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Xylem Sap Mycobiota in Grapevine Naturally Infected with Xylella fastidiosa: A Case Study: Interaction of Xylella fastidiosa with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Summary

Researchers studied the fungi living inside grapevine water-conducting tissues in Mallorca, Spain, where a bacterial disease called Pierce’s disease is spreading. They found both helpful and harmful fungi living alongside the disease-causing bacteria. When they tested what happens when both the bacteria and a fungal pathogen infect grapevines together in controlled conditions, the plants became much more severely damaged than with either pathogen alone, suggesting these microorganisms work together to harm the plant.

Background

Grapevine is a key Mediterranean crop threatened by Xylella fastidiosa subsp. Fastidiosa (Xff), causal agent of Pierce’s disease. Few studies have examined interactions between Xff and grapevine xylem sap endophytic communities, particularly fungal pathogens that may co-infect plants.

Objective

This study investigated the diversity of culturable fungal endophytes in xylem sap of naturally Xff-infected grapevines and explored the interaction between Xff and the pathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum identified in the sap.

Results

Both beneficial fungi (Aureobasidium pullulans, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa) and pathogenic species (S. sclerotiorum, Cladosporium sp., Alternaria alternata) were isolated from both Xff-positive and negative plants. Co-inoculation with Xff and S. sclerotiorum showed significantly increased disease severity with synergistic effects, including greater necrotic lesion length and faster disease progression compared to S. sclerotiorum alone.

Conclusion

The study provides preliminary evidence of complex ecological interactions between Xff and xylem-associated mycobiota with potential implications for grapevine health. The synergistic interaction between Xff and S. sclerotiorum highlights the importance of considering microbiota-pathogen interactions in plant disease studies under field conditions.
  • Published in:Plants (Basel),
  • Study Type:Case Study, Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/plants14131976, PMID: 40647985
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