Century-old herbarium specimen provides insights into Pierce's disease of grapevines emergence in the Americas
2025
Donegan, Monica A. | Kahn, Alexandra K. | Becker, Nathalie | Castillo Siri, Andreina | Campos, Paola | Boyer, Karine | Colwell, Alison | Briand, Martial | Almeida, Rodrigo P.P. | Rieux, Adrien
Fossils and other preserved specimens are integral for informing timing and evolutionary history in every biological system. By isolating a plant pathogen genome from herbarium-preserved diseased grapevine material from 1906 (Herb_1906), we were able to answer questions about an enigmatic system. The emergence of Pierce's disease (PD) of grapevine has shaped viticultural production in North America; yet, there are uncertainties about the geographic origin of the pathogen (Xylella fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa, Xff) and the timing and route of its introduction. We produced a high-quality, de novo genome assembly of this historical plant pathogen and confirmed degradation patterns unique to ancient DNA. Due to the inclusion of the Herb_1906 sample, we were able to generate a significant temporal signal in the genomic data. This allowed us to build a time-calibrated phylogeny, where we estimate the introduction of Xff into the US between 1734 and 1741 CE, an earlier time frame than previously inferred. In a large collection of >300 Xff genomes, the Herb_1906 sample was genetically most similar to a small population from Northern California but not basal to the entire Xff California clade. Based on phylogenetic placement and a phylogeographic reconstruction, our data support a single introduction of Xff into the Southeastern US from Central America, with multiple subsequent introductions into California.
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