Virulence-Related Assays for Investigation of the Acidovorax citrulli-Cucurbitaceae Pathosystem

Abstract

Acidovorax citrulli is one of the most important pathogens of cucurbit crops, mainly melon and watermelon. Although A. citrulli is able to infect all aerial parts of the plant, fruits are highly sensitive to the bacterium. Therefore, the disease is known as bacterial fruit blotch (BFB). The unavailability of effective tools for managing BFB, including the lack of resistant varieties, exacerbates the threat this disease poses to the cucurbit industry. However, despite the economic importance of BFB, still little is known about basic aspects of A. citrulli–plant interactions. Here, we present diverse techniques that have recently been developed for investigation of basic aspects of BFB, including identification of virulence determinants of the pathogen.