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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #378384
Research Project: Management and Biology of Arthropod Pests and Arthropod-borne Plant Pathogens

Location: Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research

Title: Bacterial vector-borne plant diseases: unanswered questions and future directions

Author
item HUANG, WEIJIE - John Innes Center
item REYES-CALDAS, PAOLA - University Of California, Davis
item MANN, MARINA - Cornell University
item SEIFBARGHI, SHIRIN - University Of California, Davis
item KAHN, ALEXANDRA - University Of California
item ALMEIDA, RODRIGO - University Of California
item BEVEN, LAURE - University Of Bordeaux
item Heck, Michelle
item HOGENHOUT, SASKIA - John Innes Center
item COAKER, GITTA - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: Molecular Plant
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/18/2020
Publication Date: 8/18/2020
Citation: Huang, W., Reyes-Caldas, P., Mann, M., Seifbarghi, S., Kahn, A., Almeida, R., Beven, L., Heck, M.L., Hogenhout, S., Coaker, G. 2020. Bacterial vector-borne plant diseases: unanswered questions and future directions. Molecular Plant. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2020.08.010.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2020.08.010

Interpretive Summary: Bacterial vector-borne diseases represent some of the most economically important and invasive agricultural diseases, including citrus greening disease. Due to their unique biological attributes, including colonization of both plant vascular tissue and their insect vectors, the study of these diseases is poised to uncover novel biological mechanisms that may result in new approaches to disease management. Scientists present ideas for new generations of scientists to investigate many unanswered questions in vector-borne disease and push the field forward.

Technical Abstract: Vector-borne plant diseases have significant ecological and economic impacts, affecting farming profitability and forest composition throughout the world. Bacterial vector-borne pathogens have evolved sophisticated strategies to interact with their hemipteran insect vectors and plant hosts. These pathogens reside in plant vascular tissue and their study represents an excellent opportunity to uncover novel biological mechanisms regulating intracellular pathogenesis and contribute to control of some of the world’s most invasive emerging diseases. In this perspective, we highlight recent advances and major unanswered questions and in the realm of bacterial vector-borne disease, focus on liberibacters, phytoplasmas, spiroplasmas, and Xylella fastidiosa.