Work by Lindsey Burbank and Christopher Van Horn (USDA-ARS) demonstrating that plasmid transfer via conjugation occurs in X. fastidiosa has just been published in the Journal of Bacteriology (ABSTRACT). Previous work by Drake Stenger and Elizabeth Rogers suggested that conjugation occurs in nature, but it is nice to read experimental evidence demonstrating it occurs under controlled conditions in the lab. This is very cool, and will certainly be useful for future research.
Conjugation in X. fastidiosa