READ ME File For 'Dataset supporting the publication "A mathematical model of biofilm growth and spread within plant Xylem: Case study of Xylella fastidiosa in olive trees"'

Dataset DOI: 10.5258/SOTON/D2864

Date that the file was created: May, 2024

-------------------
GENERAL INFORMATION
-------------------

ReadMe Author: Nancy Walker, University of Southampton 

Date of data collection: 15/11/2023

Information about geographic location of data collection: UK


--------------------------
SHARING/ACCESS INFORMATION
-------------------------- 

Licenses/restrictions placed on the data, or limitations of reuse: CC BY


This dataset supports the publication:
"A mathematical model of biofilm growth and spread within plant Xylem: Case study of Xylella fastidiosa in olive trees" by N.C. Walker, S.M. White, S.A. Ruiz, D. McKay Fletcher, M. Saponari, T. Roose, Journal of Theoretical Biology, Volume 581, 2024, 111737,
ISSN 0022-5193,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2024.111737.


This research project has been funded by NE/S00720/1. 

--------------------
DATA & FILE OVERVIEW
--------------------

This dataset contains videos of simulation results pertaining to three different vessel diameters and three different random initial conditions.

video files of the raw data used to create the graphs and diagramms for the article:
randomseed3_13um.avi
randomseed2_22p1um.avi
randomseed3_16p9.avi
randomseed3_22p1um.avi
randomseed1_13um.avi
randomseed1_16p9.avi
randomseed1_22p1um.avi
randomseed2_13um.avi
randomseed2_16p9.avi


--------------------------
METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION
--------------------------

we developed a novel theoretical framework to describe biofilm behaviour within xylem vessels, adopting a polymer-based modelling approach. We then parameterised the model to investigate the relevance of xylem vessel diameters on Xylella fastidiosa resistance among olive cultivars. The functionality of all vessels was severely reduced under infection, with hydraulic flow reductions of 2-3 orders of magnitude. However, results suggest wider vessels act as biofilm incubators; allowing biofilms to develop over a long time while still transporting them through the vasculature. By contrast, thinner vessels become blocked much earlier, limiting biofilm spread. Using experimental data on vessel diameter distributions, we were able to determine that a mechanism of resistance in the olive cultivar Leccino is a relatively low abundance of the widest vessels, limiting X. fastidiosa spread