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Ham H, Park DS. New Insights and Approach Toward the Genetic Diversity and Strain Typing of Erwinia pyrifoliae Based on rsxC, an Electron Transport Gene. Plant Dis 2024; 108:296-301. [PMID: 37669173 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-03-23-0475-sc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Erwinia pyrifoliae, a causal agent of black shoot blight in apple and pear trees, is a plant pathogenic bacterium first reported in South Korea. The symptoms of black shoot blight are very similar to those of the fire blight disease in apple and pear trees caused by E. amylovora, as E. pyrifoliae has a genetically very close relationship with E. amylovora. Recently, there have been reports that E. pyrifoliae causes disease in European strawberries, resulting in severe fruit loss that aroused great concern about its spread, distribution, and host range. Therefore, it is essential to establish a trustworthy approach to understanding the distribution patterns of E. pyrifoliae based on the genetic background to strengthen the barrier of potential spreading risks, although advanced methods have been provided to accurately detect E. pyrifoliae and E. amylovora. Consequently, this study discovered a noble and noteworthy gene, rsxC, capable of providing the pathogen genotype by comparing E. pyrifoliae genomic sequences in the international representative genome archive. Different numbers of 40-unit amino acid repeats in this gene among the strains induced intraspecific traits in RsxC. By comparing their repeat pattern, E. pyrifoliae isolates were divided into two main groups, branching into several clades via sequence alignment of 35 E. pyrifoliae isolates from various apple orchards from 2020 to 2021 in South Korea. The newly discovered quadraginta amino acid repeat within this gene would be a valuable genetic touchstone for determining the genotype and distribution pattern of E. pyrifoliae strains, ultimately leading to exploring their evolution. The function of amino acid repeats and the biological significance of strains need to be elucidated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeonheui Ham
- Crop Protection Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju-gun 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Suk Park
- Crop Protection Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju-gun 55365, Republic of Korea
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2
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Yang HW, Thapa R, Johnson K, DuPont ST, Khan A, Zhao Y. Examination of Large Chromosomal Inversions in the Genome of Erwinia amylovora Strains Reveals Worldwide Distribution and North America-Specific Types. Phytopathology 2023; 113:2174-2186. [PMID: 36935376 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-01-23-0004-sa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Erwinia amylovora is a relatively homogeneous species with low genetic diversity at the nucleotide level. However, phenotypic differences and genomic structural variations among E. amylovora strains have been documented. In this study, we identified 10 large chromosomal inversion (LCI) types in the Spiraeoideae-infecting (SI) E. amylovora strains by combining whole genome sequencing and PCR-based molecular markers. It was found that LCIs were mainly caused by homologous recombination events among seven rRNA operons (rrns) in SI E. amylovora strains. Although ribotyping results identified inter- and intra-variations in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS2) regions among rrns, LCIs tend to occur between rrns transcribed in the opposite directions and with the same tRNA content (tRNA-Glu or tRNA-Ile/Ala) in ITS1. Based on the LCI types, physical/estimated replichore imbalance (PRI/ERI) was examined and calculated. Among the 117 SI strains evaluated, the LCI types of Ea1189, CFBP1430, and Ea273 were the most common, with ERI values at 1.31, 7.87, and 4.47°, respectively. These three LCI types had worldwide distribution, whereas the remaining seven LCI types were restricted to North America (or certain regions of the United States). Our results indicated ongoing chromosomal recombination events in the SI E. amylovora population and showed that LCI events are mostly symmetrical, keeping the ERI less than 15°. These findings provide initial evidence about the prevalence of certain LCI types in E. amylovora strains, how LCI occurs, and its potential evolutionary advantage and history, which might help track the movement of the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Wen Yang
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802
| | - Ranjita Thapa
- School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456
| | - Kenneth Johnson
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
| | | | - Awais Khan
- School of Integrative Plant Science Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456
| | - Youfu Zhao
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802
- Department of Plant Pathology, WSU-IAREC, Prosser, WA 99350
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3
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Albani S, Polsinelli I, Mazzei L, Musiani F, Benini S. Determination and Kinetic Characterization of a New Potential Inhibitor for AmsI Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase from the Apple Pathogen Erwinia amylovora. Molecules 2023; 28:7774. [PMID: 38067503 PMCID: PMC10708540 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Erwinia amylovora is a Gram-negative bacterium, responsible for the fire blight disease in Rosaceae plants. Its virulence is correlated with the production of an exopolysaccharide (EPS) called amylovoran, which protects the bacterium from the surrounding environment and helps its diffusion inside the host. Amylovoran biosynthesis relies on the expression of twelve genes clustered in the ams operon. One of these genes, amsI, encodes for a Low Molecular Weight Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase (LMW-PTP) called EaAmsI, which plays a key role in the regulation of the EPS production pathway. For this reason, EaAmsI was chosen in this work as a target for the development of new antibacterial agents against E. amylovora. To achieve this aim, a set of programs (DOCK6, OpenEye FRED) was selected to perform a virtual screening using a database of ca. 700 molecules. The six best-scoring compounds identified were tested in in vitro assays. A complete inhibition kinetic characterization carried out on the most promising molecule (n-Heptyl β-D-glucopyranoside, N7G) showed an inhibition constant of 7.8 ± 0.6 µM. This study represents an initial step towards the development of new EaAmsI inhibitors able to act as antibacterial agents against E. amylovora infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Albani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (S.A.); (L.M.)
| | - Ivan Polsinelli
- Bioorganic Chemistry and Bio-Crystallography Laboratory (B2Cl), Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy;
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Cardiology (IMTC), IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, 20097 San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Luca Mazzei
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (S.A.); (L.M.)
| | - Francesco Musiani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (S.A.); (L.M.)
| | - Stefano Benini
- Bioorganic Chemistry and Bio-Crystallography Laboratory (B2Cl), Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy;
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Prichard A, Lee J, Laughlin TG, Lee A, Thomas KP, Sy AE, Spencer T, Asavavimol A, Cafferata A, Cameron M, Chiu N, Davydov D, Desai I, Diaz G, Guereca M, Hearst K, Huang L, Jacobs E, Johnson A, Kahn S, Koch R, Martinez A, Norquist M, Pau T, Prasad G, Saam K, Sandhu M, Sarabia AJ, Schumaker S, Sonin A, Uyeno A, Zhao A, Corbett KD, Pogliano K, Meyer J, Grose JH, Villa E, Dutton R, Pogliano J. Identifying the core genome of the nucleus-forming bacteriophage family and characterization of Erwinia phage RAY. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112432. [PMID: 37120812 PMCID: PMC10299810 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently discovered that some bacteriophages establish a nucleus-like replication compartment (phage nucleus), but the core genes that define nucleus-based phage replication and their phylogenetic distribution were still to be determined. Here, we show that phages encoding the major phage nucleus protein chimallin share 72 conserved genes encoded within seven gene blocks. Of these, 21 core genes are unique to nucleus-forming phage, and all but one of these genes encode proteins of unknown function. We propose that these phages comprise a novel viral family we term Chimalliviridae. Fluorescence microscopy and cryoelectron tomography studies of Erwinia phage vB_EamM_RAY confirm that many of the key steps of nucleus-based replication are conserved among diverse chimalliviruses and reveal variations on this replication mechanism. This work expands our understanding of phage nucleus and PhuZ spindle diversity and function, providing a roadmap for identifying key mechanisms underlying nucleus-based phage replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Prichard
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jina Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Thomas G Laughlin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amber Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kyle P Thomas
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Annika E Sy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Tara Spencer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Aileen Asavavimol
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Allison Cafferata
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mia Cameron
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nicholas Chiu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Demyan Davydov
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Isha Desai
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gabriel Diaz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Melissa Guereca
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kiley Hearst
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Leyi Huang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Emily Jacobs
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Annika Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Samuel Kahn
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ryan Koch
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adamari Martinez
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Meliné Norquist
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Tyler Pau
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gino Prasad
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Katrina Saam
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Milan Sandhu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Angel Jose Sarabia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Siena Schumaker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Aaron Sonin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ariya Uyeno
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alison Zhao
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kevin D Corbett
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kit Pogliano
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Justin Meyer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Julianne H Grose
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Elizabeth Villa
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rachel Dutton
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joe Pogliano
- School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Lee MH, Ham H, Choi HW, Park DS. Isolation of Streptomycin-Resistant Erwinia pyrifoliae in Korea. Plant Dis 2023; 107:616-619. [PMID: 35852904 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-03-22-0553-sc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As a black shoot blight disease-causing agent, Erwinia pyrifoliae was first reported in 1995 in Korea. A total of 101 isolates of E. pyrifoliae were isolated from samples showing bacterial symptoms collected from apple and pear orchards between 2020 and 2021. These isolates were screened for streptomycin resistance, with one from an orchard in Gwangju showing resistance at 100 μg/ml streptomycin. This streptomycin-resistant E. pyrifoliae (EpSmR) isolate was identified via polymerase chain reaction amplification of the strA/strB gene and an internal region of the ribosomal rpsL gene containing codon 43. EpSmR has a point mutation that altered this codon from lysine (AAA) to threonine (ACA). The strA and strB genes were not identified in EpSmR. EpSmR showed a high resistance to streptomycin (>50,000 μg/ml). This is the first study reporting EpSmR, which emerged due to a mutation in codon 43 of the rpsL gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- M-H Lee
- Crop Protection Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - H Ham
- Crop Protection Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - H-W Choi
- Crop Protection Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
| | - D S Park
- Crop Protection Division, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
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Olawole OI, Gleason ML, Beattie GA. Expression and Functional Analysis of the Type III Secretion System Effector Repertoire of the Xylem Pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila on Cucurbits. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2022; 35:768-778. [PMID: 35471035 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-01-22-0002-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The predicted repertoire of type III secretion system effectors (T3SEs) in Erwinia tracheiphila, causal agent of cucurbit bacterial wilt, is much larger than in xylem pathogens in the closely related genera Erwinia and Pantoea. The genomes of strains BHKY and SCR3, which represent distinct E. tracheiphila clades, encode at least 6 clade-specific and 12 shared T3SEs. The strains expressed the majority of the T3SE genes examined in planta. Among the shared T3SE genes, eop1 was expressed most highly in both strains in squash (Cucurbita pepo) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo) but the clade-specific gene avrRpm2 was expressed 40- to 900-fold more than eop1 in BHKY. The T3SEs AvrRpm2, Eop1, SrfC, and DspE contributed to BHKY virulence on squash and muskmelon, as shown using combinatorial mutants involving six T3SEs, whereas OspG and AvrB4 contributed to BHKY virulence only on muskmelon, demonstrating host-specific virulence functions. Moreover, Eop1 was functionally redundant with AvrRpm2, SrfC, OspG, and AvrB4 in BHKY, and BHKY mutants lacking up to five effector genes showed similar virulence to mutants lacking only two genes. The T3SEs OspG, AvrB4, and DspE contributed additively to SCR3 virulence on muskmelon and were not functionally redundant with Eop1. Rather, loss of eop1 and avrB4 restored wild-type virulence to the avrB4 mutant, suggesting that Eop1 suppresses a functionally redundant effector in SCR3. These results highlight functional differences in effector inventories between two E. tracheiphila clades, provide the first evidence of OspG as a phytopathogen effector, and suggest that Eop1 may be a metaeffector influencing virulence. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olakunle I Olawole
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011-1101, U.S.A
| | - Mark L Gleason
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011-1101, U.S.A
| | - Gwyn A Beattie
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011-1101, U.S.A
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Siden-Kiamos I, Koidou V, Livadaras I, Skoufa E, Papadogiorgaki S, Papadakis S, Chalepakis G, Ioannidis P, Vontas J. Dynamic interactions between the symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola and its olive fruit fly host Bactrocera oleae. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 146:103793. [PMID: 35618174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, the most serious pest of olives, requires the endosymbiotic bacterium Candidatus Erwinia dacicola in order to complete its development in unripe green olives. Hence, a better understanding of the symbiosis of Ca. E. dacicola and its insect host may lead to new strategies for B. oleae control. The relative abundance of bacteria during the fly life cycle comparing black and green olives was estimated by real time quantitative PCR revealing significant fluctuations during development in black olives with a peak of the bacteria in the second instar larvae. By microscopy analysis of larvae, we show that the bacteria reside extracellularly in the gastric caeca. During the transition to late third instar larvae, the bacteria were discharged into the midgut concomitant with a change in caeca size and morphology due to the contraction of the muscles surrounding the caeca. A similar alteration was also observed in a laboratory strain devoid of bacteria. To further investigate the symbiotic interaction and the change in caeca morphology a comparative transcriptomics analysis was undertaken. Samples of dissected caeca from second and third instar larvae collected from the field as well as second instar larvae from a laboratory strain devoid of symbionts showed significant changes in transcript expression. This highlighted genes associated with the developmental changes revealed by the microscopic analysis as well as responses to microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Siden-Kiamos
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece.
| | - Venetia Koidou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece; Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - Ioannis Livadaras
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - Evangelia Skoufa
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | | | | | - George Chalepakis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Ioannidis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece; Pesticide Science Laboratory, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855, Athens, Greece.
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LaSarre B, Olawole OI, Paulsen AA, Halverson LJ, Gleason ML, Beattie GA. Complete Genome Sequences of Four Strains of Erwinia tracheiphila: A Resource for Studying a Bacterial Plant Pathogen with a Highly Complex Genome. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2022; 35:500-504. [PMID: 35491948 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-01-22-0008-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Breah LaSarre
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1101, U.S.A
| | - Olakunle I Olawole
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1101, U.S.A
| | - Ashley A Paulsen
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1101, U.S.A
| | - Larry J Halverson
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1101, U.S.A
| | - Mark L Gleason
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1101, U.S.A
| | - Gwyn A Beattie
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1101, U.S.A
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Fu B, Zhai Y, Gleason M, Beattie GA. Characterization of Erwinia tracheiphila Bacteriophage FBB1 Isolated from Spotted Cucumber Beetles that Vector E. tracheiphila. Phytopathology 2021; 111:2185-2194. [PMID: 34033507 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-03-21-0093-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Erwinia tracheiphila, the causal pathogen of bacterial wilt of cucurbit crops, is disseminated by cucumber beetles. A bacteriophage, designated FBB1 (Fu-Beattie-Beetle-1), was isolated from spotted cucumber beetles (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) that were collected from a field in which E. tracheiphila is endemic. FBB1 was classified into the Myoviridae family based on its morphology, which includes an elongated icosahedral head (106 × 82 nm) and a putatively contractile tail (120 nm). FBB1 infected all 62 E. tracheiphila strains examined and three Pantoea spp. strains. FBB1 virions were stable at 55°C for 1 h and tolerated a pH range from 3 to 12. FBB1 has a genome of 175,994 bp with 316 predicted coding sequences and a GC content of 36.5%. The genome contains genes for a major bacterial outer-membrane protein, a putative exopolysaccharide depolymerase, and 22 predicted transfer RNAs. The morphology and genome indicate that FBB1 is a T4-like virus and thus in the Tevenvirinae subfamily. FBB1 is the first virulent phage of E. tracheiphila to be reported and, to date, is one of only two bacteriophages to be isolated from insect vectors of phytopathogens. Collectively, the results support FBB1 as a promising candidate for biocontrol of E. tracheiphila based on its virulent (lytic) rather than lysogenic lifestyle, its infection of all E. tracheiphila strains examined to date, and its infection of a few nonpathogenic bacteria that could be used to support phage populations when pathogen numbers are low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benzhong Fu
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Yingyan Zhai
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Mark Gleason
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
| | - Gwyn A Beattie
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
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Fu B, Olawole O, Beattie GA. Biological Control and Microbial Ecology Draft Genome Sequence Data of Glutamicibacter sp. FBE-19, a Bacterium Antagonistic to the Plant Pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila. Phytopathology 2021; 111:765-768. [PMID: 33174822 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-09-20-0380-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Glutamicibacter sp. FBE-19 was isolated based on its strong antagonism to the cucurbit bacterial blight pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila on plates. Members of the Glutamicibacter genus can promote plant growth under saline conditions and antagonize fungi on plates via chitinolytic activity; however, their production of antibacterial compounds has not been examined. Here, we report the genome sequence of strain FBE-19. The genome is 3.85 Mbp with a G+C content of 60.1% and comprises 3,791 genes. Genes that may contribute to its antagonistic activity include genes for the secondary metabolites stenothricin, salinosporamide A, a second β-lactone compound, and a carotenoid. The Glutamicibacter sp. FBE-19 genome data may be a useful resource if this strain proves to be an effective biocontrol agent against E. tracheiphila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benzhong Fu
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, U.S.A
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Quality Control of Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables, College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Engineering University, Xiaogan, Hubei 432000, China
| | - Olakunle Olawole
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, U.S.A
| | - Gwyn A Beattie
- Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, U.S.A
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Brams M, Govaerts C, Kambara K, Price KL, Spurny R, Gharpure A, Pardon E, Evans GL, Bertrand D, Lummis SCR, Hibbs RE, Steyaert J, Ulens C. Modulation of the Erwinia ligand-gated ion channel (ELIC) and the 5-HT 3 receptor via a common vestibule site. eLife 2020; 9:e51511. [PMID: 31990273 PMCID: PMC7015668 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) or Cys-loop receptors are involved in fast synaptic signaling in the nervous system. Allosteric modulators bind to sites that are remote from the neurotransmitter binding site, but modify coupling of ligand binding to channel opening. In this study, we developed nanobodies (single domain antibodies), which are functionally active as allosteric modulators, and solved co-crystal structures of the prokaryote (Erwinia) channel ELIC bound either to a positive or a negative allosteric modulator. The allosteric nanobody binding sites partially overlap with those of small molecule modulators, including a vestibule binding site that is not accessible in some pLGICs. Using mutagenesis, we extrapolate the functional importance of the vestibule binding site to the human 5-HT3 receptor, suggesting a common mechanism of modulation in this protein and ELIC. Thus we identify key elements of allosteric binding sites, and extend drug design possibilities in pLGICs with an accessible vestibule site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijke Brams
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Cedric Govaerts
- Laboratory for the Structure and Function of Biological Membranes, Center for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Université libre de BruxellesBrusselsBelgium
| | | | - Kerry L Price
- Department of Biochemistry, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Radovan Spurny
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Anant Gharpure
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Els Pardon
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIBBrusselsBelgium
| | - Genevieve L Evans
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | | | - Sarah CR Lummis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Ryan E Hibbs
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Jan Steyaert
- Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIBBrusselsBelgium
| | - Chris Ulens
- Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
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Manzano-Marı N A, Coeur d'acier A, Clamens AL, Orvain C, Cruaud C, Barbe V, Jousselin E. Serial horizontal transfer of vitamin-biosynthetic genes enables the establishment of new nutritional symbionts in aphids' di-symbiotic systems. ISME J 2020; 14:259-273. [PMID: 31624345 PMCID: PMC6908640 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0533-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Many insects depend on obligate mutualistic bacteria to provide essential nutrients lacking from their diet. Most aphids, whose diet consists of phloem, rely on the bacterial endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola to supply essential amino acids and B vitamins. However, in some aphid species, provision of these nutrients is partitioned between Buchnera and a younger bacterial partner, whose identity varies across aphid lineages. Little is known about the origin and the evolutionary stability of these di-symbiotic systems. It is also unclear whether the novel symbionts merely compensate for losses in Buchnera or carry new nutritional functions. Using whole-genome endosymbiont sequences of nine Cinara aphids that harbour an Erwinia-related symbiont to complement Buchnera, we show that the Erwinia association arose from a single event of symbiont lifestyle shift, from a free-living to an obligate intracellular one. This event resulted in drastic genome reduction, long-term genome stasis, and co-divergence with aphids. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation reveals that Erwinia inhabits its own bacteriocytes near Buchnera's. Altogether these results depict a scenario for the establishment of Erwinia as an obligate symbiont that mirrors Buchnera's. Additionally, we found that the Erwinia vitamin-biosynthetic genes not only compensate for Buchnera's deficiencies, but also provide a new nutritional function; whose genes have been horizontally acquired from a Sodalis-related bacterium. A subset of these genes have been subsequently transferred to a new Hamiltonella co-obligate symbiont in one specific Cinara lineage. These results show that the establishment and dynamics of multi-partner endosymbioses can be mediated by lateral gene transfers between co-ocurring symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Manzano-Marı N
- UMR 1062 Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - Armelle Coeur d'acier
- UMR 1062 Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Anne-Laure Clamens
- UMR 1062 Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Céline Orvain
- Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, CEA, Genoscope, Évry Cedex, France
| | - Corinne Cruaud
- Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, CEA, Genoscope, Évry Cedex, France
| | - Valérie Barbe
- Institut de Biologie François-Jacob, CEA, Genoscope, Évry Cedex, France
| | - Emmanuelle Jousselin
- UMR 1062 Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Sacchetti P, Pastorelli R, Bigiotti G, Guidi R, Ruschioni S, Viti C, Belcari A. Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. BMC Biotechnol 2019; 19:91. [PMID: 31847839 PMCID: PMC6918546 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-019-0582-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The symbiosis between the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, and Candidatus Erwinia dacicola has been demonstrated as essential for the fly's larval development and adult physiology. The mass rearing of the olive fruit fly has been hindered by several issues, including problems which could be related to the lack of the symbiont, presumably due to preservatives and antibiotics currently used during rearing under laboratory conditions. To better understand the mechanisms underlying symbiont removal or loss during the rearing of lab colonies of the olive fruit fly, we performed experiments that focused on bacterial transfer from wild female flies to their eggs. In this research, eggs laid by wild females were treated with propionic acid solution, which is often used as an antifungal agent, a mixture of sodium hypochlorite and Triton X, or water (as a control). The presence of the bacterial symbiont on eggs was evaluated by real-time PCR and scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS DGGE analysis showed a clear band with the same migration behavior present in all DGGE profiles but with a decreasing intensity. Molecular analyses performed by real-time PCR showed a significant reduction in Ca. E. dacicola abundance in eggs treated with propionic acid solution or a mixture of sodium hypochlorite and Triton X compared to those treated with water. In addition, the removal of bacteria from the surfaces of treated eggs was highlighted by scanning electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS The results clearly indicate how the first phases of the colony-establishment process are important in maintaining the symbiont load in laboratory populations and suggest that the use of products with antimicrobial activity should be avoided. The results also suggest that alternative rearing procedures for the olive fruit fly should be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Sacchetti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Roberta Pastorelli
- Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (CREA-AA), via di Lanciola, 12/A, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Gaia Bigiotti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Roberto Guidi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Sara Ruschioni
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Carlo Viti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Belcari
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
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Bigiotti G, Pastorelli R, Guidi R, Belcari A, Sacchetti P. Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont, Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. BMC Biotechnol 2019; 19:93. [PMID: 31847845 PMCID: PMC6918556 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-019-0583-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the most important insect pest in olive production, causing economic damage to olive crops worldwide. In addition to extensive research on B. oleae control methods, scientists have devoted much effort in the last century to understanding olive fly endosymbiosis with a bacterium eventually identified as Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. This bacterium plays a relevant role in olive fly fitness. It is vertically transmitted, and it benefits both larvae and adults in wild populations; however, the endosymbiont is not present in lab colonies, probably due to the antibiotics and preservatives required for the preparation of artificial diets. Endosymbiont transfer from wild B. oleae populations to laboratory-reared ones allows olive fly mass-rearing, thus producing more competitive flies for future Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) applications. RESULTS We tested the hypothesis that Ca. E. dacicola might be transmitted from wild, naturally symbiotic adults to laboratory-reared flies. Several trials have been performed with different contamination sources of Ca. E. dacicola, such as ripe olives and gelled water contaminated by wild flies, wax domes containing eggs laid by wild females, cages dirtied by faeces dropped by wild flies and matings between lab and wild adults. PCR-DGGE, performed with the primer set 63F-GC/518R, demonstrated that the transfer of the endosymbiont from wild flies to lab-reared ones occurred only in the case of cohabitation. CONCLUSIONS Cohabitation of symbiotic wild flies and non-symbiotic lab flies allows the transfer of Ca. E. dacicola through adults. Moreover, PCR-DGGE performed with the primer set 63F-GC/518R was shown to be a consistent method for screening Ca. E. dacicola, also showing the potential to distinguish between the two haplotypes (htA and htB). This study represents the first successful attempt at horizontal transfer of Ca. E. dacicola and the first step in acquiring a better understanding of the endosymbiont physiology and its relationship with the olive fly. Our research also represents a starting point for the development of a laboratory symbiotic olive fly colony, improving perspectives for future applications of the Sterile Insect Technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Bigiotti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Roberta Pastorelli
- Research Centre for Agriculture and Environment, Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria (CREA-AA), via di Lanciola, 12/A, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Roberto Guidi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Belcari
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Patrizia Sacchetti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI), University of Florence, via Maragliano 77, 50144 Florence, Italy
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Bonnet I, Bozzi B, Fourniols E, Mitrovic S, Soulier-Escrihuela O, Brossier F, Sougakoff W, Robert J, Jauréguiberry S, Aubry A. Erwinia billingiae as Unusual Cause of Septic Arthritis, France, 2017. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25:1587-1589. [PMID: 31310207 PMCID: PMC6649348 DOI: 10.3201/eid2508.181073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2017 in France, we treated a patient with knee septic arthritis caused by Erwinia billingiae after trauma involving a palm tree. This rare pathogen could only be identified through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. For bacterial infections after injuries with plants, 16S rRNA gene sequencing might be required for species identification.
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MESH Headings
- Aged
- Humans
- Male
- Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use
- Arthritis, Infectious/diagnosis
- Arthritis, Infectious/drug therapy
- Arthritis, Infectious/microbiology
- Enterobacteriaceae Infections/diagnosis
- Enterobacteriaceae Infections/epidemiology
- Enterobacteriaceae Infections/microbiology
- Erwinia/classification
- Erwinia/genetics
- Erwinia/isolation & purification
- France
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/isolation & purification
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
- Treatment Outcome
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16
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Holeva MC, Morán F, Scuderi G, González A, López MM, Llop P. Development of a real-time PCR method for the specific detection of the novel pear pathogen Erwinia uzenensis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219487. [PMID: 31291321 PMCID: PMC6619794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Erwinia uzenensis is a plant-pathogenic bacterium, recently described in Japan, which infects pear trees, causing the ‘bacterial black shoot disease of European pear’ (BBSDP). Like other Erwinia pear pathogens, E. uzenensis causes damp, black lesions on young shoots resembling those of E. amylovora, but not blossom blight, fruitlet blight or wilting of the shoot tip. The distribution of E. uzenensis seems restricted to the country where it was reported up to now, but it may spread to other countries and affect new hosts, as is the current situation with E. piriflorinigrans and E. pyrifoliae. Fast and accurate detection systems for this new pathogen are needed to study its biology and to identify it on pear or other hosts. We report here the development of a specific and sensitive detection protocol based on a real-time PCR with a TaqMan probe for E. uzenensis, and its evaluation. In sensitivity assays, the detection threshold of this protocol was 101 cfu ml-1 on pure bacterial cultures and 102–103 cfu ml-1 on spiked plant material. The specificity of the protocol was evaluated against E. uzenensis and 46 strains of pear-associated Erwinia species different to E. uzenensis. No cross-reaction with the non-target bacterial species or the loss of sensitivity were observed. This specific and sensitive diagnostic tool may reveal a wider distribution and host range of E. uzenensis initially considered restricted to a region and will expand our knowledge of the life cycle and environmental preferences of this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Holeva
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Department of Plant Pathology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, Kifissia, Attica, Greece
| | - Félix Morán
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Department of Plant Pathology, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
| | - Giuseppe Scuderi
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Department of Sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and food security, Euro-Mediterranean Institute of Science and Technology (IEMEST), Palermo, Italy
| | - Asier González
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Department of Plant Pathology, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
| | - María M. López
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Department of Plant Pathology, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
| | - Pablo Llop
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Department of Plant Pathology, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
- * E-mail: ,
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17
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Shapiro LR, Paulson JN, Arnold BJ, Scully ED, Zhaxybayeva O, Pierce NE, Rocha J, Klepac-Ceraj V, Holton K, Kolter R. An Introduced Crop Plant Is Driving Diversification of the Virulent Bacterial Pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila. mBio 2018; 9:e01307-18. [PMID: 30279283 PMCID: PMC6168856 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01307-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Erwinia tracheiphila is the causal agent of bacterial wilt of cucurbits, an economically important phytopathogen affecting an economically important phytopathogen affecting few cultivated Cucurbitaceae few cultivated Cucurbitaceae host plant species in temperate eastern North America. However, essentially nothing is known about E. tracheiphila population structure or genetic diversity. To address this shortcoming, a representative collection of 88 E. tracheiphila isolates was gathered from throughout its geographic range, and their genomes were sequenced. Phylogenomic analysis revealed three genetic clusters with distinct hrpT3SS virulence gene repertoires, host plant association patterns, and geographic distributions. Low genetic heterogeneity within each cluster suggests a recent population bottleneck followed by population expansion. We showed that in the field and greenhouse, cucumber (Cucumis sativus), which was introduced to North America by early Spanish conquistadors, is the most susceptible host plant species and the only species susceptible to isolates from all three lineages. The establishment of large agricultural populations of highly susceptible C. sativus in temperate eastern North America may have facilitated the original emergence of E. tracheiphila into cucurbit agroecosystems, and this introduced plant species may now be acting as a highly susceptible reservoir host. Our findings have broad implications for agricultural sustainability by drawing attention to how worldwide crop plant movement, agricultural intensification, and locally unique environments may affect the emergence, evolution, and epidemic persistence of virulent microbial pathogens.IMPORTANCEErwinia tracheiphila is a virulent phytopathogen that infects two genera of cucurbit crop plants, Cucurbita spp. (pumpkin and squash) and Cucumis spp. (muskmelon and cucumber). One of the unusual ecological traits of this pathogen is that it is limited to temperate eastern North America. Here, we complete the first large-scale sequencing of an E. tracheiphila isolate collection. From phylogenomic, comparative genomic, and empirical analyses, we find that introduced Cucumis spp. crop plants are driving the diversification of E. tracheiphila into multiple lineages. Together, the results from this study show that locally unique biotic (plant population) and abiotic (climate) conditions can drive the evolutionary trajectories of locally endemic pathogens in unexpected ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori R Shapiro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joseph N Paulson
- Department of Biostatistics, Product Development, Genentech Inc., San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Brian J Arnold
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin D Scully
- Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research Unit, USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Olga Zhaxybayeva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Naomi E Pierce
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jorge Rocha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- CIDEA Consortium Conacyt-Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Vanja Klepac-Ceraj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kristina Holton
- Department of Biostatistics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Roberto Kolter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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18
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Shapiro LR, Scully ED, Straub TJ, Park J, Stephenson AG, Beattie GA, Gleason ML, Kolter R, Coelho MC, De Moraes CM, Mescher MC, Zhaxybayeva O. Horizontal Gene Acquisitions, Mobile Element Proliferation, and Genome Decay in the Host-Restricted Plant Pathogen Erwinia Tracheiphila. Genome Biol Evol 2016; 8:649-64. [PMID: 26992913 PMCID: PMC4824170 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evw016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern industrial agriculture depends on high-density cultivation of genetically similar crop plants, creating favorable conditions for the emergence of novel pathogens with increased fitness in managed compared with ecologically intact settings. Here, we present the genome sequence of six strains of the cucurbit bacterial wilt pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila (Enterobacteriaceae) isolated from infected squash plants in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Michigan. These genomes exhibit a high proportion of recent horizontal gene acquisitions, invasion and remarkable amplification of mobile genetic elements, and pseudogenization of approximately 20% of the coding sequences. These genome attributes indicate that E. tracheiphila recently emerged as a host-restricted pathogen. Furthermore, chromosomal rearrangements associated with phage and transposable element proliferation contribute to substantial differences in gene content and genetic architecture between the six E. tracheiphila strains and other Erwinia species. Together, these data lead us to hypothesize that E. tracheiphila has undergone recent evolution through both genome decay (pseudogenization) and genome expansion (horizontal gene transfer and mobile element amplification). Despite evidence of dramatic genomic changes, the six strains are genetically monomorphic, suggesting a recent population bottleneck and emergence into E. tracheiphila's current ecological niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori R Shapiro
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
| | - Erin D Scully
- Grain, Forage, and Bioenergy Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Lincoln, Nebraska and Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
| | | | - Jihye Park
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics and Genomics, Pennsylvania State University Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Gwyn A Beattie
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
| | - Mark L Gleason
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University
| | - Roberto Kolter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Miguel C Coelho
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University
| | | | - Mark C Mescher
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Olga Zhaxybayeva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College
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19
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Liu B, Luo J, Li W, Long XF, Zhang YQ, Zeng ZG, Tian YQ. Erwinia teleogrylli sp. nov., a Bacterial Isolate Associated with a Chinese Cricket. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146596. [PMID: 26800121 PMCID: PMC4723187 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A bacterial isolate (SCU-B244T) was obtained in China from crickets (Teleogryllus occipitalis) living in cropland deserted for approximately 10 years. The isolated bacteria were Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, oxidase-negative rods. A preliminary analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the strain belongs to either the genus Erwinia or Pantoea. Analysis of multilocus sequence typing based on concatenated partial atpD, gyrB and infB gene sequences and physiological and biochemical characteristics indicated that the strain belonged to the genus Erwinia, as member of a new species as it was distinct from other known Erwinia species. Further analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed SCU-B244T to have 94.71% identity to the closest species of that genus, Erwinia oleae (DSM 23398T), which is below the threshold of 97% used to discriminate bacterial species. DNA-DNA hybridization results (5.78±2.52%) between SCU-B244T and Erwinia oleae (DSM 23398T) confirmed that SCU-B244T and Erwinia oleae (DSM 23398T) represent different species combined with average nucleotide identity values which range from 72.42% to 74.41. The DNA G+C content of SCU-B244T was 55.32 mol%, which also differs from that of Erwinia oleae (54.7 to 54.9 mol%). The polyphasic taxonomic approach used here confirmed that the strain belongs to the Erwinia group and represents a novel species. The name Erwinia teleogrylli sp. nov. is proposed for this novel taxon, for which the type strain is SCU-B244T (= CGMCC 1.12772T = DSM 28222T = KCTC 42022T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Key laboratory of Leather Chemistry and engineering, College of Light Industry, Textile & Food Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
| | - Jin Luo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
| | - Xiu-Feng Long
- Key laboratory of Leather Chemistry and engineering, College of Light Industry, Textile & Food Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Qin Zhang
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Gang Zeng
- Sichuan Industrial Institute of Antibiotics, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
| | - Yong-Qiang Tian
- Key laboratory of Leather Chemistry and engineering, College of Light Industry, Textile & Food Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
- * E-mail:
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Zlatohurska MA, Tovkach EL. MORPHOLOGICAL HETEROGENEITY OF TEMPERATE ERWINIOPHAGE 59. Mikrobiol Z 2016; 78:71-83. [PMID: 30759338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED This paper is devoted to the phenomenon of morphological heterogeneity within the population of the temperate erwiniophage 59, which does not have analogies among other bacterial viruses. AIM To investigate the basic properties of erwiniophage 59 heteroge- neous population obtained from different isogenic strains of amilovora-like bacterium Erwinia "horticola" (Eho). METHODS Erwiniophage 59 was obtained by propagation on its traditional host Eho 450, as well as on its three isogenic strains and a related bacterium E. "horticola" 60. Physical and chemical properties of the phage particles were studied using centrifugation in CsCl-gradients, electrophoresis in agarose gels, electron micros- copy, restriction analysis ofDNA and SDS-PA GE of the virion polypeptides. RESULTS It was shown that the pool oftemperatephage 59 is a heterogeneous population consisting of two phage types when propagated on the mentioned hosts. These types are discrete and have buoyant-density difference of 0.02 g/cm3, that allowed to separate subpopulations for a de- tailed investigation. The subpopulation with the higher density was determined as the au- thentic bacteriophage 59 (subpopulation II with capsid diameter of55.36 nm). The capsid diameter of the subpopulation Iparticles equals 51.16 nm. Both types ofparticles do not differ by DNA size and have identical restriction patterns. Based on the SmaI-restriction analysis it may be concluded that the DNA packaging remains unchangeable and is carried out according to the headfull packaging mechanism. However; the subpopulation I differs from the original one by a relative content of some polypeptides. Curiously, the subpopulations I and II have different values of lysogenization and spontaneous induction frequencies. CONCLUSIONS An unusual type of morphological heterogeneity ofthe phage 59 particles was observedfor thefirst time; this heterogeneity is associated with the presence of two equimolar subpopulations with different physical and chemical parametrs of the virions. Morphological heterogeneity of temperate erwiniophage 59 significantly differs from such of the classical coliphages as T4, P1 and the phage system P2-P4.
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Faidiuk IV, Tovkach EI. Exclusion of polyvalent T7-like phages by prophage elements. Mikrobiol Z 2014; 76:42-50. [PMID: 25434214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The study presents new insights into the process of interaction of T7-like bacteriophages FE44 and BA14 with lysogenic cells. It was demonstrated that single and double lysogens possess Abiphenotype regardless of genera, species and strain of bacteria that initially had normal phage sensitivity. Efficiency of plating of these phages is reduced by two orders of magnitude on monolysogens, whereas it decreases by 4-6 orders on bilysogens. In the latter case, phage infection leads to formation of more than 60% of aberrant capsids in phage progeny. Abortive phage infection is suggested to be associated with defects in general dynamics of the bacterial chromosome in single and double lysogens of Erwinia "horticola" and Escherichia coli.
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Gautam D, Dobhal S, Payton ME, Fletcher J, Ma LM. Surface survival and internalization of salmonella through natural cracks on developing cantaloupe fruits, alone or in the presence of the melon wilt pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105248. [PMID: 25147942 PMCID: PMC4141780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Outbreaks of foodborne illness attributed to the consumption of Salmonella-tainted cantaloupe have occurred repeatedly, but understanding of the ecology of Salmonella on cantaloupe fruit surfaces is limited. We investigated the interactions between Salmonella enterica Poona, the plant pathogenic bacterium Erwinia tracheiphila, and cantaloupe fruit. Fruit surfaces were inoculated at the natural cracking stage by spreading S. enterica and E. tracheiphila, 20 µl at 107 cfu/ml, independently or together, over a 2×2 cm rind area containing a crack. Microbial and microscopic analyses were performed at 0, 9 and 24 days post inoculation (DPI). Even at 24 DPI (fruit maturity) S. enterica was detected on 14% and 40% of the fruit inoculated with S. enterica alone and the two-pathogen mixture, respectively. However, the population of S. enterica declined gradually after initial inoculation. E. tracheiphila, inoculated alone or together with Salmonella, caused watersoaked lesions on cantaloupe fruit; but we could not conclude in this study that S. enterica survival on the fruit surface was enhanced by the presence of those lesions. Of fruit inoculated with E. tracheiphila alone and sampled at 24 DPI, 61% had watersoaked lesions on the surface. In nearly half of those symptomatic fruits the watersoaking extended into the sub-rind mesocarp, and E. tracheiphila was recovered from that tissue in 50% of the symptomatic fruit. In this work, E. tracheiphila internalized through natural cracks on developing fruits. S. enterica was never detected in the fruit interior (ca. 2-3 mm below rind surface) under the limited conditions of our experiments, but the possibility that it, or other human pathogens that contaminate fresh produce, might also do so should be investigated under a wider range of conditions and produce types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhiraj Gautam
- National Institute for Microbial Forensics & Food and Agricultural Biosecurity, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Shefali Dobhal
- National Institute for Microbial Forensics & Food and Agricultural Biosecurity, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Mark E. Payton
- Department of Statistics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline Fletcher
- National Institute for Microbial Forensics & Food and Agricultural Biosecurity, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Li Maria Ma
- National Institute for Microbial Forensics & Food and Agricultural Biosecurity, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
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Wang C, Zeng J, Li Y, Hu W, Chen L, Miao Y, Deng P, Yuan C, Ma C, Chen X, Zang M, Wang Q, Li K, Chang J, Wang Y, Yang G, He G. Enrichment of provitamin A content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by introduction of the bacterial carotenoid biosynthetic genes CrtB and CrtI. J Exp Bot 2014; 65:2545-56. [PMID: 24692648 PMCID: PMC4036513 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoid content is a primary determinant of wheat nutritional value and affects its end-use quality. Wheat grains contain very low carotenoid levels and trace amounts of provitamin A content. In order to enrich the carotenoid content in wheat grains, the bacterial phytoene synthase gene (CrtB) and carotene desaturase gene (CrtI) were transformed into the common wheat cultivar Bobwhite. Expression of CrtB or CrtI alone slightly increased the carotenoid content in the grains of transgenic wheat, while co-expression of both genes resulted in a darker red/yellow grain phenotype, accompanied by a total carotenoid content increase of approximately 8-fold achieving 4.76 μg g(-1) of seed dry weight, a β-carotene increase of 65-fold to 3.21 μg g(-1) of seed dry weight, and a provitamin A content (sum of α-carotene, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin) increase of 76-fold to 3.82 μg g(-1) of seed dry weight. The high provitamin A content in the transgenic wheat was stably inherited over four generations. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed that enhancement of provitamin A content in transgenic wheat was also a result of the highly coordinated regulation of endogenous carotenoid biosynthetic genes, suggesting a metabolic feedback regulation in the wheat carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. These transgenic wheat lines are not only valuable for breeding wheat varieties with nutritional benefits for human health but also for understanding the mechanism regulating carotenoid biosynthesis in wheat endosperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Zeng
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yin Li
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Hu
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Chen
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yingjie Miao
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Pengyi Deng
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Cuihong Yuan
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Cheng Ma
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Chen
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingli Zang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kexiu Li
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Junli Chang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuesheng Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangxiao Yang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangyuan He
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Shapiro LR, Seidl-Adams I, De Moraes CM, Stephenson AG, Mescher MC. Dynamics of short- and long-term association between a bacterial plant pathogen and its arthropod vector. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4155. [PMID: 24561664 PMCID: PMC3932477 DOI: 10.1038/srep04155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of association between pathogens and vectors can strongly influence epidemiology. It has been proposed that wilt disease epidemics in cucurbit populations are sustained by persistent colonization of beetle vectors (Acalymma vittatum) by the bacterial phytopathogen Erwinia tracheiphila. We developed a qPCR method to quantify E. tracheiphila in whole beetles and frass and used it to assess pathogen acquisition and retention following variable exposure to infected plants. We found that (i) E. tracheiphila is present in frass in as little as three hours after feeding on infected plants and can be transmitted with no incubation period by vectors given brief exposure to infected plants, but also by persistently colonized vectors several weeks following exposure; (ii) duration of exposure influences rates of long-term colonization; (iii) frass infectivity (assessed via inoculation experiments) reflects bacterial levels in frass samples across time; and (iv) vectors rarely clear E. tracheiphila infections, but suffer no apparent loss of fitness. These results describe a pattern conducive to the effective maintenance of E. tracheiphila within cucurbit populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. R. Shapiro
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 02138
| | - I. Seidl-Adams
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - C. M. De Moraes
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - A. G. Stephenson
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - M. C. Mescher
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Abstract
Sucrose isomerase NX-5 from Erwiniarhapontici efficiently catalyzes the isomerization of sucrose to isomaltulose (main product) and trehalulose (by-product). To investigate the molecular mechanism controlling sucrose isomer formation, we determined the crystal structures of native NX-5 and its mutant complexes E295Q/sucrose and D241A/glucose at 1.70 Å, 1.70 Å and 2.00 Å, respectively. The overall structure and active site architecture of NX-5 resemble those of other reported sucrose isomerases. Strikingly, the substrate binding mode of NX-5 is also similar to that of trehalulose synthase from Pseudomonasmesoacidophila MX-45 (MutB). Detailed structural analysis revealed the catalytic RXDRX motif and the adjacent 10-residue loop of NX-5 and isomaltulose synthase PalI from Klebsiella sp. LX3 adopt a distinct orientation from those of trehalulose synthases. Mutations of the loop region of NX-5 resulted in significant changes of the product ratio between isomaltulose and trehalulose. The molecular dynamics simulation data supported the product specificity of NX-5 towards isomaltulose and the role of the loop330-339 in NX-5 catalysis. This work should prove useful for the engineering of sucrose isomerase for industrial carbohydrate biotransformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials–Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Sha Li
- State Key Laboratory of Materials–Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohai Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Materials–Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials–Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail: (HX); (JT)
| | - Jiahai Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bio-Organic and Natural Products Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (HX); (JT)
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Unterholzner SJ, Hailer B, Poppenberger B, Rozhon W. Characterisation of the stbD/E toxin-antitoxin system of pEP36, a plasmid of the plant pathogen Erwinia pyrifoliae. Plasmid 2013; 70:216-25. [PMID: 23632277 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2013.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Revised: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
pEP36 is a plasmid ubiquitously present in Erwinia pyrifoliae, a pathogen which causes black stem blight of Asian pear. pEP36 is highly stable in its host, even in the absence of selective pressure. The plasmid is closely related to pEA29, which is widespread in E. amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight of apple and pear trees. Here we report that pEP36 possesses a functional hybrid toxin-antitoxin module, stbD/E(pEP36), with the toxin showing homology to the RelE/ParE proteins and the antidote belonging to the Phd/YefM antitoxin family. Bacteria expressing the StbE(pEP36) toxin arrest cell growth and enter a viable but non-culturable stage. However, they maintain their typical cell length and do not show filamentation. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that StbE(pEP36) acts as a global inhibitor of protein synthesis while it does not interfere with DNA and RNA synthesis. The StbD(pEP36) antitoxin is capable of neutralising StbE(pEP36) toxicity. Additional experiments show that the stbD/E(pEP36) module can stabilise plasmids at least 20-fold. Thus the toxin-antitoxin system may contribute to the remarkable stability of pEP36.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J Unterholzner
- Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Straße 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
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Rojas ES, Dixon PM, Batzer JC, Gleason ML. Genetic and virulence variability among Erwinia tracheiphila strains recovered from different cucurbit hosts. Phytopathology 2013; 103:900-905. [PMID: 23927426 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-11-12-0301-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The causal agent of cucurbit bacterial wilt, Erwinia tracheiphila, has a wide host range in the family Cucurbitaceae, including economically important crops such as muskmelon (Cucumis melo), cucumber (C. sativus), and squash (Cucurbita spp.). Genetic variability of 69 E. tracheiphila strains was investigated by repetitive-element polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) using BOXA1R and ERIC1-2 primers. Fingerprint profiles revealed significant variability associated with crop host; strains isolated from Cucumis spp. were clearly distinguishable from Cucurbita spp.-isolated strains regardless of geographic origin. Twelve E. tracheiphila strains isolated from muskmelon, cucumber, or summer squash were inoculated onto muskmelon and summer squash seedlings, followed by incubation in a growth chamber. Wilt symptoms were assessed over 3 weeks, strains were reisolated, and rep-PCR profiles were compared with the inoculated strains. Wilting occurred significantly faster when seedlings were inoculated with strains that originated from the same crop host genus (P<0.001). In the first run of the experiment, cucumber and muskmelon strains caused wilting on muskmelon seedlings at a median of 7.8 and 5.6 days after inoculation (dai), respectively. Summer squash seedlings wilted 18.0, 15.7, and 5.7 dai when inoculated with muskmelon-, cucumber-, and squash-origin strains, respectively. In a second run of the experiment, cucumber and muskmelon strains caused wilting on muskmelon at 7.0 and 6.9 dai, respectively, whereas summer squash seedlings wilted at 23.6, 29.0 and 9.0 dai when inoculated with muskmelon-, cucumber-, and squash-origin strains, respectively. Our results provide the first evidence of genetic diversity within E. tracheiphila and suggest that strain specificity is associated with plant host. This advance is a first step toward understanding the genetic and population structure of E. tracheiphila.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Saalau Rojas
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011, USA
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Chen J, Pu Z, Xiao Y, Li C, Du X, Su C, Zhang X. [Lycopene synthesis via tri-cistronic expression of LeGGPS2, LePSY1 and crtI in Escherichia coli]. Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao 2012; 28:823-833. [PMID: 23167194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Studies on lycopene synthesis in Escherichia coli were not only able to gain the strains with high yield and less by-products, but also able to test functions of genes or gene clusters. In this article, the cDNA sequences of tomato LeGGPS2 and LePSY1 as well as the coding sequence of crtI from Erwinia uredovora, each of which was added a ribosome biding site, were controlled by T7 promoter and terminator alone or combined, and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) to induce lycopene synthesis. The results show that only T7::crtI-LeGGPS2-LePSY1 expressed tri-cistronically could produce lycopene, and 2.124 mg/g dry cell weight oflycopene was obtained when fermented for 5 h at 30 degrees C after mixing 80 micromol/L IPTG at the later logarithmic phase while the seed broth of 1:50 (V/V) was inoculated into LB medium (pH 6.8) containing 3% sucrose and cultured for 8 h at 37 degrees C. The results confirmed the function of the prokaryonized LeGGPS2 and LePSY1 and their synergy with crtI, and also laid a foundation to establish an independent lycopene synthetic pathway in the tomato plastid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Horticulture Science for Southern Mountainous Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Landscape Architechture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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Cao H, Zhang J, Xu J, Ye J, Yun Z, Xu Q, Xu J, Deng X. Comprehending crystalline β-carotene accumulation by comparing engineered cell models and the natural carotenoid-rich system of citrus. J Exp Bot 2012; 63:4403-17. [PMID: 22611233 PMCID: PMC3421982 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ers115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2012] [Revised: 03/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/23/2012] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Genetic manipulation of carotenoid biosynthesis has become a recent focus for the alleviation of vitamin A deficiency. However, the genetically modified phenotypes often challenge the expectation, suggesting the incomplete comprehension of carotenogenesis. Here, embryogenic calli were engineered from four citrus genotypes as engineered cell models (ECMs) by over-expressing a bacterial phytoene synthase gene (CrtB). Ripe flavedos (the coloured outer layer of citrus fruits), which exhibit diverse natural carotenoid patterns, were offered as a comparative system to the ECMs. In the ECMs, carotenoid patterns showed diversity depending on the genotypes and produced additional carotenoids, such as lycopene, that were absent from the wild-type lines. Especially in the ECMs from dark-grown culture, there emerged a favoured β,β-pathway characterized by a striking accumulation of β-carotene, which was dramatically different from those in the wild-type calli and ripe flavedos. Unlike flavedos that contained a typical chromoplast development, the ECMs sequestered most carotenoids in the amyloplasts in crystal form, which led the amyloplast morphology to show a chromoplast-like profile. Transcriptional analysis revealed a markedly flavedo-specific expression of the β-carotene hydroxylase gene (HYD), which was suppressed in the calli. Co-expression of CrtB and HYD in the ECMs confirmed that HYD predominantly mediated the preferred carotenoid patterns between the ECMs and flavedos, and also revealed that the carotenoid crystals in the ECMs were mainly composed of β-carotene. In addition, a model is proposed to interpret the common appearance of a favoured β,β-pathway and the likelihood of carotenoid degradation potentially mediated by photo-oxidation and vacuolar phagocytosis in the ECMs is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Juan Xu
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ;
| | - Xiuxin Deng
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ;
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Hosni T, Moretti C, Devescovi G, Suarez-Moreno ZR, Fatmi MB, Guarnaccia C, Pongor S, Onofri A, Buonaurio R, Venturi V. Sharing of quorum-sensing signals and role of interspecies communities in a bacterial plant disease. ISME J 2011; 5:1857-70. [PMID: 21677694 PMCID: PMC3223305 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2011.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2010] [Revised: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 04/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria interact not only with the host organism but most probably also with the resident microbial flora. In the knot disease of the olive tree (Olea europaea), the causative agent is the bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi (Psv). Two bacterial species, namely Pantoea agglomerans and Erwinia toletana, which are not pathogenic and are olive plant epiphytes and endophytes, have been found very often to be associated with the olive knot. We identified the chemical signals that are produced by strains of the three species isolated from olive knot and found that they belong to the N-acyl-homoserine lactone family of QS signals. The luxI/R family genes responsible for the production and response to these signals in all three bacterial species have been identified and characterized. Genomic knockout mutagenesis and in planta experiments showed that virulence of Psv critically depends on QS; however, the lack of signal production can be complemented by wild-type E. toletana or P. agglomerans. It is also apparent that the disease caused by Psv is aggravated by the presence of the two other bacterial species. In this paper we discuss the potential role of QS in establishing a stable consortia leading to a poly-bacterial disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taha Hosni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Bacteriology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiaraluce Moretti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giulia Devescovi
- Bacteriology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - M' Barek Fatmi
- Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Complexe Horticole d'Agadir, Agadir, Morocco
| | - Corrado Guarnaccia
- Bacteriology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sandor Pongor
- Bacteriology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy
| | - Andrea Onofri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Roberto Buonaurio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Vittorio Venturi
- Bacteriology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy
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Campos VL, León C, Mondaca MA, Yañez J, Zaror C. Arsenic mobilization by epilithic bacterial communities associated with volcanic rocks from Camarones River, Atacama Desert, northern Chile. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 2011; 61:185-192. [PMID: 20859623 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-010-9601-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2010] [Accepted: 08/23/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The arsenic biogeochemical cycle is greatly dependent on microbial transformations that affect both the distribution and mobility of arsenic species in the environment. In this study, a microbial biofilm from volcanic rocks was characterized on the basis of its bacterial composition and ability to mobilize arsenic under circumneutral pH. Biofilm microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Strains were isolated from biofilms and identified by 16S rDNA sequences analysis. Arsenic oxidation and reduction capacity was assayed with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to gaseous formation performing the detection by atomic absortion in a quartz bucket (HPLC/HG/QAAS), and polymerase chain reaction was used to detect aox and ars genes. Bacterial communities associated with volcanic rocks were studied by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The SEM-EDS studies showed the presence of biofilm after 45 days of incubation. The relative closest GenBank matches of the DNA sequences, of isolated arsenic-resistant strains, showed the existence of four different genus: Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, Erwinia, and Pantoea. Four arsenite-resistant strains were isolates, and only three strains were able to oxidize >97% of the As(III) present (500 uM). All arsenate-resistant isolates were able to reduce between 69 and 86% of total As(V) (1000 uM). Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences obtained by DGGE showed the presence of four bacterial groups (∝-proteobacteria, γ-proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria). Experiments demonstrate that epilithic bacterial communities play a key role in the mobilization of arsenic and metalloids speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- V L Campos
- Microbiology Department, Biologic Science Faculty, University of Concepción, P.O. Box 160-C, Correo 3, Concepción, Chile.
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Amin NM, Bunawan H, Redzuan RA, Jaganath IBS. Erwinia mallotivora sp., a new pathogen of papaya (Carica papaya) in Peninsular Malaysia. Int J Mol Sci 2010; 12:39-45. [PMID: 21339975 PMCID: PMC3039941 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2010] [Revised: 12/10/2010] [Accepted: 12/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Erwinia mallotivora was isolated from papaya infected with dieback disease showing the typical symptoms of greasy, water-soaked lesions and spots on leaves. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the strain belonged to the genus Erwinia and was united in a monophyletic group with E. mallotivora DSM 4565 (AJ233414). Earlier studies had indicated that the causal agent for this disease was E. papayae. However, our current studies, through Koch’s postulate, have confirmed that papaya dieback disease is caused by E. mallotivora. To our knowledge, this is the first new discovery of E. mallotivora as a causal agent of papaya dieback disease in Peninsular Malaysia. Previous reports have suggested that E. mallotivora causes leaf spot in Mallotus japonicus. However, this research confirms it also to be pathogenic to Carica papaya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriha Mat Amin
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, P.O Box 12301, General Post Office, 50774 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; E-Mails: (H.B.); (R.A.R.); (I.B.S.J.)
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Kube M, Migdoll AM, Gehring I, Heitmann K, Mayer Y, Kuhl H, Knaust F, Geider K, Reinhardt R. Genome comparison of the epiphytic bacteria Erwinia billingiae and E. tasmaniensis with the pear pathogen E. pyrifoliae. BMC Genomics 2010; 11:393. [PMID: 20565991 PMCID: PMC2897811 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-11-393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2009] [Accepted: 06/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genus Erwinia includes plant-associated pathogenic and non-pathogenic Enterobacteria. Important pathogens such as Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight and E. pyrifoliae causing bacterial shoot blight of pear in Asia belong to this genus. The species E. tasmaniensis and E. billingiae are epiphytic bacteria and may represent antagonists for biocontrol of fire blight. The presence of genes that are putatively involved in virulence in E. amylovora and E. pyrifoliae is of special interest for these species in consequence. RESULTS Here we provide the complete genome sequences of the pathogenic E. pyrifoliae strain Ep1/96 with a size of 4.1 Mb and of the non-pathogenic species E. billingiae strain Eb661 with a size of 5.4 Mb, de novo determined by conventional Sanger sequencing and next generation sequencing techniques. Genome comparison reveals large inversions resulting from homologous recombination events. Furthermore, comparison of deduced proteins highlights a relation of E. billingiae strain Eb661 to E. tasmaniensis strain Et1/99 and a distance to E. pyrifoliae for the overall gene content as well as for the presence of encoded proteins representing virulence factors for the pathogenic species. Pathogenicity of E. pyrifoliae is supposed to have evolved by accumulation of potential virulence factors. E. pyrifoliae carries factors for type III secretion and cell invasion. Other genes described as virulence factors for E. amylovora are involved in the production of exopolysaccharides, the utilization of plant metabolites such as sorbitol and sucrose. Some virulence-associated genes of the pathogenic species are present in E. tasmaniensis but mostly absent in E. billingiae. CONCLUSION The data of the genome analyses correspond to the pathogenic lifestyle of E. pyrifoliae and underlines the epiphytic localization of E. tasmaniensis and E. billingiae as a saprophyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kube
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, htpt group, Ihnestr. 63, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander M Migdoll
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, htpt group, Ihnestr. 63, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Gehring
- Julius Kuehn Institute, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, D-69221 Dossenheim, Germany
- Heidelberg Institute for Plant Science, Neuenheimer Feld 360, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Heitmann
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, htpt group, Ihnestr. 63, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Yvonne Mayer
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, htpt group, Ihnestr. 63, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Heiner Kuhl
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, htpt group, Ihnestr. 63, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Knaust
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, htpt group, Ihnestr. 63, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus Geider
- Julius Kuehn Institute, Institute for Plant Protection in Fruit Crops and Viticulture, Schwabenheimer Str. 101, D-69221 Dossenheim, Germany
| | - Richard Reinhardt
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, htpt group, Ihnestr. 63, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
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Estes AM, Hearn DJ, Bronstein JL, Pierson EA. The olive fly endosymbiont, "Candidatus Erwinia dacicola," switches from an intracellular existence to an extracellular existence during host insect development. Appl Environ Microbiol 2009; 75:7097-106. [PMID: 19767463 PMCID: PMC2786516 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00778-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2009] [Accepted: 09/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As polyphagous, holometabolous insects, tephritid fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) provide a unique habitat for endosymbiotic bacteria, especially those microbes associated with the digestive system. Here we examine the endosymbiont of the olive fly [Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae)], a tephritid of great economic importance. "Candidatus Erwinia dacicola" was found in the digestive systems of all life stages of wild olive flies from the southwestern United States. PCR and microscopy demonstrated that "Ca. Erwinia dacicola" resided intracellularly in the gastric ceca of the larval midgut but extracellularly in the lumen of the foregut and ovipositor diverticulum of adult flies. "Ca. Erwinia dacicola" is one of the few nonpathogenic endosymbionts that transitions between intracellular and extracellular lifestyles during specific stages of the host's life cycle. Another unique feature of the olive fly endosymbiont is that unlike obligate endosymbionts of monophagous insects, "Ca. Erwinia dacicola" has a G+C nucleotide composition similar to those of closely related plant-pathogenic and free-living bacteria. These two characteristics of "Ca. Erwinia dacicola," the ability to transition between intracellular and extracellular lifestyles and a G+C nucleotide composition similar to those of free-living relatives, may facilitate survival in a changing environment during the development of a polyphagous, holometabolous host. We propose that insect-bacterial symbioses should be classified based on the environment that the host provides to the endosymbiont (the endosymbiont environment).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M Estes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, 310 BioSciences West, 1041 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85721, usa.
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Cong L, Wang C, Chen L, Liu H, Yang G, He G. Expression of phytoene synthase1 and carotene desaturase crtI genes result in an increase in the total carotenoids content in transgenic elite wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). J Agric Food Chem 2009; 57:8652-60. [PMID: 19694433 DOI: 10.1021/jf9012218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Dietary micronutrient deficiencies, such as the lack of vitamin A, are a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Carotenoids in food can function as provitamin A in humans, while grains of Chinese elite wheat cultivars generally have low carotenoid contents. To increase the carotenoid contents in common wheat endosperm, transgenic wheat has been generated by expressing the maize y1 gene encoding phytoene synthase driven by a endosperm-specific 1Dx5 promoter in the elite wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety EM12, together with the bacterial phytoene desaturase crtI gene from Erwinia uredovora under the constitutive CaMV 35S promoter control. A clear increase of the carotenoid content was detected in the endosperms of transgenic wheat that visually showed a light yellow color. The total carotenoids content was increased up to 10.8-fold as compared with the nontransgenic EM12 cultivar. To test whether the variability of total carotenoid content in different transgenic lines was due to differences in the transgene copy number or expression pattern, Southern hybridization and semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses were curried out. The results showed that transgene copy numbers and transcript levels did not associate well with carotenoid contents. The expression patterns of endogenous carotenoid genes, such as the phytoene synthases and carotene desaturases, were also investigated in wild-type and transgenic wheat lines. No significant changes in expression levels of these genes were detected in the transgenic endosperms, indicating that the increase in carotenoid transgenic wheat endosperms resulted from the expression of transgenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Cong
- China-UK HUST-RRes Genetic Engineering and Genomics Joint Laboratory, The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology (HUST), Wuhan 430074, China
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Abstract
Insects that vector diseases of plants are of critical concern to agriculture, but relationships between the vectors and pathogens often are poorly understood. In this study, we present research on vector relationships between the striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and the pathogen that causes bacterial wilt of cucurbits, Erwinia tracheiphila (Smith) (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae). We studied how the bacteria were retained in the gut of the beetle by developing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique for extracting and identifying bacterial DNA in the frass. Bacterial DNA usually was present in the frass for 24 h after beetles had consumed inoculum but diminished quickly and was undetectable within 96 h. The amount of time that bacterial DNA could be detected in frass increased with the amount of inoculum and the length of time that beetles were exposed to inoculum and also varied with the strain of bacterium. Frass that tested positive for bacterial DNA also was infective to cucumber plants, confirming that DNA was indicative of viable bacteria and that frass could be a pathway for transmission of the pathogen. This research suggests that few cucumber beetles serve as long-term vectors of the pathogen and that aggregation of the beetle on host plants may be critical for initiating plant infections in spring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Mitchell
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 320 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Lehman SM, Kim WS, Castle AJ, Svircev AM. Duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction reveals competition between Erwinia amylovora and E. pyrifoliae on pear blossoms. Phytopathology 2008; 98:673-679. [PMID: 18944291 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-98-6-0673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Erwinia amylovora and E. pyrifoliae are the causative agents of fire blight and Asian pear blight, respectively. The pathogens are closely related, with overlapping host ranges. Data are unavailable on the current distribution of E. pyrifoliae and on the interaction between the two species when they are present together on the same host. In this study, a duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol was developed to monitor the population dynamics of E. amylovora and E. pyrifoliae on the surface of Bartlett pear blossoms. Bacterial cells washed from blossoms were used directly as the PCR template without DNA extraction. Primers and a probe based on the E. amylovora levansucrase gene detected all E. amylovora strains. All E. pyrifoliae strains, including the Japanese Erwinia strains previously described as E. amylovora, were detected with a primer and probe combination based on the E. pyrifoliae hrpW gene. Disease development and severity were not significantly different in blossoms inoculated with individual Erwinia species or with a mixture of the two species. However, E. amylovora grew to greater population sizes than did E. pyrifoliae in both single species inoculations and in mixtures, suggesting that E. amylovora has a greater competitive fitness on Bartlett pear blossoms than E. pyrifoliae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Lehman
- Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Southern Croop Protection & Food Research Center, Vineland Station, ON, Canada L0R 2E0
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Shrestha R, Park DH, Cho JM, Cho S, Wilson C, Hwang I, Hur JH, Lim CK. Genetic organization of the hrp genes cluster in Erwinia pyrifoliae and characterization of HR active domains in HrpNEp protein by mutational analysis. Mol Cells 2008; 25:30-42. [PMID: 18319611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The disease-specific (dsp) region and the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (hrp) genes, including the hrpW, hrpNEp, and hrpC operons have previously been sequenced in Erwinia pyrifoliae WT3 [Shrestha et al. (2005a)]. In this study, the remaining hrp genes, including the hrpC, hrpA, hrpS, hrpXY, hrpL and hrpJ operons, were determined. The hrp genes cluster (ca. 38 kb) was comprised of eight transcriptional units and contained nine hrc (hrp conserved) genes. The genetic organization of the hrp/hrc genes and their orientation for the transcriptions were also similar to and collinear with those of E. amylovora, showing > or = 80% homologies. However, ORFU1 and ORFU2 of unknown functions, present between the hrpA and hrpS operons of E. amylovora, were absent in E. pyrifoliae. To determine the HR active domains, several proteins were prepared from truncated fragments of the N-terminal and the C-terminal regions of HrpN(Ep) protein of E. pyrifoliae. The proteins prepared from the N-terminal region elicited HR, but not from those of the C-terminal region indicating that HR active domains are located in only N-terminal region of the HrpN(Ep) protein. Two synthetic oligopeptides produced HR on tobacco confirming presence of two HR active domains in the HrpN(Ep). The HR positive N-terminal fragment (HN delta C187) was further narrowed down by deleting C-terminal amino acids and internal amino acids to investigate whether amino acid insertion region have role in faster and stronger HR activity in HrpN(Ep) than HrpN(Ea). The HrpN(Ep) mutant proteins HN delta C187 (D1AIR), HN delta C187 (D2AIR) and HN delta C187 (DM41) retained similar HR activation to that of wild-type HrpN(Ep). However, the HrpN(Ep) mutant protein HN delta C187 (D3AIR) lacking third amino acid insertion region (102 to 113 aa) reduced HR when compared to that of wild-type HrpN(Ep). Reduction in HR elicitation could not be observed when single amino acids at different positions were substituted at third amino acids insertion region. But, substitution of amino acids at L103R, L106K and L110R showed reduction in HR activity on tobacco suggesting their importance in activation of HR faster in the HrpN(Ep) although it requires further detailed analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Shrestha
- Laboratory of Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology, Division of Bio-Resources Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea
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de Vries EJ, van der Wurff AWG, Jacobs G, Breeuwer JAJ. Onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, have gut bacteria that are closely related to the symbionts of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. J Insect Sci 2008; 8:1-11. [PMID: 20298113 PMCID: PMC3061595 DOI: 10.1673/031.008.2301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2007] [Accepted: 04/11/2007] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
It has been shown that many insects have Enterobacteriaceae bacteria in their gut system. The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande [Thysanoptera: Thripidae], has a symbiotic relation with Erwinia species gut bacteria. To determine if other Thripidae species have similar bacterial symbionts, the onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, was studied because, like F. occidentalis, it is phytophagous. Contrary to F. occidentalis, T. tabaci is endemic in Europe and biotypes have been described. Bacteria were isolated from the majority of populations and biotypes of T. tabaci examined. Bacteria were present in high numbers in most individuals of the populations studied. Like F. occidentalis, T. tabaci contained one type of bacterium that clearly outnumbered all other types present in the gut. This bacterium was identified as an Erwinia species, as was also the case for F. occidentalis. However, its biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence differed from the bacteria present in F. occidentalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egbert J de Vries
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 318, 1098 SM Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Yang H, Fan B, Gong M, Li Q. [Isolation and identification of a novel phosphate-dissolving strain P21]. Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao 2008; 48:51-56. [PMID: 18338576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Phosphate-dissolving microorganisms can be applied for better use of insoluble phosphorus as fertilizer., A phosphate-dissolving strain P21 was isolated from soil samples in China. The isolate was identified as Erwinia herbicola var. ananas, based on its 16Sr DNA sequence and physiological characteristics. Its activity was measured in solid media as well as liquid media using different phosphate sources including tricalium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, ferric phosphate, aluminium phosphate, zinc phosphate, and rock phosphates. E. herbicola could strongly dissolve 1206.20 mg tricalium phosphate and 529.67 mg hydroxyapatite in per liter liquid media. The strain showed high phosphate-dissolving ability for rock phosphates from Jinning and Kunyang in Yunnan province, Yaan in Sichuan province and Jinping in Jiangsu province with the capacity of 6.64 mg, 78.46 mg, 67.07 mg and 65.24 mg soluble phosphate respectively per liter medium, whereas the phosphate-dissolving ability to the rest of the eight rock phosphates was weak. According to the experiments, the phosphate-dissolving ability of E. herbicola was specific to different rock phosphates, and phosphate-dissolving ability of E. herbicola was not directly related to pH reduction of liquid media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yang
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
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Sohn SI, Kim YH, Kim BR, Lee SY, Lim CK, Hur JH, Lee JY. Transgenic tobacco expressing the hrpN(EP) gene from Erwinia pyrifoliae triggers defense responses against botrytis cinerea. Mol Cells 2007; 24:232-9. [PMID: 17978576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
HrpN(EP), from the gram-negative pathogen, Erwinia pyrifoliae, is a member of the harpin group of proteins, inducing pathogen resistance and hypersensitive cell death in plants. When the hrpN(EP) gene driven by the OsCc1 promoter was introduced into tobacco plants via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, their resistance to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen, Botrytis cinerea, increased. Resistance to B. cinerea was correlated with enhanced induction of SA-dependent genes such as PR-1a, PR2, PR3 and Chia5, of JA-dependent genes such as PR-1b, and of genes related to ethylene production, such as NT-EFE26, NT-1A1C, DS321, NT-ACS1 and NT-ACS2. However the expression of NPR1, which is thought to be essential for multiple-resistance, did not increase. Since the pattern of expression of defense-related genes in hrpN(EP)-expressing tobacco differed from that in plants expressing hpaG(Xoo) from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae, these results suggest that different harpins can affect the expression of different defense-related genes, as well as resistance to different plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo-In Sohn
- National Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Rural Development Administration, Suwon 441-707, Korea
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Barnard AM, Bowden SD, Burr T, Coulthurst SJ, Monson RE, Salmond GP. Quorum sensing, virulence and secondary metabolite production in plant soft-rotting bacteria. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2007; 362:1165-83. [PMID: 17360277 PMCID: PMC2435580 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2007.2042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing describes the ability of bacteria to sense their population density and respond by modulating gene expression. In the plant soft-rotting bacteria, such as Erwinia, an arsenal of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes is produced in a cell density-dependent manner, which causes maceration of plant tissue. However, quorum sensing is central not only to controlling the production of such destructive enzymes, but also to the control of a number of other virulence determinants and secondary metabolites. Erwinia synthesizes both N-acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) and autoinducer-2 types of quorum sensing signal, which both play a role in regulating gene expression in the phytopathogen. We review the models for AHL-based regulation of carbapenem antibiotic production in Erwinia. We also discuss the importance of quorum sensing in the production and secretion of virulence determinants by Erwinia, and its interplay with other regulatory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - George P.C Salmond
- Department of Biochemistry, University of CambridgeTennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
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Xu Z, Tian B, Sun Z, Lin J, Hua Y. Identification and functional analysis of a phytoene desaturase gene from the extremely radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. Microbiology (Reading) 2007; 153:1642-1652. [PMID: 17464079 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.2006/002857-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The phytoene-related desaturases are the key enzymes in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. The gene encoding phytoene desaturase in the deinoxanthin synthesis pathway of Deinococcus radiodurans was identified and characterized. Two putative phytoene desaturase homologues (DR0861 and DR0810) were identified by analysis of conserved amino acid regions, and the former displayed the highest identity (68 %) with phytoene desaturase of the cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus. DR0861 gene knockout and dinucleotide-binding motif deletion resulted in the arrest of lycopene synthesis and the accumulation of phytoene. The colourless DR0861 knockout mutant became more sensitive to acute ionizing radiation and oxygen stress. Complementation of the mutant with a heterologous or homologous gene restored its pigment and resistance. The desaturase activity of DR0861 (crtI) was further confirmed by the assay of enzyme activity in vitro and heterologous expression in Escherichia coli containing crtE and crtB genes (responsible for phytoene synthesis) from Erwinia uredovora. In addition, the amount of lycopene synthesis in E. coli resulting from the expression of crtI from D. radiodurans was determined, and this had significant dose-dependent effects on the survival rate of E. coli exposed to hydrogen peroxide and ionizing radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjian Xu
- Institute of Nuclear-Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310029 Hangzhou, China
| | - Bing Tian
- Institute of Nuclear-Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310029 Hangzhou, China
| | - Zongtao Sun
- Institute of Nuclear-Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310029 Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Lin
- Institute of Nuclear-Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310029 Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuejin Hua
- Institute of Nuclear-Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310029 Hangzhou, China
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Buttner MP, Cruz P, Stetzenbach LD, Cronin T. Evaluation of two surface sampling methods for detection of Erwinia herbicola on a variety of materials by culture and quantitative PCR. Appl Environ Microbiol 2007; 73:3505-10. [PMID: 17416685 PMCID: PMC1932667 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01825-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This research was designed to evaluate surface sampling protocols for use with culture and quantitative PCR (QPCR) amplification assay for detection of the gram-negative bacterial biothreat simulant Erwinia herbicola on a variety of surface materials. Surfaces selected for evaluation were wood laminate, glass and computer monitor screens, metal file cabinets, plastic arena seats, nylon seat cushions, finished concrete flooring, and vinyl tile flooring. Laboratory and test chamber studies were performed to evaluate two sampling methods, a sponge and a macrofoam swab, for detection of E. herbicola on surface materials. In laboratory trials, seven materials were inoculated with a known concentration of E. herbicola cells and samples were collected from the surfaces of the materials to determine sampling efficiencies. Culture analysis was ineffective for assessing E. herbicola collection efficiency because very few culturable cells were obtained from surface samples. QPCR demonstrated that E. herbicola DNA was present in high concentrations on all of the surface samples, and sampling efficiencies ranged from 0.7 to 52.2%, depending on the sampling method and the surface material. The swab was generally more efficient than the sponge for collection of E. herbicola from surfaces. Test chamber trials were also performed in which E. herbicola was aerosolized into the chamber and allowed to settle onto test materials. Surface sampling results supported those obtained in laboratory trials. The results of this study demonstrate the capabilities of QPCR to enhance the detection and enumeration of biocontaminants on surface materials and provide information on the comparability of sampling methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Buttner
- Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4009, USA.
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Abstract
Autoinducers are important for cellular communication of bacteria. The luxS gene has a central role in the synthesis of autoinducer-2 (AI-2). The gene was identified in a shotgun library of Erwinia amylovora and primers designed for PCR amplification from bacterial DNA. Supernatants of several Erwinia amylovora strains were assayed for AI-2 activity with a Vibrio harveyi mutant and were positive. Many other plant-associated bacteria also showed AI-2 activity such as Erwinia pyrifoliae and Erwinia tasmaniensis. The luxS genes of several bacteria were cloned, sequenced, and complemented Escherichia coli strain DH5alpha and a Salmonella typhimurium mutant, both defective in luxS, for synthesis of AI-2. Assays to detect AI-2 activity in culture supernatants of several Pseudomonas syringae pathovars failed, which may indicate the absence of AI-2 or synthesis of another type. Several reporter strains did not detect synthesis of an acyl homoserine lactone (AHL, AI-1) by Erwinia amylovora, but confirmed AHL-synthesis for Erwinia carotovora ssp. atroseptica and Pantoea stewartii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Mohammadi
- Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (BBA), Dossenheim, Germany
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Geider K, Auling G, Du Z, Jakovljevic V, Jock S, Völksch B. Erwinia tasmaniensis sp. nov., a non-phytopathogenic bacterium from apple and pear trees. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2007; 56:2937-2943. [PMID: 17159002 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.64032-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria were isolated from flowers and bark of apple and pear trees at three places in Australia. In Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland, strains with white colonies on nutrient agar were screened for dome-shaped colony morphology on agar with sucrose and were found to be closely related by several criteria. The isolates were not pathogenic on apples or pears. They were characterized by a polyphasic approach including microbiological and API assays as well as fatty acid methyl ester analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and DNA sequencing. For molecular classification, the 16S rRNA cistron and the conserved genes gpd and recA of these bacteria were investigated. Together with other taxonomic criteria, the results of these studies indicate that the bacteria belong to a novel separate species, which we propose to name Erwinia tasmaniensis sp. nov., with the type strain Et1/99(T) (=DSM 17950(T)=NCPPB 4357(T)). From DNA-DNA hybridization kinetics, microbiological characteristics and nucleotide sequence analyses, this species is related to pathogenic Erwinia species, but also to the epiphytic species Erwinia billingiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Geider
- Max-Planck-Institut für Zellbiologie, Rosenhof, 68526 Ladenburg, Germany
| | - Georg Auling
- Universität Hannover, Institut für Mikrobiologie, Schneiderberg 50, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Zhiqiang Du
- Max-Planck-Institut für Zellbiologie, Rosenhof, 68526 Ladenburg, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Jock
- Max-Planck-Institut für Zellbiologie, Rosenhof, 68526 Ladenburg, Germany
| | - Beate Völksch
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Mikrobiologie, Neugasse 25, 07743 Jena, Germany
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Ahmad M, Alam SS, Alam S, Usman A, Coplin DL. Export of the HR eliciting protein, Harpin(Es), of the maize pathogen Erwinia stewartii is species-specific but is independent of the growth temperature. Pak J Biol Sci 2007; 10:117-21. [PMID: 19069996 DOI: 10.3923/pjbs.2007.117.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The extra-cellular export of the HR-eliciting protein, Harpin(Es) of the maize pathogen Erwinia stewartii was studied to find out if the protein needs any species-specific signal for its export and to determine if the export of the protein to the medium is affected in any way by the growth temperature. Based upon the experimental evidence, it was proved that the protein (i.e., Harpin(Es)) does require its own export system (species-specific) to get out of the bacterial cell and can not be exported by the export system of even the very closely related bacterium, Erwinia amylovora. It was also found that the export of Harpin(Es) is, unlike the case of Harpin(Ea) (HR-eliciting protein of Erwinia amylovora), independent of the growth temperature.
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Abstract
Applications of chloroplast engineering in agriculture and biotechnology will depend critically on success in extending the crop range of chloroplast transformation, and on the feasibility of expressing transgenes in edible organs (such as tubers and fruits), which often are not green and thus are much less active in chloroplast gene expression. We have improved a recently developed chloroplast-transformation system for tomato plants and applied it to engineering one of the central metabolic pathways in fruits: carotenoid biosynthesis. We report that plastid expression of a bacterial lycopene beta-cyclase gene results in herbicide resistance and triggers conversion of lycopene, the main storage carotenoid of tomatoes, to beta-carotene, resulting in fourfold enhanced pro-vitamin A content of the fruits. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of engineering nutritionally important biochemical pathways in non-green plastids by transformation of the chloroplast genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Wurbs
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie (MPI-MP), Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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Triplett LR, Zhao Y, Sundin GW. Genetic differences between blight-causing Erwinia species with differing host specificities, identified by suppression subtractive hybridization. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006; 72:7359-64. [PMID: 16963554 PMCID: PMC1636173 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01159-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2006] [Accepted: 08/23/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PCR-based subtractive hybridization was used to isolate sequences from Erwinia amylovora strain Ea110, which is pathogenic on apples and pears, that were not present in three closely related strains with differing host specificities: E. amylovora MR1, which is pathogenic only on Rubus spp.; Erwinia pyrifoliae Ep1/96, the causal agent of shoot blight of Asian pears; and Erwinia sp. strain Ejp556, the causal agent of bacterial shoot blight of pear in Japan. In total, six subtractive libraries were constructed and analyzed. Recovered sequences included type III secretion components, hypothetical membrane proteins, and ATP-binding proteins. In addition, we identified an Ea110-specific sequence with homology to a type III secretion apparatus component of the insect endosymbiont Sodalis glossinidius, as well as an Ep1/96-specific sequence with homology to the Yersinia pestis effector protein tyrosine phosphatase YopH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Triplett
- Department of Plant Pathology, Michigan State University, 103 Center for Integrated Plant Systems, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Xiu JH, Ji GH, Wang M, Yang YL, Li CY. [Molecular identification and genetic diversity in Konnyaku's soft rot bacteria]. Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao 2006; 46:522-5. [PMID: 17037047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The soft rot bacteria Erwinia are an important pathogens of konnyaku and other ornamental plants. Thirty-three strains were isolated from soft-rotted konnyaku and other ornamental plants. According to the characteristics of pathogenicity and culture character on semi selective medium (crystal violet pectate, CVP), most of strains tested caused rotten symptom in tubers and stems of konnyaku, and characteristic deep cavities were formed on CVP. To amplify 16S-23S rDNA intergenic transcribed spacer( ITS) by PCR and electrophorese through agarose gel, most strains are clustered into two heterogeneous populations of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora, E.c.c. and Erwinia chrysanthemi, E. ch.. Besides, several other strains could not be identified into species by ITS-PCR. The characteristic band patterns of E.c.c. and E.ch. could be clearly distinguished by repetitive element-polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR,BOX and J3 primers). And the fingerprinting of E.c.c. stains were also different from each other. Dendrogram was generated from the data of primer BOX by using UPGMA analysis because the primer BOX was higher resolution than other primers (such as prime J3) for identifying the same intraspecies strains. Strains of E.c.c. were divided into five groups on the 0.1 level of linkage distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-hua Xiu
- Key Labouratory of the Ministry of Education for Agro-Biodiversity and Disease Control, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
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