2003. The development of Pierce’s Disease in xylem: the roles of vessel cavitation, cell wall metabolism and vessel occlusion. 2003 Pierce’s Disease Research Symposium

This proposal is directed toward discovering the plant responses to infection that are fundamental to the progression of Pierce’s Disease (PD) in grapevine. The disease is caused by the growth of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) in the xylem vessels of stems, petioles and leaf blades. The disease progresses rapidly, causing severe water deficits in infected shoots and vine death–often within two years. However the progression of the disease and the mechanism(s) by which th