Project description:The phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa produces two classes of pili, long type IV pili and short type I pili, which are involved in motility and adhesion. In this work, we have investigated the role of σ54 factor and its involvement in the regulation of fimbrial biogenesis in X. fastidiosa. An rpoN null mutant was constructed from citrus strain J1a12, and analyses of global gene expression profile by microarrays comparing the wild type and rpoN mutant strains showed that few genes exhibited differential expression. At least one gene, pilA1 (XF2542), which encodes the structural pilin protein of type IV fimbriae, showed decreased expression in the rpoN mutant whereas an operon encoding proteins of type I fimbriae were twofold more expressed in the mutant. Quantitative real time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis confirmed that pilA1 transcript was significantly reduced in the rpoN mutant. The transcriptional start site of pilA1 was determined by primer extension, and a canonical σ54-dependent promoter was found upstream of the start site. Genome sequence analysis of X. fastidiosa revealed five paralogues of pilA, but microarray and qRT-PCR data demonstrated that only the pilA1 transcript was significantly affected in the rpoN mutant. The rpoN mutant made more biofilm than the wild type strain and presented a cell-cell aggregative phenotype. These results indicate that σ54 regulates biofilm formation, probably via differential regulation of genes involved in type IV and type I fimbrial biogenesis. Keywords: rpoN mutant strain, pili
Project description:The phytopathogen Xylella fastidiosa produces two classes of pili, long type IV pili and short type I pili, which are involved in motility and adhesion. In this work, we have investigated the role of Ï54 factor and its involvement in the regulation of fimbrial biogenesis in X. fastidiosa. An rpoN null mutant was constructed from citrus strain J1a12, and analyses of global gene expression profile by microarrays comparing the wild type and rpoN mutant strains showed that few genes exhibited differential expression. At least one gene, pilA1 (XF2542), which encodes the structural pilin protein of type IV fimbriae, showed decreased expression in the rpoN mutant whereas an operon encoding proteins of type I fimbriae were twofold more expressed in the mutant. Quantitative real time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis confirmed that pilA1 transcript was significantly reduced in the rpoN mutant. The transcriptional start site of pilA1 was determined by primer extension, and a canonical Ï54-dependent promoter was found upstream of the start site. Genome sequence analysis of X. fastidiosa revealed five paralogues of pilA, but microarray and qRT-PCR data demonstrated that only the pilA1 transcript was significantly affected in the rpoN mutant. The rpoN mutant made more biofilm than the wild type strain and presented a cell-cell aggregative phenotype. These results indicate that Ï54 regulates biofilm formation, probably via differential regulation of genes involved in type IV and type I fimbrial biogenesis. Direct comparison between wild type strain J1a12 and mutant strain rpoN-.
Project description:Background: Xylella fastidiosa, a Gram-negative fastidious bacterium, grows exclusively in the xylem of several plants, causing diseases such as citrus variegated chlorosis. As the xylem sap contains low concentrations of amino acids and other compounds, X. fastidiosa needs to cope with nitrogen limitation in its natural habitat. Results: In this work, we performed a whole-genome microarray analysis of the X. fastidiosa nitrogen starvation response. A time-course experiment (2, 8 and 12 hours) revealed many differentially expressed genes under nitrogen starvation, such as genes related to transport, nitrogen assimilation, amino acid biosynthesis, transcriptional regulation, and many genes encoding hypothetical proteins. In addition, a decrease in the expression levels of many genes involved in carbon metabolism and energy generation pathways was also observed. Comparison of gene expression profiles between the wild type strain and the rpoN null mutant allowed the identification of genes induced by nitrogen starvation in a σ54-dependent manner. A more complete picture of the σ54 regulon was achieved by combining the transcriptome data with an in silico search for potential σ54-dependent promoters, using a position weight matrix approach. One of these σ54-predicted binding sites, located upstream of the glnA gene (encoding a glutamine synthetase), was validated by primer extension assays, confirming that this gene has a σ54-dependent promoter and contains a predicted NtrC binding site. Conclusions: Together, these results show that nitrogen starvation causes intense changes in the X. fastidiosa transcriptome and some of these differentially expressed genes belong to the σ54 regulon.
Project description:Xylella fastidiosa regulates traits important to both virulence of grape as well as colonization of sharpshooter vectors via its production of a fatty acid signal molecule known as DSF whose production is dependent on rpfF. While X. fastidiosa rpfF mutants exhibit increased virulence to plants they are unable to be spread from plant to plant by insect vectors. To gain more insight into the traits that contribute to these processes, a DNA microarray for this species was designed and utilized to determine the RpfF-dependent regulon by transcriptional profiling. A total of 447 genes whose expression was significantly different between the wild type and an rpfF mutant (FDR<0.05) were identified when cells were grown in PW liquid medium. Among them, 165 genes were down-regulated in the rpfF mutant compared to the wild type strain whereas 282 genes were over-expressed. RpfF function was required for regulation of eleven regulatory and sigma factors including rpfE, yybA, PD1177, glnB, rpfG, PD0954, PD0199, PD2050, colR, rpoH, and rpoD. In general, RpfF is required for regulation of genes involved in attachment and biofilm formation, enhancing expression of hemagglutinin genes hxfA and hxfB and suppressing most type IV pili and gum genes. A large number of other RpfF-dependent genes that might contribute to virulence or insect colonization were also identified such as those encoding hemolysin, colicin V, as well as genes with unknown functions.
Project description:Xylella fastidiosa regulates traits important to both virulence of grape as well as colonization of sharpshooter vectors via its production of a fatty acid signal molecule known as DSF whose production is dependent on rpfF. While X. fastidiosa rpfF mutants exhibit increased virulence to plants they are unable to be spread from plant to plant by insect vectors. To gain more insight into the traits that contribute to these processes, a DNA microarray for this species was designed and utilized to determine the RpfF-dependent regulon by transcriptional profiling. A total of 447 genes whose expression was significantly different between the wild type and an rpfF mutant (FDR<0.05) were identified when cells were grown in PW liquid medium. Among them, 165 genes were down-regulated in the rpfF mutant compared to the wild type strain whereas 282 genes were over-expressed. RpfF function was required for regulation of eleven regulatory and sigma factors including rpfE, yybA, PD1177, glnB, rpfG, PD0954, PD0199, PD2050, colR, rpoH, and rpoD. In general, RpfF is required for regulation of genes involved in attachment and biofilm formation, enhancing expression of hemagglutinin genes hxfA and hxfB and suppressing most type IV pili and gum genes. A large number of other RpfF-dependent genes that might contribute to virulence or insect colonization were also identified such as those encoding hemolysin, colicin V, as well as genes with unknown functions. Two samples and one time-points experiment. Two biological and dye-swap replicates of each strain were used.
Project description:This is the study of the Heat Shock response of phytopathogenic bacteria Xylella fastidiosa. This series keeps the 25 minutes 40oC stimulus response (Aug 2005). Keywords: stress response; heat shock response
Project description:Xylella fastidiosa is the etiologic agent of a wide range of plant diseases including citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC), a major threat to the Brazilian citrus industry. Genome sequences of several strains of this phytopathogen are accessible, enabling large-scale functional studies. Transcript levels in different iron availabilities were assessed with DNA microarrays representing 2608 (91.6%) coding sequences (CDS) of X. fastidiosa CVC strain 9a5c. When treated with the iron chelator 2,2-dipyridyl, 193 CDS were considered as up-regulated and 216 as down-regulated. In the presence of 100uM of ferric pyrophosphate, 218 and 256 CDS were considered as up- and down-regulated, respectively. Differential expression for a subset of 44 CDS was further evaluated by reverse transcription - quantitative PCR that showed a Pearson correlation of 0.77 with array results. The CDS differentially expressed upon the iron concentration shift participate in diverse cellular functions. Many CDS involved with regulatory functions, pathogenicity and cell structure, were modulated in both conditions tested suggesting that major changes in cell architecture and metabolism occur when X. fastidiosa cells are exposed to extreme variations in iron concentration. Interestingly, the modulated CDS include those related to colicin V-like bacteriocin synthesis and secretion and to pili/fimbriae functions. We also investigated the contribution of the ferric uptake regulator Fur to the iron regulon of X. fastidiosa. The promoter regions of strain 9a5c genome were screened for putative Fur boxes and candidates were analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that Fur is not solely responsible for the modulation of the iron regulon of X. fastidiosa and present novel evidence for iron regulation of pathogenicity determinants. Direct comparison between high iron content (100uM ferric pyrophosphate) and control condition. Hybridizations are dye-swaped. There are 2 biological replicates (independent harvest) and 2 technical replicates of each array (L - left and R - right).
Project description:Xylella fastidiosa is the etiologic agent of a wide range of plant diseases including citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC), a major threat to the Brazilian citrus industry. Genome sequences of several strains of this phytopathogen are accessible, enabling large-scale functional studies. Transcript levels in different iron availabilities were assessed with DNA microarrays representing 2608 (91.6%) coding sequences (CDS) of X. fastidiosa CVC strain 9a5c. When treated with the iron chelator 2,2-dipyridyl, 193 CDS were considered as up-regulated and 216 as down-regulated. In the presence of 100uM of ferric pyrophosphate, 218 and 256 CDS were considered as up- and down-regulated, respectively. Differential expression for a subset of 44 CDS was further evaluated by reverse transcription - quantitative PCR that showed a Pearson correlation of 0.77 with array results. The CDS differentially expressed upon the iron concentration shift participate in diverse cellular functions. Many CDS involved with regulatory functions, pathogenicity and cell structure, were modulated in both conditions tested suggesting that major changes in cell architecture and metabolism occur when X. fastidiosa cells are exposed to extreme variations in iron concentration. Interestingly, the modulated CDS include those related to colicin V-like bacteriocin synthesis and secretion and to pili/fimbriae functions. We also investigated the contribution of the ferric uptake regulator Fur to the iron regulon of X. fastidiosa. The promoter regions of strain 9a5c genome were screened for putative Fur boxes and candidates were analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that Fur is not solely responsible for the modulation of the iron regulon of X. fastidiosa and present novel evidence for iron regulation of pathogenicity determinants. Keywords: stress response; response to iron-depleted condition