AIDA and infection: All three mutants were also significantly reduced in virulence when they were inoculated directly into the tomato xylem via a cut leaf petiole (Fig 3F, P< 0.01, repeated measures ANOVA), indicating that R3bv2 strain UW551 requires lecM, aidA, and aidC for mid-stage bacterial wilt disease virulence, and not only for early infection.