The type III-dependent Hrp pilus is required for productive interaction of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria with pepper host plants

Prunus dulcis response to novel defense elicitor peptides and control of Xylella fastidiosa infections

KEY MESSAGE

New defense elicitor peptides have been identified which control Xylella fastidiosa infections in almond. Xylella fastidiosa is a plant pathogenic bacterium that has been introduced in the European Union (EU), threatening the agricultural economy of relevant Mediterranean crops such as almond (Prunus dulcis). Plant defense elicitor peptides would be promising to manage diseases such as almond leaf scorch, but their effect on the host has not been fully studied. In this work, the response of almond plants to the defense elicitor peptide flg22-NH2 was studied in depth using RNA-seq, confirming the activation of the salicylic acid and abscisic acid pathways. Marker genes related to the response triggered by flg22-NH2 were used to study the effect of the application strategy of the peptide on almond plants and to depict its time course. The application of flg22-NH2 by endotherapy triggered the highest number of upregulated genes, especially at 6 h after the treatment. A library of peptides that includes BP100-flg15, HpaG23, FV7, RIJK2, PIP-1, Pep13, BP16-Pep13, flg15-BP100 and BP16 triggered a stronger defense response in almond plants than flg22-NH2. The best candidate, FV7, when applied by endotherapy on almond plants inoculated with X. fastidiosa, significantly reduced levels of the pathogen and decreased disease symptoms. Therefore, these novel plant defense elicitors are suitable candidates to manage diseases caused by X. fastidiosa, in particular almond leaf scorch.

Essential Acidovorax citrulli Virulence Gene hrpE Activates Host Immune Response against Pathogen

Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) caused by Acidovorax citrulli (Ac) is a devastating watermelon disease that severely impacts the global watermelon industry. Like other Gram-negative bacteria, the type three secretion system (T3SS) is the main pathogenicity factor of A. citrulli. The T3SS apparatus gene hrpE codes for the Hrp pilus and serves as a conduit to secret effector proteins into host cells. In this study, we found that the deletion of hrpE in A. citrulli results in the loss of pathogenicity on hosts and the hypersensitive response on non-hosts. In addition, the A. citrulli hrpE mutant showed a reduction in in vitro growth, in planta colonization, swimming and twitching motility, and displayed increases in biofilm formation ability compared to the wild type. However, when HrpE was transiently expressed in hosts, the defense responses, including reactive oxygen species bursts, callose deposition, and expression of defense-related genes, were activated. Thus, the A. Citrulli growth in HrpE-pretreated hosts was suppressed. These results indicated that HrpE is essential for A. citrulli virulence but can also be used by hosts to help resist A. citrulli. Our findings provide a better understanding of the T3SS pathogenesis in A. citrulli, thus providing a molecular basis for biopesticide development, and facilitating the effective control of BFB.

Comparative Genomic Analysis of the Lettuce Bacterial Leaf Spot Pathogen, Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians, to Investigate Race Specificity

Bacterial leaf spot (BLS) of lettuce caused by Xanthomonas hortorum pv. vitians (Xhv) was first described over 100 years ago and remains a significant threat to lettuce cultivation today. This study investigated the genetic relatedness of the Xhv strains and the possible genetic sources of this race-specific pathogenicity. Whole genome sequences of eighteen Xhv strains representing the three races, along with eight related Xanthomonas strains, were included in the analysis. A maximum likelihood phylogeny based on concatenated whole genome SNPs confirmed previous results describing two major lineages of Xhv strains. Gene clusters encoding secretion systems, secondary metabolites, and bacteriocins were assessed to identify putative virulence factors that distinguish the Xhv races. Genome sequences were mined for effector genes, which have been shown to be involved in race specificity in other systems. Two effectors identified in this study, xopAQ and the novel variant xopAF2, were revealed as possible mediators of a gene-for-gene interaction between Xhv race 1 and 3 strains and wild lettuce Lactuca serriola ARM-09-161-10-1. Transposase sequence identified downstream of xopAF2 and prophage sequence found nearby within Xhv race 1 and 3 insertion sequences suggest that this gene may have been acquired through phage-mediated gene transfer. No other factors were identified from these analyses that distinguish the Xhv races.

Arms and ammunitions: effectors at the interface of rice and it's pathogens and pests

The plant immune system has evolved to resist attack by pathogens and pests. However, successful phytopathogens deliver effector proteins into plant cells where they hijack the host cellular machinery to suppress the plant immune responses and promote infection. This manipulation of the host cellular pathways is done by the pathogen using various enzymatic activities, protein- DNA or protein- protein interactions. Rice is one the major economically important crops and its yield is affected by several pathogens and pests. In this review, we summarize the various effectors at the plant- pathogen/ pest interface for the major pathogens and pests of rice, specifically, on the mode of action and target genes of the effector proteins. We then compare this across the major rice pathogens and pests in a bid to understand probable conserved pathways which are under attack from pathogens and pests in rice. This analysis highlights conserved patterns of effector action, as well as unique host pathways targeted by the pathogens and pests.

The C-terminal domain of the type III secretion chaperone HpaB contributes to dissociation of chaperone-effector complex in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

Many animal and plant pathogenic bacteria employ a type three secretion system (T3SS) to deliver type three effector proteins (T3Es) into host cells. Efficient secretion of many T3Es in the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) relies on the global chaperone HpaB. However, how the domain of HpaB itself affects effector translocation/secretion is poorly understood. Here, we used genetic and biochemical approaches to identify a novel domain at the C-terminal end of HpaB (amino acid residues 137-160) that contributes to virulence and hypersensitive response (HR). Both in vitro secretion assay and in planta translocation assay showed that the secretion and translocation of T3E proteins depend on the C-terminal region of HpaB. Deletion of the C-terminal region of HpaB did not affect binding to T3Es, self-association or interaction with T3SS components. However, the deletion of C-terminal region sharply reduced the mounts of free T3Es liberated from the complex of HpaB with the T3Es, a reaction catalyzed in an ATP-dependent manner by the T3SS-associated ATPase HrcN. Our findings demonstrate the C-terminal domain of HpaB contributes to disassembly of chaperone-effector complex and reveal a potential molecular mechanism underpinning the involvement of HpaB in secretion of T3Es in Xcc.

Secrete or perish: The role of secretion systems in Xanthomonas biology

Bacteria of the Xanthomonas genus are mainly phytopathogens of a large variety of crops of economic importance worldwide. Xanthomonas spp. rely on an arsenal of protein effectors, toxins and adhesins to adapt to the environment, compete with other microorganisms and colonize plant hosts, often causing disease. These protein effectors are mainly delivered to their targets by the action of bacterial secretion systems, dedicated multiprotein complexes that translocate proteins to the extracellular environment or directly into eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Type I to type VI secretion systems have been identified in Xanthomonas genomes. Recent studies have unravelled the diverse roles played by the distinct types of secretion systems in adaptation and virulence in xanthomonads, unveiling new aspects of their biology. In addition, genome sequence information from a wide range of Xanthomonas species and pathovars have become available recently, uncovering a heterogeneous distribution of the distinct families of secretion systems within the genus. In this review, we describe the architecture and mode of action of bacterial type I to type VI secretion systems and the distribution and functions associated with these important nanoweapons within the Xanthomonas genus.

The Type III Accessory Protein HrpE of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae Surpasses the Secretion Role, and Enhances Plant Resistance and Photosynthesis

Many species of plant-pathogenic gram-negative bacteria deploy the type III (T3) secretion system to secrete virulence components, which are mostly characteristic of protein effectors targeting the cytosol of the plant cell following secretion. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), a rice pathogen causing bacterial blight disease, uses the T3 accessory protein HrpE to assemble the pilus pathway, which in turn secretes transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors. The hrpE gene can execute extensive physiological and pathological functions beyond effector secretion. As evidenced in this study, when the hrpE gene was deleted from the Xoo genome, the bacteria incur seriouimpairments in multiplication, motility, and virulence. The virulence nullification is attributed to reduced secretion and translocation of PthXo1, which is a TAL effector that determines the bacterial virulence in the susceptible rice varieties. When the HrpE protein produced by prokaryotic expression is applied to plants, the recombinant protein is highly effective at inducing the defense response. Moreover, leaf photosynthesis efficiency is enhanced in HrpE-treated plants. These results provide experimental avenues to modulate the plant defense and growth tradeoff by manipulating a bacterial T3 accessory protein.

Assembly and Post-assembly Turnover and Dynamics in the Type III Secretion System

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is one of the largest transmembrane complexes in bacteria, comprising several intricately linked and embedded substructures. The assembly of this nanomachine is a hierarchical process which is regulated and controlled by internal and external cues at several critical points. Recently, it has become obvious that the assembly of the T3SS is not a unidirectional and deterministic process, but that parts of the T3SS constantly exchange or rearrange. This article aims to give an overview on the assembly and post-assembly dynamics of the T3SS, with a focus on emerging general concepts and adaptations of the general assembly pathway.

A conserved motif promotes HpaB-regulated export of type III effectors from Xanthomonas

The type III secretion (T3S) system, an essential pathogenicity factor in most Gram-negative plant-pathogenic bacteria, injects bacterial effector proteins directly into the plant cell cytosol. Here, the type III effectors (T3Es) manipulate host cell processes to suppress defence and establish appropriate conditions for bacterial multiplication in the intercellular spaces of the plant tissue. T3E export depends on a secretion signal which is also present in 'non-effectors'. The latter are secreted extracellular components of the T3S apparatus, but are not translocated into the plant cell. How the T3S system discriminates between T3Es and non-effectors is still enigmatic. Previously, we have identified a putative translocation motif (TrM) in several T3Es from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv). Here, we analysed the TrM of the Xcv effector XopB in detail. Mutation studies showed that the proline/arginine-rich motif is required for efficient type III-dependent secretion and translocation of XopB and determines the dependence of XopB transport on the general T3S chaperone HpaB. Similar results were obtained for other effectors from Xcv. As the arginine residues of the TrM mediate specific binding of XopB to cardiolipin, one of the major lipid components in Xanthomonas membranes, we assume that the association of T3Es to the bacterial membrane prior to secretion supports type III-dependent export.

HrpE, the major component of the Xanthomonas type three protein secretion pilus, elicits plant immunity responses

Like several pathogenic bacteria, Xanthomonas infect host plants through the secretion of effector proteins by the Hrp pilus of the Type Three Protein Secretion System (T3SS). HrpE protein was identified as the major structural component of this pilus. Here, using the Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) HrpE as a model, a novel role for this protein as an elicitor of plant defense responses was found. HrpE triggers defense responses in host and non-host plants revealed by the development of plant lesions, callose deposition, hydrogen peroxide production and increase in the expression levels of genes related to plant defense responses. Moreover, pre-infiltration of citrus or tomato leaves with HrpE impairs later Xanthomonas infections. Particularly, HrpE C-terminal region, conserved among Xanthomonas species, was sufficient to elicit these responses. HrpE was able to interact with plant Glycine-Rich Proteins from citrus (CsGRP) and Arabidopsis (AtGRP-3). Moreover, an Arabidopsis atgrp-3 knockout mutant lost the capacity to respond to HrpE. This work demonstrate that plants can recognize the conserved C-terminal region of the T3SS pilus HrpE protein as a danger signal to defend themselves against Xanthomonas, triggering defense responses that may be mediated by GRPs.

Comparative proteomic analysis of Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri periplasmic proteins reveals changes in cellular envelope metabolism during in vitro pathogenicity induction

Citrus canker is a plant disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria from the genus Xanthomonas. The most virulent species is Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri (XAC), which attacks a wide range of citrus hosts. Differential proteomic analysis of the periplasm-enriched fraction was performed for XAC cells grown in pathogenicity-inducing (XAM-M) and pathogenicity-non-inducing (nutrient broth) media using two-dimensional electrophoresis combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Amongst the 40 proteins identified, transglycosylase was detected in a highly abundant spot in XAC cells grown under inducing condition. Additional up-regulated proteins related to cellular envelope metabolism included glucose-1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase, dTDP-4-dehydrorhamnose-3,5-epimerase and peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans-isomerase. Phosphoglucomutase and superoxide dismutase proteins, known to be involved in pathogenicity in other Xanthomonas species or organisms, were also detected. Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses for transglycosylase and superoxide dismutase confirmed that these proteins were up-regulated under inducing condition, consistent with the proteomic results. Multiple spots for the 60-kDa chaperonin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were identified, suggesting the presence of post-translational modifications. We propose that substantial alterations in cellular envelope metabolism occur during the XAC infectious process, which are related to several aspects, from defence against reactive oxygen species to exopolysaccharide synthesis. Our results provide new candidates for virulence-related proteins, whose abundance correlates with the induction of pathogenicity and virulence genes, such as hrpD6, hrpG, hrpB7, hpa1 and hrpX. The results present new potential targets against XAC to be investigated in further functional studies.

The Type III Secretion Chaperone HpaB Controls the Translocation of Effector and Noneffector Proteins From Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Pathogenicity of the gram-negative bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III secretion (T3S) system, which translocates effector proteins into plant cells. Effector proteins contain N-terminal T3S and translocation signals and interact with the T3S chaperone HpaB, which presumably escorts effectors to the secretion apparatus. The molecular mechanisms underlying the recognition of effectors by the T3S system are not yet understood. In the present study, we analyzed T3S and translocation signals in the type III effectors XopE2 and XopJ from X. campestris pv. vesicatoria. Both effectors contain minimal translocation signals, which are only recognized in the absence of HpaB. Additional N-terminal signals promote translocation of XopE2 and XopJ in the wild-type strain. The results of translocation and interaction studies revealed that the interaction of XopE2 and XopJ with HpaB and a predicted cytoplasmic substrate docking site of the T3S system is not sufficient for translocation. In agreement with this finding, we show that the presence of an artificial HpaB-binding site does not promote translocation of the noneffector XopA in the wild-type strain. Our data, therefore, suggest that the T3S chaperone HpaB not only acts as an escort protein but also controls the recognition of translocation signals.

The TAL Effector AvrBs3 from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria Contains Multiple Export Signals and Can Enter Plant Cells in the Absence of the Type III Secretion Translocon

Pathogenicity of the Gram-negative plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III secretion (T3S) system which translocates effector proteins into plant cells. Effector protein delivery is controlled by the T3S chaperone HpaB, which presumably escorts effector proteins to the secretion apparatus. One intensively studied effector is the transcription activator-like (TAL) effector AvrBs3, which binds to promoter sequences of plant target genes and activates plant gene expression. It was previously reported that type III-dependent delivery of AvrBs3 depends on the N-terminal protein region. The signals that control T3S and translocation of AvrBs3, however, have not yet been characterized. In the present study, we show that T3S and translocation of AvrBs3 depend on the N-terminal 10 and 50 amino acids, respectively. Furthermore, we provide experimental evidence that additional signals in the N-terminal 30 amino acids and the region between amino acids 64 and 152 promote translocation of AvrBs3 in the absence of HpaB. Unexpectedly, in vivo translocation assays revealed that AvrBs3 is delivered into plant cells even in the absence of HrpF, which is the predicted channel-forming component of the T3S translocon in the plant plasma membrane. The presence of HpaB- and HrpF-independent transport routes suggests that the delivery of AvrBs3 is initiated during early stages of the infection process, presumably before the activation of HpaB or the insertion of the translocon into the plant plasma membrane.

Comparative Genomics Identifies a Novel Conserved Protein, HpaT, in Proteobacterial Type III Secretion Systems that Do Not Possess the Putative Translocon Protein HrpF

Xanthomonas translucens is the causal agent of bacterial leaf streak, the most common bacterial disease of wheat and barley. To cause disease, most xanthomonads depend on a highly conserved type III secretion system, which translocates type III effectors into host plant cells. Mutagenesis of the conserved type III secretion gene hrcT confirmed that the X. translucens type III secretion system is required to cause disease on the host plant barley and to trigger a non-host hypersensitive response (HR) in pepper leaves. Type III effectors are delivered to the host cell by a surface appendage, the Hrp pilus, and a translocon protein complex that inserts into the plant cell plasma membrane. Homologs of the Xanthomonas HrpF protein, including PopF from Ralstonia solanacearum and NolX from rhizobia, are thought to act as a translocon protein. Comparative genomics revealed that X. translucens strains harbor a noncanonical hrp gene cluster, which rather shares features with type III secretion systems from Ralstonia solanacearum, Paraburkholderia andropogonis, Collimonas fungivorans, and Uliginosibacterium gangwonense than other Xanthomonas spp. Surprisingly, none of these bacteria, except R. solanacearum, encode a homolog of the HrpF translocon. Here, we aimed at identifying a candidate translocon from X. translucens. Notably, genomes from strains that lacked hrpF/popF/nolX instead encode another gene, called hpaT, adjacent to and co-regulated with the type III secretion system gene cluster. An insertional mutant in the X. translucens hpaT gene, which is the first gene of a two-gene operon, hpaT-hpaH, was non-pathogenic on barley and did not cause the HR or programmed cell death in non-host pepper similar to the hrcT mutant. The hpaT mutant phenotypes were partially complemented by either hpaT or the downstream gene, hpaH, which has been described as a facilitator of translocation in Xanthomonas oryzae. Interestingly, the hpaT mutant was also complemented by the hrpF gene from Xanthomonas euvesicatoria. These findings reveal that both HpaT and HpaH contribute to the injection of type III effectors into plant cells.

The Predicted Lytic Transglycosylase HpaH from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria Associates with the Type III Secretion System and Promotes Effector Protein Translocation

The pathogenicity of the Gram-negative plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III secretion (T3S) system, which spans both bacterial membranes and translocates effector proteins into plant cells. The assembly of the T3S system presumably involves the predicted lytic transglycosylase (LT) HpaH, which is encoded adjacent to the T3S gene cluster. Bacterial LTs degrade peptidoglycan and often promote the formation of membrane-spanning macromolecular protein complexes. In the present study, we show that HpaH localizes to the bacterial periplasm and binds to peptidoglycan as well as to components of the T3S system, including the predicted periplasmic inner rod proteins HrpB1 and HrpB2 as well as the pilus protein HrpE. In vivo translocation assays revealed that HpaH promotes the translocation of various effector proteins and of early substrates of the T3S system, suggesting a general contribution of HpaH to type III-dependent protein export. Mutant studies and the analysis of reporter fusions showed that the N-terminal region of HpaH contributes to protein function and is proteolytically cleaved. The N-terminally truncated HpaH cleavage product is secreted into the extracellular milieu by a yet-unknown transport pathway, which is independent of the T3S system.

Comparative genomics of host adaptive traits in Xanthomonas translucens pv. graminis

BACKGROUND

Xanthomonas translucens pathovars differ in their individual host ranges among Poaceae. As the causal agent of bacterial wilt in Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), X. translucens pv. graminis (Xtg) is one of the most important bacterial pathogens in temperate grassland regions. The genomes of six Xtg strains from Switzerland, Norway, and New Zealand were sequenced in order to gain insight into conserved genomic traits from organisms covering a wide geographical range. Subsequent comparative analysis with previously published genome data of seven non-graminis X. translucens strains including the pathovars arrhenatheri, poae, phlei, cerealis, undulosa, and translucens was conducted to identify candidate genes linked to the host adaptation of Xtg to Italian ryegrass.

RESULTS

Phylogenetic analysis revealed a tight clustering of Xtg strains, which were found to share a large core genome. Conserved genomic traits included a non-canonical type III secretion system (T3SS) and a type IV pilus (T4P), which both revealed distinct primary structures of the pilins when compared to the non-graminis X. translucens strains. Xtg-specific traits that had no homologues in the other X. translucens strains were further found to comprise several hypothetical proteins, a TonB-dependent receptor, transporters, and effector proteins as well as toxin-antitoxin systems and DNA methyltransferases. While a nearly complete flagellar gene cluster was identified in one of the sequenced Xtg strains, phenotypic analysis pointed to swimming-deficiency as a common trait of the pathovar graminis.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that host adaptation of X. translucens pv. graminis may be conferred by a combination of pathovar-specific effector proteins, regulatory mechanisms, and adapted nutrient acquisition. Sequence deviations of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), as observed for the pilins of the T4P and T3SS, are moreover likely to impede perception by the plant defense machinery and thus facilitate successful host colonization of Italian ryegrass.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Xanthomonas bromi Type Strain LMG 947

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the Xanthomonas bromi type strain LMG 947, an important pathogen of bromegrasses (Bromus spp.). Comparative analysis with other Xanthomonas spp. that are pathogenic on forage grasses will assist the analysis of host-plant adaptation at the genome level.

Type III-Dependent Translocation of HrpB2 by a Nonpathogenic hpaABC Mutant of the Plant-Pathogenic Bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

The plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria employs a type III secretion (T3S) system to translocate effector proteins into plant cells. The T3S apparatus spans both bacterial membranes and is associated with an extracellular pilus and a channel-like translocon in the host plasma membrane. T3S is controlled by the switch protein HpaC, which suppresses secretion and translocation of the predicted inner rod protein HrpB2 and promotes secretion of translocon and effector proteins. We previously reported that HrpB2 interacts with HpaC and the cytoplasmic domain of the inner membrane protein HrcU (C. Lorenz, S. Schulz, T. Wolsch, O. Rossier, U. Bonas, and D. Büttner, PLoS Pathog 4:e1000094, 2008, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000094). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the control of HrpB2 secretion are not yet understood. Here, we located a T3S and translocation signal in the N-terminal 40 amino acids of HrpB2. The results of complementation experiments with HrpB2 deletion derivatives revealed that the T3S signal of HrpB2 is essential for protein function. Furthermore, interaction studies showed that the N-terminal region of HrpB2 interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of HrcU, suggesting that the T3S signal of HrpB2 contributes to substrate docking. Translocation of HrpB2 is suppressed not only by HpaC but also by the T3S chaperone HpaB and its secreted regulator, HpaA. Deletion of hpaA, hpaB, and hpaC leads to a loss of pathogenicity but allows the translocation of fusion proteins between the HrpB2 T3S signal and effector proteins into leaves of host and non-host plants.

IMPORTANCE

The T3S system of the plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is essential for pathogenicity and delivers effector proteins into plant cells. T3S depends on HrpB2, which is a component of the predicted periplasmic inner rod structure of the secretion apparatus. HrpB2 is secreted during the early stages of the secretion process and interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of the inner membrane protein HrcU. Here, we localized the secretion and translocation signal of HrpB2 in the N-terminal 40 amino acids and show that this region is sufficient for the interaction with the cytoplasmic domain of HrcU. Our results suggest that the T3S signal of HrpB2 is required for the docking of HrpB2 to the secretion apparatus. Furthermore, we provide experimental evidence that the N-terminal region of HrpB2 is sufficient to target effector proteins for translocation in a nonpathogenic X. campestris pv. vesicatoria strain.

The type III protein secretion system contributes to Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri biofilm formation

Background

Several bacterial plant pathogens colonize their hosts through the secretion of effector proteins by a Type III protein secretion system (T3SS). The role of T3SS in bacterial pathogenesis is well established but whether this system is involved in multicellular processes, such as bacterial biofilm formation has not been elucidated. Here, the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (X. citri) was used as a model to gain further insights about the role of the T3SS in biofilm formation.

Results

The capacity of biofilm formation of different X. citri T3SS mutants was compared to the wild type strain and it was observed that this secretion system was necessary for this process. Moreover, the T3SS mutants adhered proficiently to leaf surfaces but were impaired in leaf-associated growth. A proteomic study of biofilm cells showed that the lack of the T3SS causes changes in the expression of proteins involved in metabolic processes, energy generation, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production and bacterial motility as well as outer membrane proteins. Furthermore, EPS production and bacterial motility were also altered in the T3SS mutants.

Conclusions

Our results indicate a novel role for T3SS in X. citri in the modulation of biofilm formation. Since this process increases X. citri virulence, this study reveals new functions of T3SS in pathogenesis.

Commonalities and differences of T3SSs in rhizobia and plant pathogenic bacteria

Plant pathogenic bacteria and rhizobia infect higher plants albeit the interactions with their hosts are principally distinct and lead to completely different phenotypic outcomes, either pathogenic or mutualistic, respectively. Bacterial protein delivery to plant host plays an essential role in determining the phenotypic outcome of plant-bacteria interactions. The involvement of type III secretion systems (T3SSs) in mediating animal- and plant-pathogen interactions was discovered in the mid-80's and is now recognized as a multiprotein nanomachine dedicated to trans-kingdom movement of effector proteins. The discovery of T3SS in bacteria with symbiotic lifestyles broadened its role beyond virulence. In most T3SS-positive bacterial pathogens, virulence is largely dependent on functional T3SSs, while in rhizobia the system is dispensable for nodulation and can affect positively or negatively the mutualistic associations with their hosts. This review focuses on recent comparative genome analyses in plant pathogens and rhizobia that uncovered similarities and variations among T3SSs in their genetic organization, regulatory networks and type III secreted proteins and discusses the evolutionary adaptations of T3SSs and type III secreted proteins that might account for the distinguishable phenotypes and host range characteristics of plant pathogens and symbionts.

Type III chaperones & Co in bacterial plant pathogens: a set of specialized bodyguards mediating effector delivery

Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria possess a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject bacterial proteins, called type III effectors (T3Es), into host cells through a specialized syringe structure. T3Es are virulence factors that can suppress plant immunity but they can also conversely be recognized by the plant and trigger specific resistance mechanisms. The T3SS and injected T3Es play a central role in determining the outcome of a host-pathogen interaction. Still little is known in plant pathogens on the assembly of the T3SS and the regulatory mechanisms involved in the temporal control of its biosynthesis and T3E translocation. However, recent insights point out the role of several proteins as prime candidates in the role of regulators of the type III secretion (T3S) process. In this review we report on the most recent advances on the regulation of the T3S by focusing on protein players involved in secretion/translocation regulations, including type III chaperones (T3Cs), type III secretion substrate specificity switch (T3S4) proteins and other T3S orchestrators.

The inner membrane protein HrcV from Xanthomonas spp. is involved in substrate docking during type III secretion

Pathogenicity of the gram-negative plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a membrane-spanning type III secretion (T3S) system, which translocates effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells. In this study, we characterized the T3S system component HrcV, which is a member of the YscV/FlhA family of inner membrane proteins. HrcV consists of eight transmembrane helices and a cytoplasmic region (HrcVC). Mutant and protein-protein interaction studies showed that HrcVC is essential for protein function and binds to T3S substrates, including the early substrate HrpB2, the pilus protein HrpE, and effector proteins. Furthermore, HrcVC interacts with itself and with components and control proteins of the T3S apparatus. The interaction of HrcVC with HrpB2, HrpE, and T3S system components depends on amino acid residues in a conserved motif, designated flagella/hypersensitive response/invasion proteins export pore (FHIPEP), which is located in a cytoplasmic loop between transmembrane helix four and five of HrcV. Mutations in the FHIPEP motif abolish HrcV function but do not affect the interaction of HrcVC with effector proteins.

The periplasmic HrpB1 protein from Xanthomonas spp. binds to peptidoglycan and to components of the type III secretion system

The plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria employs a type III secretion (T3S) system to translocate bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells. The membrane-spanning secretion apparatus consists of 11 core components and several associated proteins with yet unknown functions. In this study, we analyzed the role of HrpB1, which was previously shown to be essential for T3S and the formation of the extracellular T3S pilus. We provide experimental evidence that HrpB1 localizes to the bacterial periplasm and binds to peptidoglycan, which is in agreement with its predicted structural similarity to the putative peptidoglycan-binding domain of the lytic transglycosylase Slt70 from Escherichia coli. Interaction studies revealed that HrpB1 forms protein complexes and binds to T3S system components, including the inner membrane protein HrcD, the secretin HrcC, the pilus protein HrpE, and the putative inner rod protein HrpB2. The analysis of deletion and point mutant derivatives of HrpB1 led to the identification of amino acid residues that contribute to the interaction of HrpB1 with itself and HrcD and/or to protein function. The finding that HrpB1 and HrpB2 colocalize to the periplasm and both interact with HrcD suggests that they are part of a periplasmic substructure of the T3S system.

Comparative proteomics reveal new HrpX-regulated proteins of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Pathogenicity of the rice pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae depends on a Hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) type III secretion system; the expression of which is induced in planta. Expression of the hrp operons is under transcriptional control of two key regulatory proteins, HrpG and HrpX. To identify new proteins that are co-regulated with the type III secretion system, we employed comparative proteomics. Cells of X. oryzae pv. oryzae ectopically expressing hrpX were compared to wild-type cells grown in vitro. Twenty protein spots with different abundances in both samples were identified by 2D-DIGE and LC-MS/MS. Seven spots could be unambiguously identified, corresponding to the HrpB1 protein, two different peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerases, a component of an ATP binding cassette (ABC) transport system, an adenylate kinase, and a secreted protein of unknown function. Interestingly, the isoelectric point of the adenylate kinase was found to be under control of HrpX, most likely due to post-translational modification. Indeed, two glutamate residues of the adenylate kinase were found to be methylated but this modification did not account for the shift in electrophoretic mobility. In summary, we identified new HrpX-regulated proteins of X. oryzae pv. oryzae that might be important for pathogenicity. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Trends in microbial proteomics.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

We use 2D-DIGE to compare the proteomes of rice-pathogenic xanthomonads. We identify seven proteins that are co-regulated with the type III secretion system. We find post-translational glutamate methylation of a bacterial adenylate cyclase. The newly identified HrpX-regulated proteins might be important for pathogenicity.

Protein export according to schedule: architecture, assembly, and regulation of type III secretion systems from plant- and animal-pathogenic bacteria

Flagellar and translocation-associated type III secretion (T3S) systems are present in most gram-negative plant- and animal-pathogenic bacteria and are often essential for bacterial motility or pathogenicity. The architectures of the complex membrane-spanning secretion apparatuses of both systems are similar, but they are associated with different extracellular appendages, including the flagellar hook and filament or the needle/pilus structures of translocation-associated T3S systems. The needle/pilus is connected to a bacterial translocon that is inserted into the host plasma membrane and mediates the transkingdom transport of bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic cells. During the last 3 to 5 years, significant progress has been made in the characterization of membrane-associated core components and extracellular structures of T3S systems. Furthermore, transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulators that control T3S gene expression and substrate specificity have been described. Given the architecture of the T3S system, it is assumed that extracellular components of the secretion apparatus are secreted prior to effector proteins, suggesting that there is a hierarchy in T3S. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of T3S system components and associated control proteins from both plant- and animal-pathogenic bacteria.

Type III secretion-dependent host defence elicitation and type III secretion-independent growth within leaves by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

In many plant-bacterial interactions, loss of the type III secretion system (T3SS) severely reduces bacterial growth, symptom causation and suppression of defences in host plants. In the present study of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), Xcc strain B305 grew better than strain B186 in Arabidopsis thaliana after hydathode inoculation, and B305 strains mutated to the loss of T3SS (ΔhrcC and/or ΔhrpE; also ΔhrcCΔflgBC) grew similarly to wild-type B305 in Arabidopsis leaves. Unlike Xcc strain B186, wild-type B305 was relatively inefficient in secreting the exogenous T3S effector AvrBsT, but ΔhrcC and/or ΔhrpE attenuated the disease symptoms caused by Xcc B305, showing that the partially compromised T3SS of this strain still promotes necrotic leaf symptoms. In contrast with the T3SS-dependent defence suppression that has been observed for some other plant pathogenic bacteria, the Xcc B186 and B305 wild-type strains (which are virulent on Arabidopsis) caused greater elicitation of host PR-1 and PR-5 expression and callose deposition in comparison with their respective T3SS mutants. A defence-suppressing/virulence-enhancing activity of the Xcc T3SS effector suite was detectable when co-inoculation with wild-type Xcc B186 increased the growth of ΔhrcC Xcc, but this activity did not prevent the above defence elicitation. Experiments using T3SS mutants and Arabidopsis fls2 mutants suggested that FLS2 does not play a prominent role in restriction of the examined Xcc strains. However, ectopic overexpression of the Pseudomonas syringae effector AvrPto promoted in planta growth of wild-type and ΔhrcC Xcc. In summary, the T3SS components or effector suite from virulent Xcc strains elicit some host defence responses, but suppress other defences and stimulate more severe disease symptoms, AvrPto-disruptable elements other than FLS2 apparently contribute to the host restriction of Xcc, and in some virulent Xcc strains the T3SS is not absolutely required for wild-type levels of bacterial growth within the plant.

Functional characterization of the type III secretion substrate specificity switch protein HpaC from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Pathogenicity of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III secretion (T3S) system which translocates effector proteins into eukaryotic cells and is associated with an extracellular pilus and a translocon in the host plasma membrane. T3S substrate specificity is controlled by the cytoplasmic switch protein HpaC, which interacts with the C-terminal domain of the inner membrane protein HrcU (HrcU(C)). HpaC promotes the secretion of translocon and effector proteins but prevents the efficient secretion of the early T3S substrate HrpB2, which is required for pilus assembly. In this study, complementation assays with serial 10-amino-acid HpaC deletion derivatives revealed that the T3S substrate specificity switch depends on N- and C-terminal regions of HpaC, whereas amino acids 42 to 101 appear to be dispensable for the contribution of HpaC to the secretion of late substrates. However, deletions in the central region of HpaC affect the secretion of HrpB2, suggesting that the mechanisms underlying HpaC-dependent control of early and late substrates can be uncoupled. The results of interaction and expression studies with HpaC deletion derivatives showed that amino acids 112 to 212 of HpaC provide the binding site for HrcU(C) and severely reduce T3S when expressed ectopically in the wild-type strain. We identified a conserved phenylalanine residue at position 175 of HpaC that is required for both protein function and the binding of HpaC to HrcU(C). Taking these findings together, we concluded that the interaction between HpaC and HrcU(C) is essential but not sufficient for T3S substrate specificity switching.

Secretion of early and late substrates of the type III secretion system from Xanthomonas is controlled by HpaC and the C-terminal domain of HrcU

The plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria utilizes a type III secretion (T3S) system to inject effector proteins into eukaryotic cells. T3S substrate specificity is controlled by HpaC, which promotes secretion of translocon and effector proteins but prevents efficient secretion of the early substrate HrpB2. HpaC and HrpB2 interact with the C-terminal domain (HrcU(C) ) of the FlhB/YscU homologue HrcU. Here, we provide experimental evidence that HrcU is proteolytically cleaved at the conserved NPTH motif, which is required for binding of both HpaC and HrpB2 to HrcU(C) . The results of mutant studies showed that cleavage of HrcU contributes to pathogenicity and secretion of late substrates but is dispensable for secretion of HrpB2, which is presumably secreted prior to HrcU cleavage. The introduction of a point mutation (Y318D) into HrcU(C) activated secretion of late substrates in the absence of HpaC and suppressed the hpaC mutant phenotype. However, secretion of HrpB2 was unaffected by HrcU(Y318D) , suggesting that the export of early and late substrates is controlled by independent mechanisms that can be uncoupled. As HrcU(Y318D) did not interact with HrpB2 and HpaC, we propose that the substrate specificity switch leads to the release of HrcU(C) -bound HrpB2 and HpaC.

Functional characterization of the Xcs and Xps type II secretion systems from the plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria

*Type II secretion (T2S) systems of many plant-pathogenic bacteria often secrete cell wall-degrading enzymes into the plant apoplast. *Here, we show that the Xps-T2S system from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv vesicatoria (Xcv) promotes disease and contributes to the translocation of effector proteins that are delivered into the plant cell by the type III secretion (T3S) system. *The Xcs-T2S system instead lacks an obvious virulence function. However, individual xcs genes can partially complement mutants in homologous xps genes, indicating that they encode functional components of T2S systems. Enzyme activity assays showed that the Xps system contributes to secretion of proteases and xylanases. We identified the virulence-associated xylanase XynC as a substrate of the Xps system. However, homologs of known T2S substrates from other Xanthomonas spp. are not secreted by the T2S systems from Xcv. Thus, T2S systems from Xanthomonas spp. appear to differ significantly in their substrate specificities. *Transcript analyses revealed that expression of xps genes in Xcv is activated by HrpG and HrpX, key regulators of the T3S system. By contrast, expression of xynC and extracellular protease and xylanase activities are repressed by HrpG and HrpX, suggesting that components and substrates of the Xps system are differentially regulated.

The role of vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) from Nicotiana benthamiana in the elicitor-triggered hypersensitive response and stomatal closure

Elicitors/pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) trigger the plant immune system, leading to rapid programmed cell death (hypersensitive response, HR) and stomatal closure. Previous reports have shown that the vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE), a cysteine proteinase responsible for the maturation of vacuolar proteins, has caspase-1-like activity and mediates TMV- and mycotoxin-induced cell death. The role of VPE from Nicotiana benthamiana in the response to three elicitors: bacterial harpin, fungal Nep1, and oomycete boehmerin, is described here. Single-silenced (NbVPE1a or NbVPE1b) and dual-silenced (NbVPE1a/1b) N. benthamiana plants were produced by virus-induced gene silencing. Although NbVPE silencing does not affect H(2)O(2) accumulation triggered by boehmerin, harpin, or Nep1, the HR is absent in NbVPE1a- and NbVPE1a/1b-silenced plants treated with harpin alone. However, NbVPE-silenced plants develop a normal HR after boehmerin and Nep1 treatment. These results suggest that harpin-triggered HR is VPE-dependent. Surprisingly, all gene-silenced plants show significantly impaired elicitor-induced stomatal closure and elicitor-promoted nitric oxide (NO) production in guard cells. Dual-silenced plants show increased elicitor-triggered AOS production in guard cells. The accumulation of transcripts associated with defence and cell redox is modified by VPE silencing in elicitor signalling. Overall, these results indicate that VPE from N. benthamiana functions not only in elicitor-induced HR, but also in elicitor-induced stomatal closure, suggesting that VPE may be involved in elicitor-triggered immunity.

Membrane topology of conserved components of the type III secretion system from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Type III secretion (T3S) systems play key roles in the assembly of flagella and the translocation of bacterial effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells. Eleven proteins which are conserved among Gram-negative plant and animal pathogenic bacteria have been proposed to build up the basal structure of the T3S system, which spans both inner and outer bacterial membranes. We studied six conserved proteins, termed Hrc, predicted to reside in the inner membrane of the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. The membrane topology of HrcD, HrcR, HrcS, HrcT, HrcU and HrcV was studied by translational fusions to a dual alkaline phosphatase–β-galactosidase reporter protein. Two proteins, HrcU and HrcV, were found to have the same membrane topology as the Yersinia homologues YscU and YscV. For HrcR, the membrane topology differed from the model for the homologue from Yersinia, YscR. For our data on three other protein families, exemplified by HrcD, HrcS and HrcT, we derived the first topology models. Our results provide what is believed to be the first complete model of the inner membrane topology of any bacterial T3S system and will aid in elucidating the architecture of T3S systems by ultrastructural analysis.

Xanthomonas AvrBs3 family-type III effectors: discovery and function

Xanthomonads are bacterial plant pathogens that cause diseases on many plant species, including important crops. Key to pathogenicity of most Xanthomonas pathovars is a Hrp-type III secretion (T3S) system that translocates effector proteins into plant cells. Within the eukaryotic cell, the effectors are thought to perform a variety of tasks to support bacterial virulence, proliferation, and dissemination. We are only beginning to understand the host targets of different effectors. The largest effector family found in Xanthomonas spp. is the AvrBs3/PthA or TAL (transcription activator-like) family. TAL effectors act as transcriptional activators in the plant cell nucleus. Specificity of TAL effectors is determined by a novel modular DNA-binding domain. Here, we describe the discovery of TAL effectors and their structure, activity, and host targets.

Playing the "Harp": evolution of our understanding of hrp/hrc genes

With the advent of recombinant DNA techniques, the field of molecular plant pathology witnessed dramatic shifts in the 1970s and 1980s. The new and conventional methodologies of bacterial molecular genetics put bacteria center stage. The discovery in the mid-1980s of the hrp/hrc gene cluster and the subsequent demonstration that it encodes a type III secretion system (T3SS) common to Gram negative bacterial phytopathogens, animal pathogens, and plant symbionts was a landmark in molecular plant pathology. Today, T3SS has earned a central role in our understanding of many fundamental aspects of bacterium-plant interactions and has contributed the important concept of interkingdom transfer of effector proteins determining race-cultivar specificity in plant-bacterium pathosystems. Recent developments in genomics, proteomics, and structural biology enable detailed and comprehensive insights into the functional architecture, evolutionary origin, and distribution of T3SS among bacterial pathogens and support current research efforts to discover novel antivirulence drugs.

Identification of novel Ralstonia solanacearum type III effector proteins through translocation analysis of hrpB-regulated gene products

The Hrp type III secretion system (TTSS) is essential for the pathogenicity of Ralstonia solanacearum on host plants. Hrp TTSS is a specialized secretion system that injects virulence proteins, the so-called type III effector proteins, into plant cells. In R. solanacearum, the expression of Hrp TTSS-related genes is regulated by an AraC-type transcriptional activator, HrpB. We have identified 30 hrpB-regulated hpx (hrpB-dependent expression) genes and three well-known hrpB-regulated genes, popA, popB and popC, as candidate effector genes in R. solanacearum strain RS1000. In this study, we newly cloned 11 additional candidate effector genes that share homology with known hpx genes from R. solanacearum RS1000. Using a Cya reporter system, we investigated the translocation of these 44 gene products into plant cells via the Hrp TTSS and identified 34 effector proteins. These include three effector families composed of more than four members, namely the Hpx4, Hpx30 and GALA families. The Hpx30 family effectors are 2200-2500 aa in size and appear to be the largest class of effector proteins among animal- and plant-pathogenic bacteria. Members of this family contain 12-18 tandem repeats of a novel 42 aa motif, designated SKWP repeats.

Functional characterization of the type III secretion ATPase HrcN from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Many gram-negative plant and animal pathogenic bacteria employ a type III secretion (T3S) system to inject effector proteins into the cytosol of eukaryotic host cells. The membrane-spanning T3S apparatus is associated with an ATPase that presumably provides the energy for the secretion process. Here, we describe the role of the predicted ATPase HrcN from the plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pathovar vesicatoria. We show that HrcN hydrolyzes ATP in vitro and is essential for T3S and bacterial pathogenicity. Stability of HrcN in X. campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on the conserved HrcL protein, which interacts with HrcN in vitro and in vivo. Both HrcN and HrcL bind to the inner membrane protein HrcU and specifically localize to the bacterial membranes under T3S-permissive conditions. Protein-protein interaction studies revealed that HrcN also interacts with the T3S substrate specificity switch protein HpaC and the global T3S chaperone HpaB, which promotes secretion of multiple effector proteins. Using an in vitro chaperone release assay, we demonstrate that HrcN dissociates a complex between HpaB and the effector protein XopF1 in an ATP-dependent manner, suggesting that HrcN is involved in the release of HpaB-bound effectors. Effector release depends on a conserved glycine residue in the HrcN phosphate-binding loop, which is crucial for enzymatic activity and protein function during T3S. There is no experimental evidence that T3S can occur in the absence of the ATPase, in contrast to recent findings reported for animal pathogenic bacteria.

The LCB2 subunit of the sphingolip biosynthesis enzyme serine palmitoyltransferase can function as an attenuator of the hypersensitive response and Bax-induced cell death

Previous results showed that expression of the gene encoding the LONG-CHAIN BASE2 (LCB(2)) subunit of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), designated BcLCB(2), from nonheading Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis) was up-regulated during hypersensitive cell death (HCD) induced by the Phytophthora boehmeriae elicitor PB90. Overexpression of BcLCB(2) in Nicotiana tabacum leaves suppressed the HCD normally initiated by elicitors and PB90-triggered H(2)O(2) accumulation. BcLCB(2) also functioned as a suppressor of mouse Bcl-2 associated X (Bax) protein-mediated HCD and cell death caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. BcLCB(2) overexpression suppressed Bax- and oxidant stress-triggered yeast cell death. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation induced by Bax was compromised in BcLCB(2)-overexpressing yeast cells. The findings that NbLCB(2) silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana enhanced elicitor-triggered HCD, combined with the fact that myriocin, a potent inhibitor of SPT, had no effect on Bax-induced programmed cell death, suggested that suppression of cell death was not involved in the dominant-negative effect that resulted from BcLCB(2) overexpression. A BcLCB(2) mutant assay showed that the suppression was not involved in SPT activity. The results suggest that plant HCD and stress-induced yeast cell death might share a common signal transduction pathway involving LCB(2), and that LCB(2) protects against cell death by inhibiting ROS accumulation, this inhibition being independent of SPT activity.

Innate immunity signaling: cytosolic Ca2+ elevation is linked to downstream nitric oxide generation through the action of calmodulin or a calmodulin-like protein

Ca(2+) rise and nitric oxide (NO) generation are essential early steps in plant innate immunity and initiate the hypersensitive response (HR) to avirulent pathogens. Previous work from this laboratory has demonstrated that a loss-of-function mutation of an Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plasma membrane Ca(2+)-permeable inwardly conducting ion channel impairs HR and that this phenotype could be rescued by the application of a NO donor. At present, the mechanism linking cytosolic Ca(2+) rise to NO generation during pathogen response signaling in plants is still unclear. Animal nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activation is Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM) dependent. Here, we present biochemical and genetic evidence consistent with a similar regulatory mechanism in plants: a pathogen-induced Ca(2+) signal leads to CaM and/or a CaM-like protein (CML) activation of NOS. In wild-type Arabidopsis plants, the use of a CaM antagonist prevents NO generation and the HR. Application of a CaM antagonist does not prevent pathogen-induced cytosolic Ca(2+) elevation, excluding the possibility of CaM acting upstream from Ca(2+). The CaM antagonist and Ca(2+) chelation abolish NO generation in wild-type Arabidopsis leaf protein extracts as well, suggesting that plant NOS activity is Ca(2+)/CaM dependent in vitro. The CaM-like protein CML24 has been previously associated with NO-related phenotypes in Arabidopsis. Here, we find that innate immune response phenotypes (HR and [avirulent] pathogen-induced NO elevation in leaves) are inhibited in loss-of-function cml24-4 mutant plants. Pathogen-associated molecular pattern-mediated NO generation in cells of cml24-4 mutants is impaired as well. Our work suggests that the initial pathogen recognition signal of Ca(2+) influx into the cytosol activates CaM and/or a CML, which then acts to induce downstream NO synthesis as intermediary steps in a pathogen perception signaling cascade, leading to innate immune responses, including the HR.

HpaA from Xanthomonas is a regulator of type III secretion

The Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria employs a type III secretion (T3S) system to inject effector proteins into the host cell cytoplasm. Efficient secretion of several effector proteins depends on the cytoplasmic global T3S chaperone HpaB. In this study, we show that HpaB interacts with the virulence factor HpaA, which is secreted by the T3S system and translocated into the plant cell. HpaA promotes secretion of pilus, translocon and effector proteins and therefore appears to be an important control protein of the T3S system. Protein-protein interaction studies and the analysis of HpaA deletion derivatives revealed that the C-terminal protein region, which contains a HpaB binding site, is crucial for the contribution of HpaA to T3S. Secretion of pilus and translocon proteins is not affected when HpaA is expressed as an N-terminal deletion derivative that lacks the secretion and translocation signal. Our data suggest that binding of HpaA to HpaB within the bacterial cell favours secretion of extracellular components of the secretion apparatus. Secretion of HpaA presumably liberates HpaB and thus promotes effector protein secretion after assembly of the T3S apparatus.

HpaC controls substrate specificity of the Xanthomonas type III secretion system

The Gram-negative bacterial plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria employs a type III secretion (T3S) system to inject bacterial effector proteins into the host cell cytoplasm. One essential pathogenicity factor is HrpB2, which is secreted by the T3S system. We show that secretion of HrpB2 is suppressed by HpaC, which was previously identified as a T3S control protein. Since HpaC promotes secretion of translocon and effector proteins but inhibits secretion of HrpB2, HpaC presumably acts as a T3S substrate specificity switch protein. Protein–protein interaction studies revealed that HpaC interacts with HrpB2 and the C-terminal domain of HrcU, a conserved inner membrane component of the T3S system. However, no interaction was observed between HpaC and the full-length HrcU protein. Analysis of HpaC deletion derivatives revealed that the binding site for the C-terminal domain of HrcU is essential for HpaC function. This suggests that HpaC binding to the HrcU C terminus is key for the control of T3S. The C terminus of HrcU also provides a binding site for HrpB2; however, no interaction was observed with other T3S substrates including pilus, translocon and effector proteins. This is in contrast to HrcU homologs from animal pathogenic bacteria suggesting evolution of distinct mechanisms in plant and animal pathogenic bacteria for T3S substrate recognition.

The Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is the causal agent of bacterial spot disease in pepper and tomato. Pathogenicity of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria depends on a type III protein secretion (T3S) system that injects bacterial effector proteins directly into the host cell cytosol. The T3S system is a highly complex nanomachine that spans both bacterial membranes and is associated with an extracellular pilus and a translocon that inserts into the host cell membrane. Given the architecture of the secretion apparatus, it is conceivable that pilus formation precedes effector protein secretion. The pilus presumably consists of two components, i.e., the major pilus subunit HrpE and HrpB2, which is required for pilus assembly. Secretion of HrpB2 is suppressed by HpaC that switches substrate specificity of the T3S system from secretion of HrpB2 to secretion of translocon and effector proteins. The substrate specificity switch depends on the cytoplasmic domain of HrcU, which is a conserved inner membrane protein of the T3S apparatus that interacts with HrpB2 and HpaC.

Molecular analysis of the hrp gene cluster in Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae KACC10859

Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae is the causal agent of rice bacterial blight. The plant pathogenic bacterium X. oryzae pv. oryzae expresses a type III secretion system that is necessary for both the pathogenicity in susceptible hosts and the induction of the hypersensitive response in resistant plants. This specialized protein transport system is encoded by a 32.18kb hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) gene cluster. The hrp gene cluster is composed of nine hrp, nine hrc (hrp conserved) and eight hpa (hrp-associated) genes and is controlled by HrpG and HrpX, which are known as regulators of the hrp gene cluster. Before mutational analysis of these hrp genes, the transcriptional linkages of the core region of the hrp gene cluster from hpaB to hrcC of the X. oryzae pv. oryzae KACC10859 was determined and the non-polarity of EZTn5 insertional mutagenesis was demonstrated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Pathogenicity assays of these non-polar hrp mutants were carried out on the susceptible rice cultivar, Milyang-23. According to the results of these assays, all hrp-hrc, except hrpF, and hpaB mutants lost their pathogenicity, which indicates that most hrp-hrc genes encode essential pathogenicity factors. On the other hand, most hpa mutants showed decreased virulence in a different pattern, i.e., hpa genes are not essential but are important for pathogenicity.

Characterization of the nonconserved hpaB-hrpF region in the hrp pathogenicity island from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

The interaction of the gram-negative phytopathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria with its host plants pepper and tomato is mediated by a type III secretion (T3S) system that translocates bacterial effector proteins into the plant cell. The T3S system is encoded by the chromosomal hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) gene cluster. Here, we report on the analysis of the hpaB-hrpF region, which encodes the novel virulence factor HpaE, the effector protein XopF1, and two proteins with unknown functions, HpaD and HpaI. Promoter and transcript analyses revealed that the corresponding genes are coexpressed with the hrp genes and that hpaD, hpaI, and xopF1 form a novel operon. In vitro and in vivo assays showed that the efficient T3S and translocation of XopF1 depends on the global T3S chaperone HpaB and the putative lytic transglycosylase HpaH, which specifically contributes to the secretion of a certain set of effectors. Taken together, our data suggest that the efficient secretion of effector proteins in X. campestris pv. vesicatoria requires the contribution of several different Hpa proteins.

Refinement of the Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria hrpD and hrpE operon structure

The plant-pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria possesses a type III secretion (T3S) system which is encoded in the 23-kb hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (hrp) gene cluster. The T3S system is essential for pathogenicity in susceptible hosts and the induction of the hypersensitive response in resistant plants. In this study, we revisited the operon structure of the right part of the hrp gene cluster. Based on complementation experiments of transposon insertions and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses, the hrpD operon contains hrcQ, hrcR, hrcS, and hpaA, whereas hrcD, hrpD6, and hrpE belong to the hrpE operon. We determined the transcriptional start site of the hrpE operon and showed that there is a promoter upstream of hrcD containing a plant-inducible promoter box. Conserved secondary mRNA structures in the intergenic region between hrpD6 and hrpE suggest a posttranscriptional regulated expression of hrpE. Based on comparisons of different hrp gene clusters and the analysis of evolutionary rates, we propose that the hrpE transcriptional unit was integrated into the hrp gene cluster at a later time.

Death don't have no mercy and neither does calcium: Arabidopsis CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE GATED CHANNEL2 and innate immunity

Plant innate immune response to pathogen infection includes an elegant signaling pathway leading to reactive oxygen species generation and resulting hypersensitive response (HR); localized programmed cell death in tissue surrounding the initial infection site limits pathogen spread. A veritable symphony of cytosolic signaling molecules (including Ca(2+), nitric oxide [NO], cyclic nucleotides, and calmodulin) have been suggested as early components of HR signaling. However, specific interactions among these cytosolic secondary messengers and their roles in the signal cascade are still unclear. Here, we report some aspects of how plants translate perception of a pathogen into a signal cascade leading to an innate immune response. We show that Arabidopsis thaliana CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE GATED CHANNEL2 (CNGC2/DND1) conducts Ca(2+) into cells and provide a model linking this Ca(2+) current to downstream NO production. NO is a critical signaling molecule invoking plant innate immune response to pathogens. Plants without functional CNGC2 lack this cell membrane Ca(2+) current and do not display HR; providing the mutant with NO complements this phenotype. The bacterial pathogen-associated molecular pattern elicitor lipopolysaccharide activates a CNGC Ca(2+) current, which may be linked to NO generation due to buildup of cytosolic Ca(2+)/calmodulin.

Regulation of the type III secretion system in phytopathogenic bacteria

The type III secretion system (TTSS) is a specialized protein secretion machinery used by numerous gram-negative bacterial pathogens of animals and plants to deliver effector proteins directly into the host cells. In plant-pathogenic bacteria, genes encoding the TTSS were discovered as hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (hrp) genes, because mutation of these genes typically disrupts the bacterial ability to cause diseases on host plants and to elicit hypersensitive response on nonhost plants. The hrp genes and the type III effector genes (collectively called TTSS genes hereafter) are repressed in nutrient-rich media but induced when bacteria are infiltrated into plants or incubated in nutrient-deficient inducing media. Multiple regulatory components have been identified in the plant-pathogenic bacteria regulating TTSS genes under various conditions. In Ralstonia solanacearum, several signal transduction components essential for the induction of TTSS genes in plants are dispensable for the induction in inducing medium. In addition to the inducing signals, recent studies indicated the presence of negative signals in the plant regulating the Pseudomonas syringae TTSS genes. Thus, the levels of TTSS gene expression in plants likely are determined by the interactions of multiple signal transduction pathways. Studies of the hrp regulons indicated that TTSS genes are coordinately regulated with a number of non-TTSS genes.

PopF1 and PopF2, two proteins secreted by the type III protein secretion system of Ralstonia solanacearum, are translocators belonging to the HrpF/NopX family

Ralstonia solanacearum GMI1000 is a gram-negative plant pathogen which contains an hrp gene cluster which codes for a type III protein secretion system (TTSS). We identified two novel Hrp-secreted proteins, called PopF1 and PopF2, which display similarity to one another and to putative TTSS translocators, HrpF and NopX, from Xanthomonas spp. and rhizobia, respectively. They also show similarities with TTSS translocators of the YopB family from animal-pathogenic bacteria. Both popF1 and popF2 belong to the HrpB regulon and are required for the interaction with plants, but PopF1 seems to play a more important role in virulence and hypersensitive response (HR) elicitation than PopF2 under our experimental conditions. PopF1 and PopF2 are not necessary for the secretion of effector proteins, but they are required for the translocation of AvrA avirulence protein into tobacco cells. We conclude that PopF1 and PopF2 are type III translocators belonging to the HrpF/NopX family. The hrpF gene of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris partially restored HR-inducing ability to popF1 popF2 mutants of R. solanacearum, suggesting that translocators of R. solanacearum and Xanthomonas are functionally conserved. Finally, R. solanacearum strain UW551, which does not belong to the same phylotype as GMI1000, also possesses two putative translocator proteins. However, although one of these proteins is clearly related to PopF1 and PopF2, the other seems to be different and related to NopX proteins, thus showing that translocators might be variable in R. solanacearum.

Mutations in the lrpE gene of Ralstonia solanacearum affects Hrp pili production and virulence

The Ralstonia solanacearum hrpB-regulated gene lrpE (hpx5/brg24) encodes a PopC-like leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein that carries 11 tandem LRR in the central region. Defects in the lrpE gene slightly reduced the virulence of R. solanacearum on host plants and changed the bacterial morphology leading to the formation of large aggregates in a minimal medium. The aggregation in the deltalrpE background required the presence of a functional Hrp type III secretion system. In wild-type R. solanacearum, Hrp pili disappeared from the bacterial surface at the end of the exponential growth phase, when the pili form into long bundles. However, even in the late growth phase, bundled Hrp pili were still observed on the cell surface of the deltalrpE mutant. Such bundles were entangled and anchored the mutant cells in the aggregates. In contrast to PopC, LrpE accumulated in bacterial cells and did not translocate into plant cells as an effector protein. The expression levels of hrp genes increased three- to fivefold in the deltalrpE background compared with those in the wild type. We propose that LrpE may negatively regulate the production of Hrp pili on the cell surface of R. solanacearum to disperse bacterial cells from aggregates. In turn, dispersal may contribute to the movement of the pathogen in the plant vascular system and, as a consequence, the pathogenicity of R. solanacearum.

Gene involved in transcriptional activation of the hrp regulatory gene hrpG in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

A novel regulatory gene, trh, which is involved in hrp gene expression, is identified in the plant pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. In the trh mutant, expression of HrpG, which is a key regulator for hrp gene expression, is reduced both under the in vitro hrp-inducing condition and in planta.