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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 #238469
Title: Genomic Characterization of a Phage in Xylella fastidiosa Almond Leaf Scorch Strain

Author
item Chen, Jianchi
item Civerolo, Edwin

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2009
Publication Date: 8/1/2009
Citation: Chen, J., Civerolo, E.L. 2009. Genomic Characterization of a Phage in Xylella fastidiosa Almond Leaf Scorch Strain. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. 99:S22.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Xylella fastidiosa causes almond leaf scorch disease (ALSD) in California. The bacterium is nutritionally fastidious. Therefore, studies on the biology of X. fastidiosa are highly challenging. We previously reported the morphological observation of bacteriophages from X. fastidiosa culture. Current efforts are on genomic characterization of the bacteriophages. We have developed a procedure to enrich and partially purify the bacterial phages. Phage particles were examined through electron microscopy. In addition to the previous observation of icosahedral morphology, short tails of some particles were observed, confirming that the phages are in the Family of Podoviridae. Phage preparations were treated with DNAse to remove contaminated chromosomal DNA from the outside of the phage particles. Phage genomic DNA fragments were then PCR amplified. Sequence analysis identified that a prophage of about 40 kb in the whole genome sequence of X. fastdiosa strain M23 could be the true genome of the bacterial phage.