JB Accepts, published online ahead of print on 10 August 2007

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J. Bacteriol. doi:10.1128/JB.00934-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Mutations in type I and type IV pilus biosynthetic genes affect twitching motility rates in Xylella fastidiosa

Leonardo De La Fuente, Thomas J. Burr, and Harvey C. Hoch^*

Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University—New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, New York

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: hch1{at}cornell.edu.

Xylella fastidiosa possesses both type I and type IV pili at the same cell pole. Using a microfluidic device, the speed of twitching movement on a glass surface against the flow direction of media by wild type cells was measured as 0.86 [standard error (SE) 0.04] µm min^-1. A type I pilus mutant (fimA) moved six times faster [4.85 (SE 0.27) µm min^-1] and a pilY1 mutant moved three times slower [0.28 (SE 0.03) µm min^-1] than wild type cells. Type I pili slow the rate of movement, while the putative type IV pilus protein PilY1 is likely important for attachment to surfaces.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• De La Fuente, L., Burr, T. J., Hoch, H. C. (2008). Autoaggregation of Xylella fastidiosa Cells Is Influenced by Type I and Type IV Pili. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 5579-5582 [Abstract] [Full Text]