Project description:Due to low numbers and poor accessibility of host cells that are targeted for effector delivery, the actual biological functions of most effectors remain elusive. Here, we developed a novel Isolation Nuclei TArgeted by Bacterial Effectors (INTABE) system, which facilitates selectively recovering nuclei of the cells in Arabidopsis thaliana plants that have received type-III effectors of pathogenic Xanthomonas bacteria. Using these nuclei as studying materials, we analysed changes in host gene expression and their correlation with changes in DNA methylation induced by Xanthomonas effector Outer Protein D (XopD).
Project description:To gain insight on the role of ROS pathway on the modulation of the cooperative behavior of a potentiall pathogenic leaf commensal Xanthomonas L148, in planta bacterial transcriptome landscape was profiled.
Project description:Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis (Xam) is a gram negative bacterium causing Cassava Bacterial Blight (CBB), an important limitation for cassava production. The genetic bases underlying cassava resistance and susceptibility to different Xam strains are currently unknown. To identify genes and pathways important for the interaction, we used RNA-seq data to study transcriptomic changes in cassava plants inoculated with the non-pathogenic Xam strain, (ORST4) and a pathogenic strain, ORST4 transformed with the TAL effector TALE1Xam (ORST4+TALE1Xam). This analysis revealed that transcriptomic responses to both strains were very similar and were dominated by the induction of genes related to photosynthesis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and the down-regulation of genes related to jasmonic acid signaling, features possibly related to defense responses. Among the genes induced exclusively in cassava plants inoculated with ORST4 + TALE1Xam we found one gene containing a predicted binding site for TALE1Xam in its promoter region. This gene encodes for a Heat Shock Transcription Factor B3 (HsfB3) and likely acts a transcriptional repressor. HsfB3 may constitute a new type of susceptibility gene activated by a TAL effector that manages to be sufficient for symptom development without suppressing defense responses in the plant. mRNA of Cassava stems inoculated with a non-pathogenic (ORST4) and pathogenic (+TALE1Xam) strain of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Manihotis, tissues collected at 0, 5 and7 days post-inoculation, 2 technical replicates used