Genetic Diversity of Xylella fastidiosa in Mexican Vineyards

Abstract

Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-inhabiting phytopathogenic bacterium that affects diverse agriculturally relevant crops. In Mexico, X. fastidiosa has been reported in the states of Baja California, Coahuila, and Querétaro. In order to determine the genetic diversity of this bacterium in Mexico, 408 grapevine samples were collected from the main producing states in México. For X. fastidiosa identification, real-time PCR and three-loci end-point PCR were employed. The genotyping of the subspecies was carried out using multilocus sequence typing and analysis, based on seven housekeeping genes: leuA, petC, malF, cysG, holC, nuoL, and gltT. The resulting sequences were compared with those present in extant databases. The presence of X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa in the states of Baja California (sequence type 1), Coahuila (sequence type 1), and Querétaro was confirmed. The isolates from northern Mexico bear high similarity to grapevine isolates from the United States. However, the isolates from Querétaro showed significant differences with currently known sequences, showing that there is genetic variability among the X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa populations from grapevines in northern and central Mexico.

Linking intercontinental biogeographic events to decipher how European vineyards escaped Pierce’s disease

“…Palaeovegetation reconstructions based on the study of palynological strata suggest an important arid zone separating the tropical forests of Central America from the warm temperate forests of the coastal plains of the Gulf of Mexico in the USA 50 . Consistent with this hypothesis, recent studies have confirmed that PD is not common in the vineyards of Mexico, but where it has been found, it has been caused by the Xf PD lineage in northern Mexico and by a very different lineage, phylogenetically closer to isolates found in Costa Rica, in the vineyards of Queretaro in southern Mexico 18 .…”

“…Shortly before, Xf PD strains were also demonstrated to cause almond leaf scorch in California and to infect other hosts 17 . To date, Xf PD has been found in Mexico 18 , Costa…”

“…Shortly before, Xf PD strains were also demonstrated to cause almond leaf scorch in California and to infect other hosts 17 . To date, Xf PD has been found in Mexico 18 , Costa Rica 19 , Taiwan 20 , Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain 21 and Israel 22 . Recent phylogenetic analysis of the global population of Xf PD on grapevine using whole genome sequences has shown that it consists of two major clades, referred here as the Western US Clonal Complex (WUCC) and the Eastern US Clonal Complex (EUCC).…”

Update of the Xylella spp. host plant database – systematic literature search up to 30 June 2021

“…Totally, 1,843 records reporting information on 235 plant species infected by 87 different STs have been reported in the database. Most of the records (1,380) refer to natural infections that were reported in North, Central and South America (United States of America, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina), Europe (Portugal, Spain, France and Italy). The highest number of records for artificial infections belong to STs of subsp.…”