Xylella fastidiosa's relationships: the bacterium, the host plants, and the plant microbiome

Xylella fastidiosa is the causal agent of important crop diseases and is transmitted by xylem-sap-feeding insects. The bacterium colonizes xylem vessels and can persist with a commensal or pathogen lifestyle in more than 500 plant species. In the past decade, reports of X. fastidiosa across the globe have dramatically increased its known occurrence. This raises important questions: How does X. fastidiosa interact with the different host plants? How does the bacterium interact with the plant immune system? How does it influence the host's microbiome? We discuss recent strain genetic typing and plant transcriptome and microbiome analyses, which have advanced our understanding of factors that are important for X. fastidiosa plant infection.

Automated summary

Xylella fastidiosa is a pathogenic bacterium that causes significant crop diseases and has seen a notable increase in occurrences worldwide. Recent studies have shed light on its interactions with different host plants, the plant immune system, and its impact on the host's microbiome.