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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177411

Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF XYLEM ANATOMICAL STRUCTURES AND THE EFFECT OF XYLEM SAP FROM VITIS TO PIERCE'S DISEASE

Author
item Lin, Hong
item Fritschi, Felix
item WALKER, ANDREW - UNIV OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS
item BARROS, SAMUEL - UNIV OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS

Submitted to: American Society of Enology and Viticulture Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/23/2005
Publication Date: 6/20/2005
Citation: Lin, H., Fritschi, F.B., Walker, A., Barros, S. 2005. Characterization of xylem anatomical structures and the effect of xylem sap from vitis to pierce's disease. [Abstract]. American Society of Enology and Viticulture Annual Meeting. p.48

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This study tests the hypothesis that Pierce's disease (PD) resistance is due to the presence of chemical factors, e.g. anti-microbial compounds expressed in the xylem sap that suppress Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) and /or are due to anatomical features of the xylem, e.g. pit membrane that restrict Xf's mobility in xylem. A wide range of PD resistance from various genetic backgrounds of Vitis species was selected for this study. To evaluate if PD resistance is associated with xylem structure, a PD resistant stem was bridged with PD susceptible grape. This inter-grafting method allows examining how the pathogen moves cross resistant xylem tissue. ELISA assay was carried out for quantitative measurement. SEM was used to characterize xylem structure. To test if the effect of xylem sap collected from PD resistant grape presents any antimicrobial activity which affects biofilm formation or suppress Xf growth, an in vitro bioassay method was developed. The preliminary bioassay results suggest that xylem saps from some PD resistant grapes may have effect on bacterium biofilm formation and growth when the test was compared with the sap from V. vinifera cv. Chardonnay.