Dominant and Recessive Major R Genes Lead to Different Types of Host Cell Death During Resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae in Rice. - Related Documents




#
Rank
Similarity
Title + Abs.
Year
PMID
012345
9401.0000Dominant and Recessive Major R Genes Lead to Different Types of Host Cell Death During Resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae in Rice. The bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is the most devastating bacterial disease of rice worldwide. A number of dominant major disease resistance (MR) genes and recessive MR genes against Xoo have been cloned and molecularly characterized in the last two decades. However, how these MR genes mediated-resistances occur at the cytological level is largely unknown. Here, by ultrastructural examination of xylem parenchyma cells, we show that resistances to Xoo conferred by dominant MR genes and recessive MR genes resulted in different types of programmed cell death (PCD). Three dominant MR genes Xa1, Xa4, and Xa21 and two recessive MR genes xa5 and xa13 that encode very different proteins were used in this study. We observed that Xa1-, Xa4-, and Xa21-mediated resistances to Xoo were associated mainly with autophagy-like cell death featured by the formation of autophagosome-like bodies in the xylem parenchyma cells. In contrast, the xa5- and xa13-mediated resistances to Xoo were associated mainly with vacuolar-mediated cell death characterized by tonoplast disruption of the xylem parenchyma cells. Application of autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine partially compromised Xa1-, Xa4-, and Xa21-mediated resistances, as did Na(2)HPO(4) alkaline solution to xa5- and xa13-mediated resistances. These results suggest that autophagy-like cell death is a feature of the dominant MR gene-mediated resistance to Xoo and vacuolar-mediated cell death is a characteristic of the recessive MR gene-mediated resistance.201830519255
5110.9977A pair of allelic WRKY genes play opposite roles in rice-bacteria interactions. Although allelic diversity of genes has been reported to play important roles in different physiological processes, information on allelic diversity of defense-responsive genes in host-pathogen interactions is limited. Here, we report that a pair of allelic genes, OsWRKY45-1 and OsWRKY45-2, which encode proteins with a 10-amino acid difference, play opposite roles in rice (Oryza sativa) resistance against bacterial pathogens. Bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae (Xoo), bacterial streak caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzicola (Xoc), and fungal blast caused by Magnaporthe grisea are devastating diseases of rice worldwide. OsWRKY45-1-overexpressing plants showed increased susceptibility and OsWRKY45-1-knockout plants showed enhanced resistance to Xoo and Xoc. In contrast, OsWRKY45-2-overexpressing plants showed enhanced resistance and OsWRKY45-2-suppressing plants showed increased susceptibility to Xoo and Xoc. Interestingly, both OsWRKY45-1- and OsWRKY45-2-overexpressing plants showed enhanced resistance to M. grisea. OsWRKY45-1-regulated Xoo resistance was accompanied by increased accumulation of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid and induced expression of a subset of defense-responsive genes, while OsWRKY45-2-regulated Xoo resistance was accompanied by increased accumulation of jasmonic acid but not salicylic acid and induced expression of another subset of defense-responsive genes. These results suggest that both OsWRKY45-1 and OsWRKY45-2 are positive regulators in rice resistance against M. grisea, but the former is a negative regulator and the latter is a positive regulator in rice resistance against Xoo and Xoc. The opposite roles of the two allelic genes in rice-Xoo interaction appear to be due to their mediation of different defense signaling pathways.200919700558
6420.9976Mutational analysis of the Arabidopsis RPS2 disease resistance gene and the corresponding pseudomonas syringae avrRpt2 avirulence gene. Plants have evolved a large number of disease resistance genes that encode proteins containing conserved structural motifs that function to recognize pathogen signals and to initiate defense responses. The Arabidopsis RPS2 gene encodes a protein representative of the nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) class of plant resistance proteins. RPS2 specifically recognizes Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato strains expressing the avrRpt2 gene and initiates defense responses to bacteria carrying avrRpt2, including a hypersensitive cell death response (HR). We present an in planta mutagenesis experiment that resulted in the isolation of a series of rps2 and avrRpt2 alleles that disrupt the RPS2-avrRpt2 gene-for-gene interaction. Seven novel avrRpt2 alleles incapable of eliciting an RPS2-dependent HR all encode proteins with lesions in the C-terminal portion of AvrRpt2 previously shown to be sufficient for RPS2 recognition. Ten novel rps2 alleles were characterized with mutations in the NBS and the LRR. Several of these alleles code for point mutations in motifs that are conserved among NBS-LRR resistance genes, including the third LRR, which suggests the importance of these motifs for resistance gene function.200111204781
8130.9976Biological control of bacterial wilt in Arabidopsis thaliana involves abscissic acid signalling. Means to control bacterial wilt caused by the phytopathogenic root bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum are limited. Mutants in a large cluster of genes (hrp) involved in the pathogenicity of R. solanacearum were successfully used in a previous study as endophytic biocontrol agents in challenge inoculation experiments on tomato. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling this resistance remained unknown. We developed a protection assay using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model plant and analyzed the events underlying the biological control by genetic, transcriptomic and molecular approaches. High protection rates associated with a significant decrease in the multiplication of R. solanacearum were observed in plants pre-inoculated with a ΔhrpB mutant strain. Neither salicylic acid, nor jasmonic acid/ethylene played a role in the establishment of this resistance. Microarray analysis showed that 26% of the up-regulated genes in protected plants are involved in the biosynthesis and signalling of abscissic acid (ABA). In addition 21% of these genes are constitutively expressed in the irregular xylem cellulose synthase mutants (irx), which present a high level of resistance to R. solanacearum. We propose that inoculation with the ΔhrpB mutant strain generates a hostile environment for subsequent plant colonization by a virulent strain of R. solanacearum.201222432714
6340.9976RPS2, an Arabidopsis disease resistance locus specifying recognition of Pseudomonas syringae strains expressing the avirulence gene avrRpt2. A molecular genetic approach was used to identify and characterize plant genes that control bacterial disease resistance in Arabidopsis. A screen for mutants with altered resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) expressing the avirulence gene avrRpt2 resulted in the isolation of four susceptible rps (resistance to P. syringae) mutants. The rps mutants lost resistance specifically to bacterial strains expressing avrRpt2 as they retained resistance to Pst strains expressing the avirulence genes avrB or avrRpm1. Genetic analysis indicated that in each of the four rps mutants, susceptibility was due to a single mutation mapping to the same locus on chromosome 4. Identification of a resistance locus with specificity for a single bacterial avirulence gene suggests that this locus, designated RPS2, controls specific recognition of bacteria expressing the avirulence gene avrRpt2. Ecotype Wü-0, a naturally occurring line that is susceptible to Pst strains expressing avrRpt2, appears to lack a functional allele at RPS2, demonstrating that there is natural variation at the RPS2 locus among wild populations of Arabidopsis.19938400869
876250.9975Resistance Genes and their Interactions with Bacterial Blight/Leaf Streak Pathogens (Xanthomonas oryzae) in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)-an Updated Review. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food crop, feeding more than 50% of the world's population. Diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens constantly threaten the rice production and lead to enormous yield losses. Bacterial blight (BB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused respectively by gram-negative bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), are two important diseases affecting rice production worldwide. Due to the economic importance, extensive genetic and genomic studies have been conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanism of rice response to Xoo and Xoc in the last two decades. A series of resistance (R) genes and their cognate avirulence and virulence effector genes have been characterized. Here, we summarize the recent advances in studies on interactions between rice and the two pathogens through these R genes or their products and effectors. Breeding strategies to develop varieties with durable and broad-spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae based on the published studies are also discussed.202031915945
6260.9975Different requirements for EDS1 and NDR1 by disease resistance genes define at least two R gene-mediated signaling pathways in Arabidopsis. The Arabidopsis genes EDS1 and NDR1 were shown previously by mutational analysis to encode essential components of race-specific disease resistance. Here, we examined the relative requirements for EDS1 and NDR1 by a broad spectrum of Resistance (R) genes present in three Arabidopsis accessions (Columbia, Landsberg-erecta, and Wassilewskija). We show that there is a strong requirement for EDS1 by a subset of R loci (RPP2, RPP4, RPP5, RPP21, and RPS4), conferring resistance to the biotrophic oomycete Peronospora parasitica, and to Pseudomonas bacteria expressing the avirulence gene avrRps4. The requirement for NDR1 by these EDS1-dependent R loci is either weak or not measurable. Conversely, three NDR1-dependent R loci, RPS2, RPM1, and RPS5, operate independently of EDS1. Another RPP locus, RPP8, exhibits no strong exclusive requirement for EDS1 or NDR1 in isolate-specific resistance to P. parasitica, although resistance is compromised weakly by eds1. Similarly, resistance conditioned by two EDS1-dependent RPP genes, RPP4 and RPP5, is impaired partially by ndr1, implicating a degree of pathway cross-talk. Our results provide compelling evidence for the preferential utilization of either signaling component by particular R genes and thus define at least two disease resistance pathways. The data also suggest that strong dependence on EDS1 or NDR1 is governed by R protein structural type rather than pathogen class.19989707643
9870.9975Natural variations in the promoter of OsSWEET13 and OsSWEET14 expand the range of resistance against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is one of the major diseases that impact rice production in Asia. The bacteria use transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) to hijack the host transcription machinery and activate key susceptibility (S) genes, specifically members of the SWEET sucrose uniporters through the recognition of effector-binding element (EBEs) in the promoter regions. However, natural variations in the EBEs that alter the binding affinity of TALEs usually prevent sufficient induction of SWEET genes, leading to resistance phenotypes. In this study, we identified candidate resistance alleles by mining a rice diversity panel for mutations in the promoter of OsSWEET13 and OsSWEET14, which are direct targets of three major TALEs PthXo2, PthXo3 and AvrXa7. We found natural variations at the EBE of both genes, which appeared to have emerged independently in at least three rice subspecies. For OsSWEET13, a 2-bp deletion at the 5th and 6th positions of the EBE, and a substitution at the 17th position appear to be sufficient to prevent activation by PthXo2. Similarly, a single nucleotide substitution at position 10 compromised the induction of OsSWEET14 by AvrXa7. These findings might increase our opportunities to reduce pathogen virulence by preventing the induction of SWEET transporters. Pyramiding variants along with other resistance genes may provide durable and broad-spectrum resistance to the disease.201830212546
25380.9975The Rxo1/ Rba1 locus of maize controls resistance reactions to pathogenic and non-host bacteria. Infiltration of different maize lines with a variety of bacterial pathogens of maize, rice and sorghum identified qualitative differences in resistant reactions. Isolates from two bacterial species induced rapid hypersensitive reactions (HR) in some maize lines, but not others. All isolates of the non-host pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (bacterial leaf streak disease of rice) and some isolates of the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia andropogonis induced HR when infiltrated into maize line B73, but not Mo17. Genetic control of the HR to both bacteria segregated as a single dominant gene. Surprisingly, both phenotypes mapped to the same locus, indicating they are either tightly linked or controlled by the same gene. The locus maps on the short arm of maize chromosome six near several other disease-resistance genes. Results indicate the same type of genes may contribute to both non-host resistance and resistance to pathogens.200415114472
32590.9975Use of Arabidopsis thaliana and Pseudomonas syringae in the Study of Plant Disease Resistance and Tolerance. The interaction between Arabidopsis thaliana and the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae is being developed as a model experimental system for plant pathology research. Race-specific ("gene-for-gene") resistance has been demonstrated for this interaction, and pathogen genes that determine avirulence have been isolated and characterized. Because certain lines of both Arabidopsis and soybean are resistant to bacteria carrying the avirulence genes avrRpt2 and avrB, extremely similar pathogen recognition mechanisms are apparently present in these two plant species. Isogenic bacterial strains that differ by the presence of single avirulence genes are being used to analyze plant resistance. Plant resistance genes have been identified in crosses between resistant and susceptible lines. The extensive map-based cloning tools available in Arabidopsis are being used to isolate these resistance genes. In a related project, ethylene-insensitive Arabidopsis mutants are being used to examine the role of ethylene in disease development. Ethylene apparently mediates symptom formation in susceptible plants and is not required for resistance, suggesting possible strategies for enhancement of disease tolerance in crops.199319279805
67100.9975R gene expression induced by a type-III effector triggers disease resistance in rice. Disease resistance (R) genes in plants encode products that specifically recognise incompatible pathogens and trigger a cascade of events leading to disease resistance in the host plant. R-gene specificity is dictated by both host R genes and cognate avirulence (avr) genes in pathogens. However, the basis of gene-for-gene specificity is not well understood. Here, we report the cloning of the R gene Xa27 from rice and the cognate avr gene avrXa27 from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. Resistant and susceptible alleles of Xa27 encode identical proteins. However, expression of only the resistant allele occurs when a rice plant is challenged by bacteria harbouring avrXa27, whose product is a nuclear localized type-III effector. Induction of Xa27 occurs only in the immediate vicinity of infected tissue, whereas ectopic expression of Xa27 resulted in resistance to otherwise compatible strains of the pathogen. Thus Xa27 specificity towards incompatible pathogens involves the differential expression of the R gene in the presence of the AvrXa27 effector.200515973413
60110.9974Arabidopsis NHO1 is required for general resistance against Pseudomonas bacteria. Nonhost interactions are prevalent between plants and specialized phytopathogens. Although it has great potential for providing crop plants with durable resistance, nonhost resistance is poorly understood. Here, we show that nonhost resistance is controlled, at least in part, by general resistance. Arabidopsis plants are resistant to the nonhost pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv phaseolicola NPS3121 and completely arrest bacterial multiplication in the plant. Ten Arabidopsis mutants were isolated that were compromised in nonhost (nho) resistance to P. s. phaseolicola. Among these, nho1 is caused by a single recessive mutation that defines a novel gene. nho1 is defective in nonspecific resistance to Pseudomonas bacteria, because it also supported the growth of P. s. tabaci and P. fluorescens bacteria, both of which are nonpathogenic on Arabidopsis. In addition, the nho1 mutation also compromised resistance mediated by RPS2, RPS4, RPS5, and RPM1. Interestingly, the nho1 mutation had no effect on the growth of the virulent bacteria P. s. maculicola ES4326 and P. s. tomato DC3000, but it partially restored the in planta growth of the DC3000 hrpS(-) mutant bacteria. Thus, the virulent bacteria appear to evade or suppress NHO1-mediated resistance by means of an Hrp-dependent virulence mechanism.200111226196
84120.9974Two pathways act in an additive rather than obligatorily synergistic fashion to induce systemic acquired resistance and PR gene expression. BACKGROUND: Local infection with necrotizing pathogens induces whole plant immunity to secondary challenge. Pathogenesis-related genes are induced in parallel with this systemic acquired resistance response and thought to be co-regulated. The hypothesis of co-regulation has been challenged by induction of Arabidopsis PR-1 but not systemic acquired resistance in npr1 mutant plants responding to Pseudomonas syringae carrying the avirulence gene avrRpt2. However, experiments with ndr1 mutant plants have revealed major differences between avirulence genes. The ndr1-1 mutation prevents hypersensitive cell death, systemic acquired resistance and PR-1 induction elicited by bacteria carrying avrRpt2. This mutation does not prevent these responses to bacteria carrying avrB. RESULTS: Systemic acquired resistance, PR-1 induction and PR-5 induction were assessed in comparisons of npr1-2 and ndr1-1 mutant plants, double mutant plants, and wild-type plants. Systemic acquired resistance was displayed by all four plant lines in response to Pseudomonas syringae bacteria carrying avrB. PR-1 induction was partially impaired by either single mutation in response to either bacterial strain, but only fully impaired in the double mutant in response to avrRpt2. PR-5 induction was not fully impaired in any of the mutants in response to either avirulence gene. CONCLUSION: Two pathways act additively, rather than in an obligatorily synergistic fashion, to induce systemic acquired resistance, PR-1 and PR-5. One of these pathways is NPR1-independent and depends on signals associated with hypersensitive cell death. The other pathway is dependent on salicylic acid accumulation and acts through NPR1. At least two other pathways also contribute additively to PR-5 induction.200212381270
327130.9974Natural variation in RPS2-mediated resistance among Arabidopsis accessions: correlation between gene expression profiles and phenotypic responses. Natural variation in gene expression (expression traits or e-traits) is increasingly used for the discovery of genes controlling traits. An important question is whether a particular e-trait is correlated with a phenotypic trait. Here, we examined the correlations between phenotypic traits and e-traits among 10 Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. We studied defense against Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (Pst), with a focus on resistance gene-mediated resistance triggered by the type III effector protein AvrRpt2. As phenotypic traits, we measured growth of the bacteria and extent of the hypersensitive response (HR) as measured by electrolyte leakage. Genetic variation among accessions affected growth of Pst both with (Pst avrRpt2) and without (Pst) the AvrRpt2 effector. Variation in HR was not correlated with variation in bacterial growth. We also collected gene expression profiles 6 h after mock and Pst avrRpt2 inoculation using a custom microarray. Clusters of genes whose expression levels are correlated with bacterial growth or electrolyte leakage were identified. Thus, we demonstrated that variation in gene expression profiles of Arabidopsis accessions collected at one time point under one experimental condition has the power to explain variation in phenotypic responses to pathogen attack.200718083910
6355140.9973Regulation of resistance to copper in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria. Copper-resistant strains of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria were previously shown to carry plasmid-borne copper resistance genes related to the cop and pco operons of Pseudomonas syringae and Escherichia coli, respectively. However, instead of the two-component (copRS and pcoRS) systems determining copper-inducible expression of the operons in P. syringae and E. coli, a novel open reading frame, copL, was found to be required for copper-inducible expression of the downstream multicopper oxidase copA in X. axonopodis. copL encodes a predicted protein product of 122 amino acids that is rich in histidine and cysteine residues, suggesting a possible direct interaction with copper. Deletions or frameshift mutations within copL, as well as an amino acid substitution generated at the putative start codon of copL, caused a loss of copper-inducible transcriptional activation of copA. A nonpolar insertion of a kanamycin resistance gene in copL resulted in copper sensitivity in the wild-type strain. However, repeated attempts to complement copL mutations in trans failed. Analysis of the genomic sequence databases shows that there are copL homologs upstream of copAB genes in X. axonopodis pv. citri, X. campestris pv. campestris, and Xylella fastidiosa. The cloned promoter area upstream of copA in X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria did not function in Pseudomonas syringae or in E. coli, nor did the P. syringae cop promoter function in Xanthomonas. However, a transcriptional fusion of the Xanthomonas cop promoter with the Pseudomonas copABCDRS was able to confer resistance to copper in Xanthomonas, showing divergence in the mechanisms of regulation of the resistance to copper in phytopathogenic bacteria.200515691931
324150.9973Capillary electrophoresis-based profiling and quantitation of total salicylic acid and related phenolics for analysis of early signaling in Arabidopsis disease resistance. A capillary electrophoresis-based method for quantitation of total salicylic acid levels in Arabidopsis leaves was developed. Direct comparison to previous high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based measurements showed similar levels of salicylic acid. Simultaneous quantitation of trans-cinnamic acid, benzoic acid, sinapic acid, and an internal recovery standard was achieved. A rapid, streamlined protocol with requirements for plant tissue reduced relative to those of HPLC-based protocols is presented. Complicated, multiparameter experiments were thus possible despite the labor-intensive nature of inoculating plants with bacterial pathogens. As an example of this sort of experiment, detailed time course studies of total salicylic acid accumulation by wild-type Arabidopsis and two lines with mutations affecting salicylic acid accumulation in response to either of two avirulent bacterial strains were performed. Accumulation in the first 12h was biphasic. The first phase was partially SID2 and NDR1 dependent with both bacterial strains. The second phase was largely independent of both genes with bacteria carrying avrB, but dependent upon both genes with bacteria carrying avrRpt2. Virulent bacteria did not elicit salicylic acid accumulation at these time points. Application of this method to various Arabidopsis pathosystems and the wealth of available disease resistance signaling mutants will refine knowledge of disease resistance and associated signal transduction.200312927828
447160.9973The root knot nematode resistance gene Mi from tomato is a member of the leucine zipper, nucleotide binding, leucine-rich repeat family of plant genes. The Mi locus of tomato confers resistance to root knot nematodes. Tomato DNA spanning the locus was isolated as bacterial artificial chromosome clones, and 52 kb of contiguous DNA was sequenced. Three open reading frames were identified with similarity to cloned plant disease resistance genes. Two of them, Mi-1.1 and Mi-1.2, appear to be intact genes; the third is a pseudogene. A 4-kb mRNA hybridizing with these genes is present in tomato roots. Complementation studies using cloned copies of Mi-1.1 and Mi-1.2 indicated that Mi-1.2, but not Mi-1.1, is sufficient to confer resistance to a susceptible tomato line with the progeny of transformants segregating for resistance. The cloned gene most similar to Mi-1.2 is Prf, a tomato gene required for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae. Prf and Mi-1.2 share several structural motifs, including a nucleotide binding site and a leucine-rich repeat region, that are characteristic of a family of plant proteins, including several that are required for resistance against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and now, nematodes.19989707531
69170.9973Interfering TAL effectors of Xanthomonas oryzae neutralize R-gene-mediated plant disease resistance. Plant pathogenic bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas possess transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) that activate transcription of disease susceptibility genes in the host, inducing a state of disease. Here we report that some isolates of the rice pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae use truncated versions of TALEs (which we term interfering TALEs, or iTALEs) to overcome disease resistance. In comparison with typical TALEs, iTALEs lack a transcription activation domain but retain nuclear localization motifs and are expressed from genes that were previously considered pseudogenes. We show that the rice gene Xa1, encoding a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein, confers resistance against X. oryzae isolates by recognizing multiple TALEs. However, the iTALEs present in many isolates interfere with the otherwise broad-spectrum resistance conferred by Xa1. Our findings illustrate how bacterial effectors that trigger disease resistance in the host can evolve to interfere with the resistance process and, thus, promote disease.201627811915
326180.9973Quantitative nature of Arabidopsis responses during compatible and incompatible interactions with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. We performed large-scale mRNA expression profiling using an Affymetrix GeneChip to study Arabidopsis responses to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. The interactions were compatible (virulent bacteria) or incompatible (avirulent bacteria), including a nonhost interaction and interactions mediated by two different avirulence gene-resistance (R) gene combinations. Approximately 2000 of the approximately 8000 genes monitored showed reproducible significant expression level changes in at least one of the interactions. Analysis of biological variation suggested that the system behavior of the plant response in an incompatible interaction was robust but that of a compatible interaction was not. A large part of the difference between incompatible and compatible interactions can be explained quantitatively. Despite high similarity between responses mediated by the R genes RPS2 and RPM1 in wild-type plants, RPS2-mediated responses were strongly suppressed by the ndr1 mutation and the NahG transgene, whereas RPM1-mediated responses were not. This finding is consistent with the resistance phenotypes of these plants. We propose a simple quantitative model with a saturating response curve that approximates the overall behavior of this plant-pathogen system.200312566575
8761190.9973Infection processes of xylem-colonizing pathogenic bacteria: possible explanations for the scarcity of qualitative disease resistance genes against them in crops. Disease resistance against xylem-colonizing pathogenic bacteria in crops. Plant pathogenic bacteria cause destructive diseases in many commercially important crops. Among these bacteria, eight pathogens, Ralstonia solanacearum, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, X. campestris pv. campestris, Erwinia amylovora, Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, and Xylella fastidiosa, infect their host plants through different infection sites and paths and eventually colonize the xylem tissues of their host plants, resulting in wilting symptoms by blocking water flow or necrosis of xylem tissues. Noticeably, only a relatively small number of resistant cultivars in major crops against these vascular bacterial pathogens except X. oryzae pv. oryzae have been found or generated so far, although these pathogens threaten productivity of major crops. In this review, we summarize the lifestyles of major xylem-colonizing bacterial pathogens and then discuss the progress of current research on disease resistance controlled by qualitative disease resistance genes or quantitative trait loci against them. Finally, we propose infection processes of xylem-colonizing bacterial pathogens as one of possible reasons for why so few qualitative disease resistance genes against these pathogens have been developed or identified so far in crops.201525917599