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Plant Pathology
University of California
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616-8751
Department Business Office:
354 Hutchison Hall
FAX: (530) 752-5674

Kirkpatrick, Bruce C.

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Professor of Plant Pathology
Office Phone: 530-752-2831
FAX: 530-752-5674
E-Mail: bckirkpatrick@ucdavis.edu

Biography
B.S. University of California, Irvine 1980 Biological Sciences
M.S. University of California, Berkeley 1983 Plant Pathology
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley 1986 Plant Pathology

Area of Specialization
Insect vectored diseases, microbial evolution. Bacterial and viral diseases of woody plants, especially diseases caused by phytoplasmas and Xylella fastidiosa
Research
Our principal research interests focus on viral and prokaryotic plant diseases of woody plants. We have developed and used molecular diagnostic assays to study the etiology and epidemiology of many of these important plant diseases. Our research has involved the phylogenetic characterization of a group of insect transmitted wall less, nonculturable prokaryotes called phytoplasmas and we are now sequencing two phytoplasma genomes. We are also heavily involved with basic and applied research on diseases caused by Xylella fastidiosa, especially Pierce’s disease of grapevines.
Selected Publications:
Transposon mutagenesis of Xylella fastidiosa by electroporation of Tn5 synaptic complexes. Guilhabert, M., L. M. Hoffman, D. A. Mills, and B. C. Kirkpatrick. 2001. MPMI 14:701-706.

Frequency and seasonal distribution of pear psylla infected with the pear decline phytoplasma in California pear orchards. Blomquist, C.L. and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2002. Phytopathology 92:1218-1226.

Cosmid cloning and sample sequencing of the geneome of the uncultivable mollicute, Western X-disease phytoplasma, using DNA purified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Leifting, L.W. and B.C. Kirkpatrick.2003. FEMS Microbiology Letters 221:203-211.

Transformation of Xylella fastidiosa with broad host range RSF1010 derivative plasmids. Guilhabert, M.R. and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2003. Molecular Plant Pathology 4:279-285.

Sequence analysis of two plasmids from the phytoplasma, beet leafhopper-transmitted virescence agent. Leifting, C., M. Shaw and B.C. Kirkpatrick. Microbiology 150:1809-1817.

‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’, a taxon for the wall-less, non-helical prokaryotes that colonize plant phloem and insects. Firrao, G., M. Andersen, A. Bertaccini, E. Boudon, J.M. Bove, X. Daire, R.E. Davis, J. Fletcher, M. Garnier, K.S. Gibb, D.E. Gundersen-Rindal, N. Harrison, C. Hiruki, B.C. Kirkpatrick, P. Jones, C.R. Kuske, I.M. Lee, L. Leifting, Marcone, S. Namba, B. Schneider, B.B. Sears, E. Seemuller, C.D. Smart and C. Streten. International J. of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 54:1243-1255.

Interaction between nitrogen-fertilized peach trees and expression of SyrB, a gene involved in syringomycin production. Cao, T., R.A. Duncan, M.V. McKenry, K.A. Shackel, T.M. DeJong and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2005. Phytopathology 95:581-586.

Identification of Xylella fastidiosa avirulence genes: hemagglutinin adhesions contribute to X. fastidiosa biofilm maturation and colonization and attenuate virulence. Guilhabert, M.R. and B.C. Kirkpatrick, 2005. Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions 18:856-868.

Characterization of putative rolling-circle plasmids from the Gram-negative bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and their use as shuttle vectors. Guilhabert, M.R., V.J. Stewart and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2006. Plasmid 55:70-80.

'Candidatus Phytoplasma', a taxon for the wall-less, non-helical prokaryotes that colonize plant phloem and insects. Firrao, G., M. Andersen, A. Bertaccini, E. Boudon, J.M. Bove, X. Daire, R.E. Davis, J. Fletcher, M. Garnier, K.S. Gibb, D.E. Gundersen-Rindal, N. Harrison, C. Hiruki, B.C. Kirkpatrick, P. Jones, C.R. Kuske, I.M. Lee, L. Leifting, Marcone, S. Namba, B. Schneider, B.B. Sears, E. Seemuller, C.D. Smart and C. Streten. 2004. International J. of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 54:1243-1255.

Sequence analysis of two plasmids from the phytoplasma, beet leafhopper-transmitted virescence agent. Leifting, C., M. Shaw and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2004. Microbiology 150:1809-1817.

Transformation of Xylella fastidiosa with broad host range RSF1010 derivative plasmids. Guilhabert, M.R. and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2003. Molecular Plant Pathology 4:279-285.

Cosmid cloning and sample sequencing of the geneome of the uncultivable mollicute, Western X-disease phytoplasma, using DNA purified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Leifting, L.W. and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2003. FEMS Microbiology Letters 221:203-211.

Frequency and seasonal distribution of pear psylla infected with the pear decline phytoplasma in California pear orchards. Blomquist, C.L. and B.C. Kirkpatrick. 2002. Phytopathology 92:1218-1226.

Transposon Mutagenesis of Xylella fastidiosa by Electroporation of Tn5 Synaptic Complexes. Guilhabert, M., L.M. Hoffman, D. A. Mills and B. C. Kirkpatrick. 2001. MPMI 14:701-706

Genetic Diversity of Pierce’s Disease Strain and Other Pathotypes of Xylella fastidiosa. Hendson, M., A.H. Purcell, D. Chen, C. Smart, M. Guilhabert and B. C. Kirkpatrick. 2001. Applied and Environmental Microbiol. 67:895-903.

An Immunodominant Membrane Protein Gene from the Western X-disease Phytoplasma is Distinct from Those of Other Phytoplasmas. Blomquist, C., D. Davies, D. Barbara, M. Clark and B. C. Kirkpatrick. 2001. Microbiology 147:571-580