Composition and Biophysical Properties of Lipids in Xenorhabdus nematophilus and Photorhabdus luminescens, Symbiotic Bacteria Associated with Entomopathogenic Nematodes

Type Strains of Entomopathogenic Nematode-Symbiotic Bacterium Species, Xenorhabdus szentirmaii (EMC) and X. budapestensis (EMA), Are Exceptional Sources of Non-Ribosomal Templated, Large-Target-Spectral, Thermotolerant-Antimicrobial Peptides (by Both), and Iodinin (by EMC)

Antimicrobial multidrug resistance (MDR) is a global challenge, not only for public health, but also for sustainable agriculture. Antibiotics used in humans should be ruled out for use in veterinary or agricultural settings. Applying antimicrobial peptide (AMP) molecules, produced by soil-born organisms for protecting (soil-born) plants, seems a preferable alternative. The natural role of peptide-antimicrobials, produced by the prokaryotic partner of entomopathogenic-nematode/bacterium (EPN/EPB) symbiotic associations, is to sustain monoxenic conditions for the EPB in the gut of the semi-anabiotic infective dauer juvenile (IJ) EPN. They keep pathobiome conditions balanced for the EPN/EPB complex in polyxenic (soil, vanquished insect cadaver) niches. Xenorhabdus szentirmaii DSM16338(T) (EMC), and X. budapestensis DSM16342(T) (EMA), are the respective natural symbionts of EPN species Steinernema rarum and S. bicornutum. We identified and characterized both of these 15 years ago. The functional annotation of the draft genome of EMC revealed 71 genes encoding non-ribosomal peptide synthases, and polyketide synthases. The large spatial Xenorhabdus AMP (fabclavine), was discovered in EMA, and its biosynthetic pathway in EMC. The AMPs produced by EMA and EMC are promising candidates for controlling MDR prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathogens (bacteria, oomycetes, fungi, protozoa). EMC releases large quantity of iodinin (1,6-dihydroxyphenazine 5,10-dioxide) in a water-soluble form into the media, where it condenses to form spectacular water-insoluble, macroscopic crystals. This review evaluates the scientific impact of international research on EMA and EMC.

Isolation and activity of Xenorhabdus antimicrobial compounds against the plant pathogens Erwinia amylovora and Phytophthora nicotianae

AIMS

Broad-spectrum antibiotics produced by symbiotic bacteria [entomopathogenic bacterium (EPB)] of entomopathogenic nematodes keep monoxenic conditions in insect cadavers in soil. This study evaluated antibiotics produced by EPB for their potential to control plant pathogenic bacteria and oomycetes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Entomopathogenic bacterium produce antibiotics effective against the fire blight bacterium Erwinia amylovora, including streptomycin resistant strains, and were as effective in phytotron experiments as kasugamycin or streptomycin. Xenorhabdus budapestensis and X. szentirmaii antibiotics inhibited colony formation and mycelial growth of Phytophthora nicotianae. From X. budapestensis, an arginine-rich fraction (bicornutin) was adsorbed by Amberlite((R)) XAD 1180, and eluted with methanol : 1 n HCI (99 : 1). Bicornutin inactivated zoospores, and inhibited germination and colony formation of cystospores at <<25 ppm. An UV-active molecule (bicornutin-A, MW = 826), separated by HPLC and thin-layer chromatography, was identified as a novel hexa-peptide : RLRRRX.

CONCLUSIONS

Xenorhabdus budapestensis produces metabolites with strong antibacterial and cytotoxic activity. Individual compounds can be isolated, identified and patented, but their full antimicrobial potential may be multiplied by synergic interactions.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Active compounds of two new Xenorhabdus species might control plant diseases caused by pathogens of great importance to agriculture such as Erw. amylovora and P. nicotianae.

The effect of temperature on the fatty acids and isozymes of a psychrotrophic and two mesophilic species of Xenorhabdus, a bacterial symbiont of entomopathogenic nematodes

In the first part of this study, generation times relative to temperature, together with cardinal and conceptual temperatures, were determined for four strains of Xenorhabdus bacteria that represented three geographically distinct species. The data showed that the NF strain of Xenorhabdus bovienii, like the Umeå strain of the same species, is psychrotrophic, while Xenorhabdus sp. TX strain resembles Xenorhabdus nematophila All strain in being mesophilic. In the second part, the capacity of these bacteria to adapt to changes in temperature, shown by changes in fatty acid composition, was investigated. As temperature declined, the proportions of the two major unsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic (16:1omega7) acid and oleic (18:1omega9) acid, increased significantly in all of the strains. The proportion of the prevalent saturated fatty acid, which was palmitic acid (16:0), decreased. In the All, NF, and Umeå strains, myristic acid (14:0), margaric acid (17:0), cyclopropane (17:0c), and arachidic acid (20:0) decreased with decreasing temperature. In the third part of the study, the synthesis of isozymes in response to changing temperature was investigated. For the seven enzymes studied, the numbers for which isozyme synthesis was temperature related were as follows: five for Umeå, four for All, three for NF, and two for TX. Where the study dealt with fatty acid composition and isozyme synthesis, the results show a broad capacity for physiological temperature adaptation among strains of different climatic origin.

Inactivation of a novel gene produces a phenotypic variant cell and affects the symbiotic behavior of Xenorhabdus nematophilus

Xenorhabdus nematophilus is an insect pathogen that lives in a symbiotic association with a specific entomopathogenic nematode. During prolonged culturing, variant cells arise that are deficient in numerous properties. To understand the genetic mechanism underlying variant cell formation, a transposon mutagenesis approach was taken. Three phenotypically similar variant strains of X. nematophilus, each of which contained a single transposon insertion, were isolated. The insertions occurred at different locations in the chromosome. The variant strain, ANV2, was further characterized. It was deficient in several properties, including the ability to produce antibiotics and the stationary-phase-induced outer membrane protein, OpnB. Unlike wild-type cells, ANV2 produced lecithinase. The emergence of ANV2 from the nematode host was delayed relative to the emergence of the parental strain. The transposon in ANV2 had inserted in a gene designated var1, which encodes a novel protein composed of 121 amino acid residues. Complementation analysis confirmed that the pleiotropic phenotype of the ANV2 strain was produced by inactivation of var1. Other variant strains were not complemented by var1. These results indicate that inactivation of a single gene was sufficient to promote variant cell formation in X. nematophilus and that disruption of genetic loci other than var1 can result in the same pleiotropic phenotype.

Fatty acid composition of Heterorhabditis sp. during storage

The fatty acid composition of three North West European isolates of Heterorhabditis sp. from different geographical origins, UK211 (England), HF85 (The Netherlands) and EU17 (Estonia) was assessed directly after harvest and, for UK211 and HF85, after 5 weeks storage in water at 20 degrees C. Lipid represented 34-43% of the dry weight of fresh nematodes. Of this, neutral lipid (NL) comprised from 70% (HF85) to over 90% (UK211, EU17). The fatty acid patterns were similar between the three isolates. Oleic (C18:In-9), palmitic (C16:0), and linoleic (C18:2n-6) acid predominated with 51, 13 and 12%, respectively in the total lipid (TL) of fresh nematodes (average for the three isolates). Levels of unsaturation (U.I.) of fresh nematodes were on average 110, 112, 113 and 152 for the TL, NL, phospholipid and free fatty acid fractions, respectively. EU17 had a slightly lower U.I than the other two strains, despite its more northern origin. Changes in fatty acid composition due to storage were most significant in the NL fraction. The U.I. for the NL fraction increased during storage, suggesting a preferential use of saturated fatty acids.