Phosphorus limitation increases attachment in Agrobacterium tumefaciens and reveals a conditional functional redundancy in adhesin biosynthesis.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial responses to phosphorus limitation, commonly inorganic phosphate (P(i)), are important survival mechanisms in a variety of environments. The two-component sensor kinase PhoR and its cognate response regulator PhoB are central to the P(i) limitation response of many bacteria and control the large Pho regulon. Limitation for P(i) significantly increased attachment and biofilm formation by the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and this was driven by PhoB. Surprisingly, it was also found that both phoR and phoB were essential in A. tumefaciens. Expression of a plasmid-borne copy of the low affinity P(i) transporter (pit) from Sinorhizobium meliloti in A. tumefaciens abolished the phoB and phoR essentiality in A. tumefaciens and allowed direct demonstration of the requirement

SUBMITTER: Xu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3656598 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature