Abstract
ABSTRACT Xylella fastidiosa, a xylem-limited bacterium, causes several economically important diseases in North, Central, and South America. These diseases are transmitted by sharpshooter insects, contaminated budwood, and natural root-grafts. X. fastidiosa extensively colonizes the xylem vessels of susceptible plants. Citrus fruit have a well-developed vascular system, which is continuous with the vascular system of the plant. Citrus seeds develop very prominent vascular bundles, which are attached through ovular and seed bundles to the xylem system of the fruit. Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) fruit of cvs. Pera, Natal, and Valencia with characteristic symptoms of citrus variegated chlorosis disease were collected for analysis. X. fastidiosa was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all main fruit vascular bundles, as well as in the seed and in dissected seed parts. No visual abnormalities were observed in seeds infected with the bacterium. However, the embryos of the infected seeds weighed 25% less than those of healthy seeds, and their germination rate was lower than uninfected seeds. There were about 2,500 cells of X. fastidiosa per infected seed of sweet orange, as quantified using real-time PCR techniques. The identification of X. fastidiosa in the infected seeds was confirmed by cloning and sequencing the specific amplification product, obtained by standard PCR with specific primers. X. fastidiosa was also detected in and recovered from seedlings by isolation in vitro. Our results show that X. fastidiosa can infect and colonize fruit tissues including the seed. We also have shown that X. fastidiosa can be transmitted from seeds to seedlings of sweet orange. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of X. fastidiosa in seeds and its transmission to seedlings.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Xylella was detected in fruit vascular bundles.
- Interactor
- X. fastidiosa
Xylella fastidiosae0pathogen - Outcome
- detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all main fruit vascular bundlese0
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“X. fastidiosa was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all main fruit vascular bundles, as well as in the seed and in dissected seed parts”
Claim · model-written summary
Xylella was detected in seed and dissected seed parts.
- Interactor
- X. fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- in the seed and in dissected seed partse0
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“X. fastidiosa was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all main fruit vascular bundles, as well as in the seed and in dissected seed parts”
Claim · model-written summary
Infected seeds had no visible abnormalities.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“No visual abnormalities were observed in seeds infected with the bacterium”
Claim · model-written summary
Infected embryos weighed 25% less than healthy embryos.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“the embryos of the infected seeds weighed 25% less than those of healthy seeds”
Claim · model-written summary
Infected seeds had lower germination than uninfected seeds.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“their germination rate was lower than uninfected seeds”
Claim · model-written summary
Infected sweet orange seeds contained about 2,500 Xylella cells.
- Taxon
- sweet orange
Citrus sinensise0 - Interactor
- X. fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- cells of X. fastidiosa per infected seede0
- Value
- about 2,500 cellse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There were about 2,500 cells of X. fastidiosa per infected seed of sweet orange”
Claim · model-written summary
Xylella was detected and recovered from seedlings.
- Interactor
- X. fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- detected in and recovered from seedlingse0
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“X. fastidiosa was also detected in and recovered from seedlings by isolation in vitro”
Claim · model-written summary
Xylella was transmitted from seeds to sweet orange seedlings.
- Taxon
- sweet orangeCitrus sinensise0
- Interactor
- X. fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- transmitted from seeds to seedlingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“X. fastidiosa can be transmitted from seeds to seedlings of sweet orange”