The impact of Xylem geometry on olive cultivar resistance to Xylella fastidiosa: An image-based study
The impact of Xylem geometry on olive cultivar resistance to Xylella fastidiosa: An image-based study
Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited plant pathogen infecting many crops globally and is the cause of the recent olive disease epidemic in Italy. One strategy proposed to mitigate losses is to replant susceptible crops with resistant varieties. Several genetic, biochemical and biophysical traits are associated to X. fastidiosa disease resistance. However, mechanisms underpinning resistance are poorly understood. We hypothesize that the susceptibility of olive cultivars to infection will correlate to xylem vessel diameters, with narrower vessels being resistant to air embolisms and having slower flow rates limiting pathogen spread. To test this, we scanned stems from four olive cultivars of varying susceptibility to X. fastidiosa using X-ray computed tomography. Scans were processed by a bespoke methodology that segmented vessels, facilitating diameter measurements. Though significant differences were not found comparing stem-average vessel section diameters among cultivars, they were found when comparing diameter distributions. Moreover, the measurements indicated that although vessel diameter distributions may play a role regarding the resistance of Leccino, it is unlikely they do for FS17. Considering Young–Laplace and Hagen–Poiseuille equations, we inferred differences in embolism susceptibility and hydraulic conductivity of the vasculature. Our results suggest susceptible cultivars, having a greater proportion of larger vessels, are more vulnerable to air embolisms. In addition, results suggest that under certain pressure conditions, functional vasculature in susceptible cultivars could be subject to greater stresses than in resistant cultivars. These results support investigation into xylem morphological screening to help inform olive replanting. Furthermore, our framework could test the relevance of xylem geometry to disease resistance in other crops.
X-ray computed tomography, Xylella, olive dieback
Walker, Nancy Catherine
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White, S M
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Mckay Fletcher, Daniel
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Ruiz, Siul Aljadi
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Rankin, Kathryn Elizabeth
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De Stradis, A
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Saponari, M
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Williams, Katherine Anne
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Petroselli, Chiara
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Roose, Tiina
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11 November 2022
Walker, Nancy Catherine
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White, S M
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Mckay Fletcher, Daniel
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Ruiz, Siul Aljadi
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Rankin, Kathryn Elizabeth
dbe48b21-900e-4548-a109-10a44cf19cb0
De Stradis, A
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Saponari, M
89d2e04b-1e6d-4c87-a73e-29f8d3138d56
Williams, Katherine Anne
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Petroselli, Chiara
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Roose, Tiina
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Walker, Nancy Catherine, White, S M, Mckay Fletcher, Daniel, Ruiz, Siul Aljadi, Rankin, Kathryn Elizabeth, De Stradis, A, Saponari, M, Williams, Katherine Anne, Petroselli, Chiara and Roose, Tiina
(2022)
The impact of Xylem geometry on olive cultivar resistance to Xylella fastidiosa: An image-based study.
Plant Pathology.
(doi:10.1111/ppa.13674).
Abstract
Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited plant pathogen infecting many crops globally and is the cause of the recent olive disease epidemic in Italy. One strategy proposed to mitigate losses is to replant susceptible crops with resistant varieties. Several genetic, biochemical and biophysical traits are associated to X. fastidiosa disease resistance. However, mechanisms underpinning resistance are poorly understood. We hypothesize that the susceptibility of olive cultivars to infection will correlate to xylem vessel diameters, with narrower vessels being resistant to air embolisms and having slower flow rates limiting pathogen spread. To test this, we scanned stems from four olive cultivars of varying susceptibility to X. fastidiosa using X-ray computed tomography. Scans were processed by a bespoke methodology that segmented vessels, facilitating diameter measurements. Though significant differences were not found comparing stem-average vessel section diameters among cultivars, they were found when comparing diameter distributions. Moreover, the measurements indicated that although vessel diameter distributions may play a role regarding the resistance of Leccino, it is unlikely they do for FS17. Considering Young–Laplace and Hagen–Poiseuille equations, we inferred differences in embolism susceptibility and hydraulic conductivity of the vasculature. Our results suggest susceptible cultivars, having a greater proportion of larger vessels, are more vulnerable to air embolisms. In addition, results suggest that under certain pressure conditions, functional vasculature in susceptible cultivars could be subject to greater stresses than in resistant cultivars. These results support investigation into xylem morphological screening to help inform olive replanting. Furthermore, our framework could test the relevance of xylem geometry to disease resistance in other crops.
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Plant Pathology - 2022 - Walker - The Impact of Xylem Geometry on Olive Cultivar Resistance to Xylella fastidiosa An
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Accepted/In Press date: 24 October 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 11 November 2022
Published date: 11 November 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
N.C.W. and T.R. are funded by NERC grant NE/S00720/1. S.M.W. is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement number 727987–XF‐ACTORS ‘ Active Containment Through a Multidisciplinary‐Oriented Research Strategy’, the grant agreement number 734353–CURE‐XF ‘Capacity Building and Raising Awareness in Europe and in Third Countries to Cope with ’ and by the BRIGIT project by UK Research and Innovation through the Strategic Priorities Fund, by a grant from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Scottish Government (BB/S016325/1). K.A.W., S.A.R., C.P., D.M.F. and T.R. are funded by ERC Consolidator grant 646809 (Data Intensive Modelling of the Rhizosphere Processes). M.S. and A.D.S. are funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement number 635646–POnTE ‘Pest Organisms Threatening Europe’ and the grant agreement number 727987–XF‐ACTORS ‘ Active Containment Through a Multidisciplinary‐Oriented Research Strategy’. T.R. is also funded by BBSRC SARIC BB/P004180/1, BBSRC SARISABB/L025620/1 and EPSRC EP/M020355/1. The authors acknowledge the μ‐VIS X‐ray Imaging Centre at the University of Southampton for the provision of the X‐ray tomographic imaging facilities. Xylella Fastidiosa Xylella fastidiosa Xylella fastidiosa
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Plant Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Society for Plant Pathology.
Keywords:
X-ray computed tomography, Xylella, olive dieback
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 471748
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/471748
ISSN: 1365-3059
PURE UUID: 17e23fab-27f3-4232-adc9-7317302e12c9
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Date deposited: 17 Nov 2022 17:42
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 07:34
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Author:
S M White
Author:
Daniel Mckay Fletcher
Author:
Kathryn Elizabeth Rankin
Author:
A De Stradis
Author:
M Saponari
Author:
Katherine Anne Williams
Author:
Chiara Petroselli
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