The role of Xylella fastidiosa cold shock proteins in Pierce’s disease of grapes

Authors: Burbank, Lindsey; Stenger, Drake

Submitted to: International Meeting on Plant and Microbe Adaptations to Cold
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2016
Publication Date: 5/22/2016
Citation: Burbank, L.P., Stenger, D.C. 2016. The role of Xylella fastidiosa cold shock proteins in Pierce’s disease of grapes. International Meeting on Plant and Microbe Adaptations to Cold. Presented at the Plant and Microbe Adaptation to the Cold Meeting, May 22-25, 2016, Seattle, WA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pierce’s disease of grapevine, caused by the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is limited to warmer climates, and plant infection can be eliminated by cold winter conditions. Milder winters can increase the likelihood of pathogen persistence from one growing season to the next. Cold adaptation of both the pathogen and plant host likely play important roles in the temperature dependence of Pierce’s disease. Physiological response of bacteria to cold stress generally involves induction of cold shock proteins (CSPs), a family of nucleic acid binding proteins which act as chaperones facilitating translation at low temperatures. Bacterial genomes often encode multiple highly similar CSPs which contribute to the general stress response in addition to cold adaptation, through mRNA stabilization and post-transcriptional regulation. Xf has two CSP homologs, one of which (Csp1) is regulated in a temperature-independent manner and acts a virulence factor in grapevine. The transcript of the second CSP homolog (csp2) has a long 5’ untranslated leader sequence (5’UTR) which is characteristic of cold-inducible genes. Further study of the mechanisms Xf uses for cold adaptation and survival during plant infection will lead to a better understanding of cold curing of Pierce’s disease in grapes and how disease persistence and severity is affected by temperature.