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Grapevine xylem network organization could influence on disease’s tolerance.
Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a xylem bacterium and the causal agent of disease in grapevine. Once introduced into the xylem, they spread systemically. This spread has been associated with water transport dysfunction resulting in plant death. This happens because xylem is a network of pipe-like cells transporting water axially (vertically) and radially (horizontally). The radial movement is critical to maintaining water transport by creating multiple pathways. However, greater xylem radial connectivity also increases the vulnerability to the spread of pathogens. Our objective is to understand the relationship between xylem network and Xf-spread. We applied microCT to identify and quantify xylem connections in grapevines. Vitis arizonica (Xf-resistant) presented fewer vessel connections than the Vitis vinifera varieties, but the pressure to bridge the horizontal pathway was not significantly different between the grapevines. These data open avenues for future research in wood anatomy by providing detailed cellular ultrastructure organization with different levels of Xf-tolerance