Dataset Information

XacFhaB adhesin, an important Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri virulence factor, is recognized as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern.

ABSTRACT: Adhesion to host tissue is one of the key steps of the bacterial pathogenic process. Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri possesses a non-fimbrial adhesin protein, XacFhaB, required for bacterial attachment, which we have previously demonstrated to be an important virulence factor for the development of citrus canker. XacFhaB is a 4753-residue-long protein with a predicted ?-helical fold structure, involved in bacterial aggregation, biofilm formation and adhesion to the host. In this work, to further characterize this protein and considering its large size, XacFhaB was dissected into three regions based on bioinformatic and structural analyses for functional studies. First, the capacity of these protein regions to aggregate bacterial cells was analysed. Two of these regions were able to form bacterial aggregates, with the most amino-terminal region being dispensable for this activity. Moreover, XacFhaB shows features resembling pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which are recognized by plants. As PAMPs activate plant basal immune responses, the role of the three XacFhaB regions as elicitors of these responses was investigated. All adhesin regions were able to induce basal immune responses in host and non-host plants, with a stronger activation by the carboxyl-terminal region. Furthermore, pre-infiltration of citrus leaves with XacFhaB regions impaired X. citri ssp. citri growth, confirming the induction of defence responses and restraint of citrus canker. This work reveals that adhesins from plant pathogens trigger plant defence responses, opening up new pathways for the development of protective strategies for disease control.

SUBMITTER: Garavaglia BS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6638363 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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XacFhaB adhesin, an important Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri virulence factor, is recognized as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern.

Garavaglia Betiana S BS Zimaro Tamara T Abriata Luciano A LA Ottado Jorgelina J Gottig Natalia N

Molecular plant pathology 20160609 9

Adhesion to host tissue is one of the key steps of the bacterial pathogenic process. Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri possesses a non-fimbrial adhesin protein, XacFhaB, required for bacterial attachment, which we have previously demonstrated to be an important virulence factor for the development of citrus canker. XacFhaB is a 4753-residue-long protein with a predicted β-helical fold structure, involved in bacterial aggregation, biofilm formation and adhesion to the host. In this work, to further ch ...[more]

PMID: 26724481

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Project description:Citrus canker is a major disease affecting citrus production in Brazil. It's mainly caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri strain 306 pathotype A (Xac). We analysed the differential expression of proteins secreted by wild type Xac and an asymptomatic mutant for hrpB4 (ΔhrpB4) grown in Nutrient Broth (NB) and a medium mimicking growth conditions in the plant (XAM1). This allowed the identification of 55 secreted proteins, of which 37 were secreted by both strains when cultured in XAM1. In this secreted protein repertoire, the following stand out: Virk, Polyphosphate-selective porin, Cellulase, Endoglucanase, Histone-like protein, Ribosomal proteins, five hypothetical proteins expressed only in the wild type strain, Lytic murein transglycosylase, Lipoprotein, Leucyl-tRNA synthetase, Co-chaperonin, Toluene tolerance, C-type cytochrome biogenesis membrane protein, Aminopeptidase and two hypothetical proteins expressed only in the ΔhrpB4 mutant. Furthermore, Peptidoglycan-associated outer membrane protein, Regulator of pathogenicity factor, Outer membrane proteins, Endopolygalacturonase, Chorismate mutase, Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase and seven hypothetical proteins were detected in both strains, suggesting that there was no relationship with the secretion mediated by the type III secretory system, which is not functional in the mutant strain. Also worth mentioning is the Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), expressed only the wild type strain, and Type IV pilus assembly protein, Flagellin (FliC) and Flagellar hook-associated protein, identified in the wild-type strain secretome when grown only in NB. Noteworthy, that FliC, EF-Tu are classically characterized as PAMPs (Pathogen-associated molecular patterns), responsible for a PAMP-triggered immunity response. Therefore, our results highlight proteins potentially involved with the virulence. Overall, we conclude that the use of secretome data is a valuable approach that may bring more knowledge of the biology of this important plant pathogen, which ultimately can lead to the establishment of new strategies to combat citrus canker.

Project description:The genus Xanthomonas includes more than 30 phytopathogenic species that infect a wide range of plants and cause severe diseases that greatly impact crop productivity. These bacteria are highly adapted to the soil and plant environment, being found in decaying material, as epiphytes, and colonizing the plant mesophyll. Signal transduction mechanisms involved in the responses of Xanthomonas to environmental changes are still poorly characterized. Xanthomonad genomes typically encode several representatives of the extracytoplasmic function σ (σECF) factors, whose physiological roles remain elusive. In this work, we functionally characterized the Xanthomonas citri pv. citri EcfL, a σECF factor homologous to members of the iron-responsive FecI-like group. We show that EcfL is not required or induced during iron starvation, despite presenting the common features of other FecI-like σECF factors. EcfL positively regulates one operon composed of three genes that encode a TonB-dependent receptor involved in cell surface signaling, an acid phosphatase, and a lectin-domain containing protein. Furthermore, we demonstrate that EcfL is required for full virulence in citrus, and its regulon is induced inside the plant mesophyll and in response to acid stress. Together, our study suggests a role for EcfL in the adaptation of X. citri to the plant environment, in this way contributing to its ability to cause citrus canker disease. IMPORTANCE The Xanthomonas genus comprises a large number of phytopathogenic species that infect a wide variety of economically important plants worldwide. Bacterial adaptation to the plant and soil environment relies on their repertoire of signal transduction pathways, including alternative sigma factors of the extracytoplasmic function family (σECF). Here, we describe a new σECF factor found in several Xanthomonas species, demonstrating its role in Xanthomonas citri virulence to citrus plants. We show that EcfL regulates a single operon containing three genes, which are also conserved in other Xanthomonas species. This study further expands our knowledge on the functions of the widespread family of σECF factors in phytopathogenic bacteria.

Project description:BackgroundThe Gram-negative bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac) causes citrus canker, one of the most destructive diseases of citrus worldwide. In our previous work, a transposon mutant of Xac strain 306 with an insertion in the XAC3110 locus was isolated in a screening that aimed at identifying genes related to biofilm formation. The XAC3110 locus was named as bdp24 for biofilm-defective phenotype and the mutant was observed to be affected in extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis and cell motility. In this study, we further characterized the bdp24 (XAC3110) gene (designated as gpsX) using genetic complementation assays and expanded the knowledge about the function of the gpsX gene in Xac pathogenesis by investigating the roles of gpsX in EPS and LPS production, cell motility, biofilm formation on host leaves, stress tolerance, growth in planta, and host virulence of the citrus canker bacterium.ResultsThe gpsX gene encodes a putative glycosyltransferase, which is highly conserved in the sequenced strains of Xanthomonas. Mutation of gpsX resulted in a significant reduction of the amount of EPS and loss of two LPS bands visualized on sodium dodecylsulphate- polyacrylamide gels. Biofilm assays revealed that the gpsX mutation affected biofilm formation by Xac on abiotic and biotic surfaces. The gpsX mutant showed delayed bacterial growth and caused reduced development of disease symptoms in susceptible citrus leaves. The gpsX mutant was more sensitive than the wild-type strain to various stresses, including the H(2)O(2) oxidative stress. The mutant also showed attenuated ability in cell motility but not in flagellar formation. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assays indicated that mutation of gpsX did not affect the expression of virulence genes such as pthA in Xac strain 306. The affected phenotypes of the gpsX mutant could be complemented to wild-type levels by the intact gpsX gene.ConclusionsTaken together, our data confirm that the gpsX gene is involved in EPS and LPS synthesis and biofilm formation in Xac and suggest that the gpsX gene contributes to the adaptation of Xac to the host microenvironments at early stage of infection and thus is required for full virulence on host plants.

Dataset Information

XacFhaB adhesin, an important Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri virulence factor, is recognized as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern.

Publications

XacFhaB adhesin, an important Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri virulence factor, is recognized as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern.

Similar Datasets

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