Abstract
The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains, representing different subspecies and sequence types (STs), was studied in the surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana by analysis of the population levels and symptom dynamics, dose–effect relationships, and transcriptomic response of the plant. Colonization of all strains was observed after 7 days postinoculation (dpi), and the first symptoms appeared after 14 dpi. Differences in patterns of population dynamics and symptom development were observed between strains, and there was neither a relationship between population growth and symptom severity nor between strains of the same subspecies and STs. Strains IVIA 5387, DeDonno, CN28, and GP18 showed a typical S-shaped dose–effect curve, and the minimum infective dose in N. benthamiana was established at 300 CFU/plant for all strains. The plant response to infection by subsp. pauca ST53 strains DeDonno, CN28, and GP18 was studied in relation to the expression of defense genes. A strain-dependent modulation depending on time was observed, in which CN28 infection showed the highest gene overexpression (12 of 19 genes) and DeDonno the lowest (8 of 19 genes). At 4 dpi, all strains upregulated the genes PR1, PR1a, and ERF1 and downregulated the PDF1.2 gene, whereas at 30 dpi, most of the genes were downregulated, especially the pathogenesis-related genes, suggesting an immune evasion by the pathogen. Our findings are expected to provide valuable insights into the interaction between X. fastidiosa and its hosts, highlighting the importance of considering differences in aggressiveness among strains and in plant response. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
All Xylella fastidiosa strains colonized Nicotiana benthamiana by 7 days postinoculation
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamiana
Nicotiana benthamianae1 - Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosa
Xylella fastidiosae0pathogen - Outcome
- Colonizatione2
- Value
- after 7 days postinoculatione2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e2“Colonization of all strains was observed after 7 days postinoculation (dpi)”
Claim · model-written summary
First symptoms of Xylella fastidiosa infection appeared in Nicotiana benthamiana after 14 dpi
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- first symptomse3
- Value
- after 14 dpie3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e3“the first symptoms appeared after 14 dpi”
Claim · model-written summary
Population dynamics and symptom development differed between Xylella fastidiosa strains
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- population dynamics and symptom developmente4
- Qualifier
- between strainse4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e4“Differences in patterns of population dynamics and symptom development were observed between strains”
Claim · model-written summary
Population growth was not related to symptom severity in Xylella fastidiosa infection of Nicotiana benthamiana
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- relationship between population growth and symptom severitye5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e5“there was neither a relationship between population growth and symptom severity nor between strains of the same subspecies and STs”
Claim · model-written summary
Four Xylella fastidiosa strains showed a typical S-shaped dose-effect curve in Nicotiana benthamiana
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Material
- IVIA 5387, DeDonno, CN28, and GP18e6
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- dose–effect curvee6
- Qualifier
- typical S-shapede6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e6“Strains IVIA 5387, DeDonno, CN28, and GP18 showed a typical S-shaped dose–effect curve”
Claim · model-written summary
The minimum infective dose of Xylella fastidiosa in Nicotiana benthamiana was 300 CFU per plant for all strains
- Taxon
- N. benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae7
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- minimum infective dosee7
- Value
- 300 CFU/plante7
- Qualifier
- for all strainse7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e7“the minimum infective dose in N. benthamiana was established at 300 CFU/plant for all strains”
Claim · model-written summary
CN28 infection gave the highest defense gene overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana (12 of 19 genes)
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Material
- CN28e2
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- gene overexpressione2
- Direction
- higheste2
- Value
- 12 of 19 genese2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e2“CN28 infection showed the highest gene overexpression (12 of 19 genes)”
Claim · model-written summary
DeDonno infection gave the lowest defense gene overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana (8 of 19 genes)
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Material
- DeDonnoe2
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- gene overexpressione2
- Direction
- loweste2
- Value
- 8 of 19 genese2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e2“in which CN28 infection showed the highest gene overexpression (12 of 19 genes) and DeDonno the lowest (8 of 19 genes)”
Claim · model-written summary
At 4 dpi, all strains upregulated PR1, PR1a and ERF1 in Nicotiana benthamiana
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- PR1, PR1a, and ERF1e2
- Direction
- upregulatede2
- Qualifier
- At 4 dpie2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e2“At 4 dpi, all strains upregulated the genes PR1, PR1a, and ERF1”
Claim · model-written summary
At 4 dpi, all strains downregulated PDF1.2 in Nicotiana benthamiana
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- PDF1.2 genee2
- Direction
- downregulatede2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e2“downregulated the PDF1.2 gene”
Claim · model-written summary
At 30 dpi, most defense genes were downregulated in Nicotiana benthamiana, especially pathogenesis-related genes
- Taxon
- Nicotiana benthamianaNicotiana benthamianae1
- Interactor
- Xylella fastidiosaXylella fastidiosae0pathogen
- Outcome
- most of the genese2
- Direction
- downregulatede2
- Qualifier
- especially the pathogenesis-related genese2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The aggressiveness of 17 Xylella fastidiosa strains”
e1“surrogated host Nicotiana benthamiana”
e2“at 30 dpi, most of the genes were downregulated, especially the pathogenesis-related genes”