Plant disease complexes: Xanthomonas co-infections with multiple pathogens

Abstract Xanthomonas is one of the most widespread and destructive bacterial plant pathogens, posing a significant threat to global food security. Xanthomonas pathovars exhibit remarkable host specificity and adaptability, and are capable of infecting a variety of staple crops, including rice, citrus, and tomato. While Xanthomonas usually infects the host plant alone, it can also interact with other pathogens, forming plant disease complexes. This review summarizes recent advances in the study of Xanthomonas co-infections with bacteria, fungi, viruses, and nematodes. The interaction relationships, including competition, cooperation, and coexistence, are discussed. Moreover, possible interaction mechanisms between Xanthomonas and other pathogens within the plant disease complexes are highlighted. This review aims to provide a better understanding of Xanthomonas co-infections with multiple pathogens and to serve as a reference for studying disease complexes among various plant pathogens.