Transcriptome analysis of the phytobacterium Xylella fastidiosa growing under xylem-based chemical conditions
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ABSTRACT: Xyllela fastidiosa (Xf) is a xylem-limited bacterium responsible for important plant diseases, such as citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) in Brazil and grapevines Pierce´s disease in the USA. One intriguing aspect of this microorganism is its capacity to grow in an extremely harsh environment such as the xylem, mainly composed of water, minerals and few organic salts. In vitro growth of Xf cells in chemically-defined media that mimic xylem fluid has been recently achieved, allowing more detailed studies of metabolic processes used by xylem-dwelling bacteria to thrive in such a nutrient-poor environment. We employed microarray hybridization experiments to compare the transcriptomes of Xf cells grown in 3G10-R, a medium that resembles grape sap and in Periwinkle Wilt (PW), the complex medium traditionally used to cultivate Xf. We identified 317 transcripts modulated in response to growth in either of the two media. Some of these genes seem to be involved in plant colonization, virulence and competition with other microorganisms, and have also been shown, in independent studies, to be up-regulated in cells directly isolated from the xylem of infected plants. Xf cells also show an increase in aerobic respiration when cultivated in PW, which can be associated with enhanced bacterial growth rates. This finding raises the question of weather such a metabolic switch might be related to the onset of CVC in infected plants, when Xf population seems to increase dramatically. Keywords: Diefential growth conditions
ORGANISM(S): Xylella fastidiosa Xylella fastidiosa 9a5c
PROVIDER: GSE6619 | GEO | 2006/12/30
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA98843
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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