CROWNGALLOFGRAPE: Biology and Disease Management

Abstract

Not until 1973 was it reported that strains of Agrobacterium that cause crown gall disease of grape form a specific group (later characterized as Agrobacterium vitis). Tumorigenic and nontumorigenic A. vitis have since been isolated from infected and symptomless grapes worldwide. Research on the genetic makeup of A. vitis has led to an improved understanding of pathogen biology and bacterial evolution. In addition, the identification of significant gene sequences has facilitated the development of PCR and RFLP-based identification procedures that continue to improve the detection of A. vitis in plants and soil. Current control practices rely on the use of disease-resistant cultivars, cultural practices that minimize plant injury, and the production of pathogen-free vines. Promising future controls include employment of biological control agents and development of crown gall-resistant transgenic grapevines.

Genome Sequences of ThreeAgrobacteriumBiovars Help Elucidate the Evolution of Multichromosome Genomes in Bacteria

“…A. vitis S4 (S4), a virulent biovar III strain, is phenotypically distinct from strains of A. tumefaciens in two significant ways. First, whereas A. tumefaciens infects many host species, A. vitis causes crown gall only on grapevines (2,4). Second, A. vitis induces necrosis on grapevine roots and a hypersensitive response on nonhost plants (3,22).…”

Genome Sequence of Novosphingobium sp. Strain Rr 2-17, a Nopaline Crown Gall-Associated Bacterium Isolated from Vitis vinifera L. Grapevine

“…In the field, crown gall diseases are of common occurrence on dicotyledonous plants such as grapevine, stone fruits, nut trees, pommes, woody ornamentals, and fruit canes and are rarely found associated with annual row and field crops (2,5). Crown gall disease has a significant negative impact on agriculture, as it has be shown to severely decrease the yields of various crops such as grape berries that are important for the production of juice, jam, raisin, and wine (1).…”

Rapid and sensitive methods for detection of Allorhizobium vitis, causal agent of grapevine crown gall

“…However the alkaline method is only used for the pure culture and isolated bacterial cells and cannot be used for the detection of A. vitis from plant material. In the study work of Burr et al (1999) and Cubero et al (1999) the detection threshold was determinate for 150 to 200 cells. Szegedi and Bottka (2002) were demonstrated that the detection threshold is equal to 10 5 CFU/ml using the protocol of heating bacterial suspension in sterile distillated water and in Triton X-100.…”

“…Crown gall of grapevine caused by Allorizobium vitis (Moussavi et al, 2014(Moussavi et al, , 2015, previously named Agrobacterium vitis (Ophel and Kerr 1990);is an economically important disease and one of the most serious bacterial disease affecting grape production in several countries (Burr and Otten, 1999). The tumorigenicity of A. vitis is an encogenes transfer into plant cells of the T-DNA (transferred DNA), part of a large tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid (Thomashow et al 1984).…”