RIT Scientist to Complete Genetic Profile of Grape Crown Gall Disease

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) scientists and alumnus are closer in identifying the genetic code of grape crown gall. Grape crown gall is a bacterial disease which attacks the vascular tissue, causing formation of galls and suppression in the transport of water and nutrients. This disease can lead to yield reduction, affecting the growth of the grape industry. Their study uses 16 grape varieties from the vineyards of New York, Hungary, Tunisia, and Japan. These varieties were infected with crown gall disease and planted in specific geographical locations in the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia.

Findings show that from a total of 52 sampled tissues of crown gall tumors obtained from the 16 grape varieties, the common core microbiome was composed of Agrobacterium, Erwinia, and Novosphingbium and one member from Enterobacteriaceae and Microbacteriaceae. This was identified through the use of DNA sequencing platform, a technique used to separate the DNA of the bacteria from its close relatives to the DNA plant cell. By this finding, comparison of the ecological differences among the grapes planted in different continents is the next step to further create an efficient crown gall disease management that will lead to increase in crop production.

For further details of the study, visit the article here http://www.rit.edu/news/story.php?id=51040.