
Plasmids are a major source of horizontal gene transfer among bacteria contributing to their evolution and ecology. The known collection of plasmids carried by the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa increases as new strains from different origins and hosts are sampled and sequenced. Here we performed an extensive comparison of 61 publicly available sequences annotated as plasmids belonging to 38 X. fastidiosa strains isolated from different plant species and distinct geographical locations. Twenty-six strains exhibited at least one plasmid and up to four plasmids were found in a single strain. Plasmids sizes varied widely from 1.3 kbp to 64.3 kbp, ranging from 1 to 70 protein-coding sequences (CDS) encompassing 324 orthologs. Based on the presence of specific mobility proteins such as relaxases and type 4 secretion system-related genes, respectively 40 and 8 of the X. fastidiosa plasmids were classified as conjugative and mobilizable, while 13 were classified as non-mobilizable. X. fastidiosa plasmids did not carry known antibiotic resistance or virulence genes, and their stability seems to take advantage of toxin/antitoxin systems. The comparative analyses described here revealed similarity among plasmids of X. fastidiosa from different subspecies, geographical regions, and hosts, as well as with sequences found in plasmids from other bacterial species. Altogether, our results provide an in silico analysis of X. fastidiosa plasmid content and their main features, with applications in future studies of epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of this phytopathogen.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 12 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
