Draft genome sequence of the biocontrol bacterium Chromobacterium sp. strain C-61

Chromobacterium violaceum Pathogenicity: Updates and Insights from Genome Sequencing of Novel Chromobacterium Species

Chromobacterium violaceum is an abundant component of the soil and water microbiota in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. For many years, it was mainly known as a producer of violacein and as a reporter for the discovery of quorum sensing molecules. However, C. violaceum has recently emerged as an important model of an environmental opportunistic pathogen. Its high virulence in human infections and a mouse infection model involves the possession of several predicted virulence traits, including two type III secretion systems (T3SSs). In this article, in addition to providing an update on the new clinical cases of human C. violaceum infections, we will focus on recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms regarding C. violaceum pathogenesis. It has been demonstrated that the C. violaceum Cpi-1 T3SS plays a pivotal role in interaction with host cells. It is required for the secretion of effector proteins and is the agonist recognized by the Nod-like receptor CARD domain-containing protein 4 (NLRC4) inflammasome from innate immune cells. Pyroptosis and its release of hepatocytes for killing by neutrophils are key events required for the clearance of C. violaceum. Given the prominent role of T3SSs in C. violaceum virulence, we examine their occurrence in the Chromobacterium genus, taking advantage of several draft genome sequences of Chromobacterium species that have recently become available. Our finding that the Cpi-1 T3SS is widespread among Chromobacterium species points toward the pathogenic potential of this genus for humans or to novel roles of the T3SS in the interaction of Chromobacterium species with other organisms.

Quorum sensing is a key regulator for the antifungal and biocontrol activity of chitinase-producing Chromobacterium sp. C61

Chromobacterium sp. strain C61 has strong biocontrol activity; however, the genetic and biochemical determinants of its plant disease suppression activity are not well understood. Here, we report the identification and characterization of two new determinants of its biocontrol activity. Transposon mutagenesis was used to identify mutants that were deficient in fungal suppression. One of these mutants had an insertion in a homologue of depD, a structural gene in the dep operon, that encodes a protein involved in non-ribosomal peptide synthesis. In the second mutant, the insertion was in a homologue of the luxI gene, which encodes a homoserine lactone synthase. The luxI^- and depD^- mutants had no antifungal activity in vitro and a dramatically reduced capacity to suppress various plant diseases in planta. Antifungal production and biocontrol were restored by complementation of the luxI^- mutant. Other phenotypes associated with effective biological control, including motility and lytic enzyme secretion, were also affected by the luxI mutation. Biochemical analysis of ethyl acetate extracts of culture filtrates of the mutant and wild-type strains showed that a key antifungal compound, chromobactomycin, was produced by wild-type C61 and the complemented luxI^- mutant, but not by the luxI^- or depD^- mutant. These data suggest that multiple biocontrol-related phenotypes are regulated by homoserine lactones in C61. Thus, quorum sensing plays an essential role in the biological control potential of diverse bacterial lineages.

Both extracellular chitinase and a new cyclic lipopeptide, chromobactomycin, contribute to the biocontrol activity of Chromobacterium sp. C61

Chromobacterium sp. strain C61 displays antifungal activities in vitro and has been used successfully for the biocontrol of plant diseases under field conditions. In this study, the roles of extracellular chitinase and an antifungal compound produced by strain C61 were investigated to elucidate their contributions to biological control activity. The bacterium possessed a locus chi54 encoding an extracellular chitinase, and mutation of chi54 eliminated chitinase production. Production of the extracellular enzyme and expression of the chi54 transcript were increased in the wild-type strain when chitin was added to the culture medium. In vitro assays showed that purified chitinase inhibited spore germination of multiple pathogens. However, the in planta biocontrol activity of filtrates of cultures grown in the presence of chitin was lower than that of filtrates grown without chitin, indicating that correlation between chitinase and biocontrol activity was lacking. The analysis of C61 culture filtrates revealed an antifungal cyclic lipopeptide, chromobactomycin, whose structure contained a unique nonameric peptide ring. The purified chromobactomycin inhibited the growth of several phytopathogenic fungi in vitro, and plant application significantly reduced disease severity for several pathogens. Furthermore, the production of chromobactomycin was reduced in cultures amended with chitin. These data suggest that the production of both the extracellular chitinase Chi54 and the newly identified antibiotic chromobactomycin can contribute, in an interconnected way, to the suppression of plant disease by Chromobacterium sp. strain C61.

Twenty-one genome sequences from Pseudomonas species and 19 genome sequences from diverse bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere and endosphere of Populus deltoides

To aid in the investigation of the Populus deltoides microbiome, we generated draft genome sequences for 21 Pseudomonas strains and 19 other diverse bacteria isolated from Populus deltoides roots. Genome sequences for isolates similar to Acidovorax, Bradyrhizobium, Brevibacillus, Caulobacter, Chryseobacterium, Flavobacterium, Herbaspirillum, Novosphingobium, Pantoea, Phyllobacterium, Polaromonas, Rhizobium, Sphingobium, and Variovorax were generated.