifications in the aromatic amino acids, with accompanying changes in its amino acid composition. In addition, results from circular dichroism spectroscopy and UV scanning revealed important structural modifications. Concomitantly, a considerable decrease in the enzymatic and antibacterial activities was observed, even though anti-inflammatory and neurotoxic activities were not affected. These apparent controversial results may be an indication that PLA2 possess a second pharmacological site which does not affect or depend on the enzymatic activity.