Dataset Information

The intracellular citrus huanglongbing bacterium, 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' encodes two novel autotransporters.

ABSTRACT: Proteins secreted by the type V secretion system (T5SS), known as autotransporters, are large extracellular virulence proteins localized to the bacterial poles. In this study, we characterized two novel autotransporter proteins of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las), and redesignated them as LasAI and LasAII in lieu of the previous names HyvI and HyvII. As a phloem-limited, intracellular bacterial pathogen, Las has a significantly reduced genome and causes huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating disease of citrus worldwide. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that LasAI and LasAII share the structural features of an autotransporter family containing large repeats of a passenger domain and a unique C-terminal translocator domain. When fused to the GFP gene and expressed in E. coli, the LasAI C-terminus and the full length LasAII were localized to the bacterial poles, similar to other members of autotransporter family. Despite the absence of a typical signal peptide, LasAI was found to localize at the cell surface by immuno-dot blot using a monoclonal antibody against the partial LasAI protein. Its surface localization was also confirmed by the removal of the LasAI antigen using a proteinase K treatment of the intact bacterial cells. When co-inoculated with a P19 gene silencing suppressor and transiently expressed in tobacco leaves, the GFP-LasAI translocator targeted to the mitochondria. This is the first report that Las encodes novel autotransporters that target to mitochondria when expressed in the plants. These findings may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of this intracellular bacterium.

SUBMITTER: Hao G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3708911 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The intracellular citrus huanglongbing bacterium, 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' encodes two novel autotransporters.

Hao Guixia G Boyle Michael M Zhou Lijuan L Duan Yongping Y

PloS one 20130711 7

Proteins secreted by the type V secretion system (T5SS), known as autotransporters, are large extracellular virulence proteins localized to the bacterial poles. In this study, we characterized two novel autotransporter proteins of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las), and redesignated them as LasAI and LasAII in lieu of the previous names HyvI and HyvII. As a phloem-limited, intracellular bacterial pathogen, Las has a significantly reduced genome and causes huanglongbing (HLB), a devastatin ...[more]

PMID: 23874813

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundHuanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most destructive citrus diseases in the world. The disease is associated with the presence of a fastidious, phloem-limited α- proteobacterium, 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus', 'Ca. Liberibacter africanus' or 'Ca. Liberibacter americanus'. HLB-associated Liberibacters have spread to North America and South America in recent years. While the causal agents of HLB have been putatively identified, information regarding the worldwide population structure and epidemiological relationships for 'Ca. L. asiaticus' is limited. The availability of the 'Ca. L. asiaticus' genome sequence has facilitated development of molecular markers from this bacterium. The objectives of this study were to develop microsatellite markers and conduct genetic analyses of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' from a worldwide collection. Two hundred eighty seven isolates from USA (Florida), Brazil, China, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Japan were analyzed.ResultsA panel of seven polymorphic microsatellite markers was developed for 'Ca. L. asiaticus'. Microsatellite analyses across the samples showed that the genetic diversity of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' is higher in Asia than Americas. UPGMA and STRUCTURE analyses identified three major genetic groups worldwide. Isolates from India were genetically distinct. East-southeast Asian and Brazilian isolates were generally included in the same group; a few members of this group were found in Florida, but the majority of the isolates from Florida were clustered separately. eBURST analysis predicted three founder haplotypes, which may have given rise to three groups worldwide.ConclusionsOur results identified three major genetic groups of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' worldwide. Isolates from Brazil showed similar genetic makeup with east-southeast Asian dominant group, suggesting the possibility of a common origin. However, most of the isolates recovered from Florida were clustered in a separate group. While the sources of the dominant 'Ca. L. asiaticus' in Florida were not clearly understood, the less-pervasive groups may have been introduced directly from Asia or via Brazil. Notably, the recent outbreak of HLB in Florida probably occurred through multiple introductions. Microsatellite markers developed in this study provide adequate discriminatory power for the identification and differentiation of closely-related isolates, as well as for genetic studies of 'Ca. L. asiaticus'.

Project description:Prophages are highly dynamic components in the bacterial genome and play an important role in intraspecies variations. There are at least two prophages in the chromosomes of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las) Floridian isolates. Las is both unculturable and the most prevalent species of Liberibacter pathogens that cause huanglongbing (HLB), a worldwide destructive disease of citrus. In this study, seven new prophage variants resulting from two hyper-variable regions were identified by screening clone libraries of infected citrus, periwinkle and psyllids. Among them, Types A and B share highly conserved sequences and localize within the two prophages, FP1 and FP2, respectively. Although Types B and C were abundant in all three libraries, Type A was much more abundant in the libraries from the Las-infected psyllids than from the Las-infected plants, and Type D was only identified in libraries from the infected host plants but not from the infected psyllids. Sequence analysis of these variants revealed that the variations may result from recombination and rearrangement events. Conventional PCR results using type-specific molecular markers indicated that A, B, C and D are the four most abundant types in Las-infected citrus and periwinkle. However, only three types, A, B and C are abundant in Las-infected psyllids. Typing results for Las-infected citrus field samples indicated that mixed populations of Las bacteria present in Floridian isolates, but only the Type D population was correlated with the blotchy mottle symptom. Extended cloning and sequencing of the Type D region revealed a third prophage/phage in the Las genome, which may derive from the recombination of FP1 and FP2. Dramatic variations in these prophage regions were also found among the global Las isolates. These results are the first to demonstrate the prophage/phage-mediated dynamics of Las populations in plant and insect hosts, and their correlation with insect transmission and disease development.

Dataset Information

The intracellular citrus huanglongbing bacterium, 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' encodes two novel autotransporters.

Publications

The intracellular citrus huanglongbing bacterium, 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' encodes two novel autotransporters.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets