This Book Delivers Foundational Research for the Novel, Efficient, and Sustainable Management of Bacterial Plant Diseases 

Plant pathogenic bacteria cause dramatic yield and economic losses in agriculture, making it harder to meet the challenge of providing an adequate food supply for the world. 

Understanding the virulence mechanisms of plant pathogenic bacteria lays the foundation for creative, effective, and ongoing management of bacterial diseases of plants. Virulence Mechanisms of Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria helps students and researchers do just that.

This important book is a central resource for learning about the many virulence mechanisms of plant pathogenic bacteria. It particularly reviews individual virulence traits and shows how each pathogen uses different virulence traits to cause disease. Color photographs, placed throughout the book, enable readers to visually understand the various topics covered.

This book highlights the exciting progress made in the study of virulence mechanisms of plant-pathogenic bacteria by reviewing the latest research on this topic in the context of the most important bacterial diseases in agriculture. 

Part one of the book includes chapters on basic concepts related to virulence mechanisms of bacteria, including quorum sensing, biofilms, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), cell surface polysaccharides (SPSs), fimbrial surface attachment structures, cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) regulation, bacterial secretion systems and effectors, cell-wall-degrading enzymes, regulation, metals as regulators of virulence, and high-throughput sequencing technology.

Part two offers case studies of virulence mechanisms in bacterial pathogens such as ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ spp., Xylella fastidiosa, phytoplasmas, spiroplasmas, Erwinia amylovora, Ralstonia spp., Xanthomonas spp., Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp., and Streptomyces spp. 

Virulence Mechanisms of Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria was led by an editing team of top scientists in this field. This team gathered a group of chapter authors who are all active researchers within the discipline, making this the most authoritative reference available.

Overall, Virulence Mechanisms of Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria is a must-have for researchers and students in the fields of plant pathology, microbiology, bacteriology, and plant-microbe interactions. It serves as an introductory textbook for students and an encyclopedia of many perspectives on the virulence mechanisms of plant pathogenic bacteria for other interested readers.

Virulence Mechanisms of Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

PART I Virulence Mechanisms

CHAPTER 1

Recent Advances in Understanding Quorum Sensing and Regulation of Virulence in Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

J. Maxwell Dow and Vittorio Venturi

CHAPTER 2

Biofilm Formation and Virulence in Bacterial Plant Pathogens

Adrian A. Vojnov and María Rosa Marano

CHAPTER 3

Microbe-Associated Molecular Patterns

Veronica Ancona and Youfu Zhao

CHAPTER 4

Cell Surface Polysaccharides in Plant Bacterial Pathogenicity: New Insights into Host–Pathogen Interactions

Jinyun Li and Nian Wang

CHAPTER 5

Fimbrial and Afimbrial Adhesins Involved in Bacterial Attachment to Surfaces

Paulo A. Zaini, Saul Burdman, Michele M. Igo, Jennifer K. Parker, and Leonardo De La Fuente

CHAPTER 6

Cyclic di-GMP Regulation in Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

Ya-Wen He and Shan-Ho Chou

CHAPTER 7

Secretion Systems of Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

Gongyou Chen

CHAPTER 8

Transcription Activator-Like Effectors: From Pathogenesis to Targeted Genome Editing

Bing Yang and Frank F. White

CHAPTER 9

The Pseudomonas syringae Type III Secretion System

Amy O. Charkowski

CHAPTER 10

High-Throughput DNA Sequencing Technology as a Tool in Understanding Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

Neha Potnis, João Carlos Setubal, Rebecca Bart, Deepak Shantharaj, and Jeffrey B. Jones

CHAPTER 11

New Insights into Regulation of Pathogenicity and Virulence of Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

Shi-En Lu

CHAPTER 12

Posttranscriptional and Posttranslational Regulatory Mechanisms for Virulence Factors

Quan Zeng and Ching-Hong Yang

CHAPTER 13

The Influence of Metal Elements on Virulence in Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

Leonardo De La Fuente, Fernando Navarrete, Jonathan E. Oliver, Luisa Cruz, and Paul A. Cobine

CHAPTER 14

Iron as a Regulator of Virulence in Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

Gustavo A. T. Chaves, Paulo A. Zaini, and Aline M. Da Silva

PART II Important Bacterial Diseases in Agriculture

CHAPTER 15

‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ Species and Related Diseases

Nian Wang, Qing Yan, Fekede Workneh, Arash Rashed, and Charlie Rush

CHAPTER 16

Xylella fastidiosa: Insights into the Lifestyle of a Xylem-Limited Bacterium

Caroline Roper and Steven E. Lindow

CHAPTER 17

Pathogenicity, Virulence, and Transmission of Phytoplasmas

Saskia A. Hogenhout

CHAPTER 18

Pathogenicity, Virulence, and Transmission of Plant Spiroplasmas

Laure Béven, Nathalie Arricau-Bouvery, Joël Renaudin, and Colette Saillard

CHAPTER 19

Fire in the Orchard: Insights into Fire Blight Disease and Its Causal Agent, Erwinia amylovora

Luisa F. Castiblanco and George W. Sundin

CHAPTER 20

Virulence Mechanisms of Plant-Pathogenic Ralstonia spp.

Jonathan M. Jacobs and Caitilyn Allen

CHAPTER 21

The Dynamic World of the Genus Xanthomonas

Olivier Pruvost, Isabelle Robène, Aline Escalon, Alice Leduc, Lionel Gagnevin, Christian Vernière, Nian Wang, Howard F. Schwartz, David H. Gent, Philippe Rott, Monique Royer, Anne M. Alvarez, Tomie S. Vowell, Peter J. Toves, Frank F. White, Neha Potnis, and Jeffrey B. Jones

CHAPTER 22

Virulence Mechanisms of Soft-Rot-Causing Plant-Pathogenic Bacteria

Jong Hyun Ham and Luis Cláudio Vieira Da Cunha

CHAPTER 23

Mechanisms of Pathogenicity and Emergence of New Plant-Pathogenic Species in the Genus Streptomyces

Gregg S. Pettis

INDEX

“This book covers many up to date aspects of molecular interactions of bacteria and plants. Very useful for graduate students and researchers interested in this area of research.”
—Leonardo De La Fuente, APS PRESS Senior Editor and Auburn University Professor

"Overall this book is a must-have for researchers and students in the fields of plant pathology, microbiology, bacteriology, and plant-microbe interactions. It serves as an introductory textbook for students and an encyclopedia of many perspectives on the virulence mechanisms of plant pathogenic bacteria for other interested readers."
—Bois et forêts des tropiques