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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 10/10/2005 Publication Date: 11/7/2005 Citation: Hartung, J.S. 2005. An overview of the xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri genome. Meeting Abstract. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri (Xac) is responsible for citrus canker disease, one of the most serious of diseases of citrus. As a member of the genus Xanthomonas, it shares basic mechanisms of pathogenicity as well as underlying genomic sequence organization with other members of the genus. The Xac genome, as well as the genome of the related pathogen X. campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) have been sequenced (da Silva et al., 2002. Nature 417:459-463). Comparative analyses of the genomes have identified subtle differences in the genetic complement of the two organisms that may be related to the invasive nature of Xcc as compared to the localized response of citrus to infection by Xac. Both organisms regulate pathogenicity and host range using the HRP/avr system. Earlier work had shown that in the case of Xac, a member of the avr gene family was responsible for the induction of the canker lesion phenotype characteristic of citrus canker disease. The genome of Xac is also rich in transposable elements, many of which flank regions thought to be important for virulence. These regions thus are important in the evolutionary history of the pathogen. The full genome sequence data for Xac provides, in a narrow sense, everything that there is to know about the bacterium. In a larger sense however, major questions remain, not the least of which is how to translate the available genomic knowledge into practical methods for disease prevention or control. |
