scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Two Emerging Rice Seed Bacterial Pathogens

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 436-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Fory ◽  
L. Triplett ◽  
C. Ballen ◽  
J. F. Abello ◽  
J. Duitama ◽  
...  

Seed sterility and grain discoloration limit rice production in Colombia and several Central American countries. In samples of discolored rice seed grown in Colombian fields, the species Burkholderia glumae and B. gladioli were isolated, and field isolates were compared phenotypically. An artificial inoculation assay was used to determine that, although both bacterial species cause symptoms on rice grains, B. glumae is a more aggressive pathogen, causing yield reduction and higher levels of grain sterility. To identify putative virulence genes differing between B. glumae and B. gladioli, four previously sequenced genomes of Asian and U.S. strains of the two pathogens were compared with each other and with two draft genomes of Colombian B. glumae and B. gladioli isolates generated for this study. Whereas previously characterized Burkholderia virulence factors are highly conserved between the two species, B. glumae and B. gladioli strains are predicted to encode distinct groups of genes encoding type VI secretion systems, transcriptional regulators, and membrane-sensing proteins. This study shows that both B. glumae and B. gladioli can threaten grain quality, although only one species affects yield. Furthermore, genotypic differences between the two strains are identified that could contribute to disease phenotypic differences.

BMC Biology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Chou ◽  
Yu-Chen Lin ◽  
Mindia Haryono ◽  
Mary Nia M. Santos ◽  
Shu-Ting Cho ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Many named species as defined in current bacterial taxonomy correspond to species complexes. Uncertainties regarding the organization of their genetic diversity challenge research efforts. We utilized the Agrobacterium tumefaciens species complex (a.k.a. Agrobacterium biovar 1), a taxon known for its phytopathogenicity and applications in transformation, as a study system and devised strategies for investigating genome diversity and evolution of species complexes. Results We utilized 35 genome assemblies, including 14 newly generated ones, to achieve a phylogenetically balanced sampling of A. tumefaciens. Our genomic analysis suggested that the 10 genomospecies described previously are distinct biological species and supported a quantitative guideline for species delineation. Furthermore, our inference of gene content and core-genome phylogeny allowed for investigations of genes critical in fitness and ecology. For the type VI secretion system (T6SS) involved in interbacterial competition and thought to be conserved, we detected multiple losses and one horizontal gene transfer. For the tumor-inducing plasmids (pTi) and pTi-encoded type IV secretion system (T4SS) that are essential for agrobacterial phytopathogenicity, we uncovered novel diversity and hypothesized their involvement in shaping this species complex. Intriguingly, for both T6SS and T4SS, genes encoding structural components are highly conserved, whereas extensive diversity exists for genes encoding effectors and other proteins. Conclusions We demonstrate that the combination of a phylogeny-guided sampling scheme and an emphasis on high-quality assemblies provides a cost-effective approach for robust analysis in evolutionary genomics. We show that the T6SS VgrG proteins involved in specific effector binding and delivery can be classified into distinct types based on domain organization. The co-occurrence patterns of VgrG-associated domains and the neighboring genes that encode different chaperones/effectors can be used to infer possible interacting partners. Similarly, the associations between plant host preference and the pTi type among these strains can be used to infer phenotype-genotype correspondence. Our strategies for multi-level investigations at scales that range from whole genomes to intragenic domains and phylogenetic depths from between- to within-species are applicable to other bacteria. Furthermore, modularity observed in the molecular evolution of genes and domains is useful for inferring functional constraints and informing experimental works.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
María Florencia Eberhardt ◽  
José Matías Irazoqui ◽  
Ariel Fernando Amadio

Stabilization ponds are a common treatment technology for wastewater generated by dairy industries. Large proportions of cheese whey are thrown into these ponds, creating an environmental problem because of the large volume produced and the high biological and chemical oxygen demands. Due to its composition, mainly lactose and proteins, it can be considered as a raw material for value-added products, through physicochemical or enzymatic treatments. β-Galactosidases (EC 3.2.1.23) are lactose modifying enzymes that can transform lactose in free monomers, glucose and galactose, or galactooligosacharides. Here, the identification of novel genes encoding β-galactosidases, identified via whole-genome shotgun sequencing of the metagenome of dairy industries stabilization ponds is reported. The genes were selected based on the conservation of catalytic domains, comparing against the CAZy database, and focusing on families with β-galactosidases activity (GH1, GH2 and GH42). A total of 394 candidate genes were found, all belonging to bacterial species. From these candidates, 12 were selected to be cloned and expressed. A total of six enzymes were expressed, and five cleaved efficiently ortho-nitrophenyl-β-galactoside and lactose. The activity levels of one of these novel β-galactosidase was higher than other enzymes reported from functional metagenomics screening and higher than the only enzyme reported from sequence-based metagenomics. A group of novel mesophilic β-galactosidases from diary stabilization ponds’ metagenomes was successfully identified, cloned and expressed. These novel enzymes provide alternatives for the production of value-added products from dairy industries’ by-products.


2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Palevich ◽  
William J. Kelly ◽  
Siva Ganesh ◽  
Jasna Rakonjac ◽  
Graeme T. Attwood

ABSTRACTRumen bacterial species belonging to the genusButyrivibrioare important degraders of plant polysaccharides, particularly hemicelluloses (arabinoxylans) and pectin. Currently, four species are recognized; they have very similar substrate utilization profiles, but little is known about how these microorganisms are able to coexist in the rumen. To investigate this question,Butyrivibrio hungateiMB2003 andButyrivibrio proteoclasticusB316Twere grown alone or in coculture on xylan or pectin, and their growth, release of sugars, fermentation end products, and transcriptomes were examined. In monocultures, B316Twas able to grow well on xylan and pectin, while MB2003 was unable to utilize either of these insoluble substrates to support significant growth. Cocultures of B316Tgrown with MB2003 revealed that MB2003 showed growth almost equivalent to that of B316Twhen either xylan or pectin was supplied as the substrate. The effect of coculture on the transcriptomes of B316Tand MB2003 was assessed; B316Ttranscription was largely unaffected by the presence of MB2003, but MB2003 expressed a wide range of genes encoding proteins for carbohydrate degradation, central metabolism, oligosaccharide transport, and substrate assimilation, in order to compete with B316Tfor the released sugars. These results suggest that B316Thas a role as an initiator of primary solubilization of xylan and pectin, while MB2003 competes effectively for the released soluble sugars to enable its growth and maintenance in the rumen.IMPORTANCEFeeding a future global population of 9 billion people and climate change are the primary challenges facing agriculture today. Ruminant livestock are important food-producing animals, and maximizing their productivity requires an understanding of their digestive systems and the roles played by rumen microbes in plant polysaccharide degradation.Butyrivibriospecies are a phylogenetically diverse group of bacteria and are commonly found in the rumen, where they are a substantial source of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes for the depolymerization of lignocellulosic material. Our findings suggest that closely related species ofButyrivibriohave developed unique strategies for the degradation of plant fiber and the subsequent assimilation of carbohydrates in order to coexist in the competitive rumen environment. The identification of genes expressed during these competitive interactions gives further insight into the enzymatic machinery used by these bacteria as they degrade the xylan and pectin components of plant fiber.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Palevich ◽  
Paul H. Maclean ◽  
William J. Kelly ◽  
Sinead C. Leahy ◽  
Jasna Rakonjac ◽  
...  

AbstractRuminants are essential for maintaining the global population and managing greenhouse gas emissions. In the rumen, bacterial species belonging to the genera rumen Butyrivibrio and Pseudobutyrivibrio constitute the core bacterial rumen microbiome and are important degraders of plant-derived complex polysaccharides. Pseudobutyrivibrio xylanivorans MA3014 was selected for genome sequencing in order to examine its ability to breakdown and utilize plant polysaccharides. The complete genome sequence of MA3014 is 3.58 Mb, consists of three replicons (a chromosome, chromid and plasmid), has an overall G+C content of 39.6% and encodes 3,265 putative protein-coding genes (PCGs). Comparative pan-genomics of all cultivated and currently available P. xylanivorans genomes has revealed highly open genomes and a strong correlation of orthologous genes within this species of rumen bacteria. MA3014 is metabolically versatile and capable of utilizing a range of simple mono-or oligosaccharides to complex plant polysaccharides such as pectins, mannans, starch and hemicelluloses for growth, with lactate, butyrate and formate as the principal fermentation end-products. The genes encoding these metabolic pathways have been identified and MA3014 is predicted to encode an extensive repertoire of Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes (CAZymes) with 80 Glycoside Hydrolases (GHs), 28 Carbohydrate Esterases (CEs) and 51 Glycosyl Transferases (GTs), that suggest its role as an initiator of primary solubilization of plant matter in the rumen.


Author(s):  
Smitha Sivapragasam ◽  
Arpita Ghosh ◽  
Sanjay Kumar ◽  
Danté T Johnson ◽  
Anne Grove

Abstract The stringent response involves accumulation of (p)ppGpp, and it ensures that survival is prioritized. Production of (p)ppGpp requires purine synthesis, and upregulation of an operon that encodes the purine salvage enzyme xanthine dehydrogenase (Xdh) has been observed during stringent response in some bacterial species, where direct binding of ppGpp to a TetR-family transcription factor is responsible for increased xdh gene expression. We show here that the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum has a regulatory system in which the LysR-family transcription factor XanR controls expression of the xan operon; this operon encodes Xdh as well as other enzymes involved in purine salvage, which favor accumulation of xanthine. XanR bound upstream of the xan operon, a binding that was attenuated on addition of either ppGpp or cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP). Using a reporter in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) is expressed under control of a modified xan promoter, XanR was shown to repress EGFP production. Our data suggest that R. solanacearum features a regulatory mechanism in which expression of genes encoding purine salvage enzymes is controlled by a transcription factor that belongs to a different protein family, yet performs similar regulatory functions.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (14) ◽  
pp. 5228-5239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Crapoulet ◽  
Pascal Barbry ◽  
Didier Raoult ◽  
Patricia Renesto

ABSTRACT Tropheryma whipplei, the agent responsible for Whipple disease, is a poorly known pathogen suspected to have an environmental origin. The availability of the sequence of the 0.92-Mb genome of this organism made a global gene expression analysis in response to thermal stresses feasible, which resulted in unique transcription profiles. A few genes were differentially transcribed after 15 min of exposure at 43°C. The effects observed included up-regulation of the dnaK regulon, which is composed of six genes and is likely to be under control of two HspR-associated inverted repeats (HAIR motifs) found in the 5′ region. Putative virulence factors, like the RibC and IspDF proteins, were also overexpressed. While it was not affected much by heat shock, the T. whipplei transcriptome was strongly modified following cold shock at 4°C. For the 149 genes that were differentially transcribed, eight regulons were identified, and one of them was composed of five genes exhibiting similarity with genes encoding ABC transporters. Up-regulation of these genes suggested that there was an increase in nutrient uptake when the bacterium was exposed to cold stress. As observed for other bacterial species, the major classes of differentially transcribed genes encode membrane proteins and enzymes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, indicating that membrane modifications are critical. Paradoxically, the heat shock proteins GroEL2 and ClpP1 were up-regulated. Altogether, the data show that despite the lack of classical regulation pathways, T. whipplei exhibits an adaptive response to thermal stresses which is consistent with its specific environmental origin and could allow survival under cold conditions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameh Barhoumi ◽  
Hasna Ellouzi ◽  
Abdelmajid KROUMA

Abstract Background Lime-induced iron deficiency in Pea plants is a major nutritional disorder causing severe plant growth and yield reduction in calcareous soils of Tunisia. Other the chemical fertilization for iron chlorosis correction, the exploration of the genotypic differences in response to this constraint remains the most efficient approach due to its coast, environmental benefits, and sustainability. This approach allows as to screen tolerant genotypes and identify useful traits of tolerance. Results calcareous-induced iron deficiency reduced SPAD index, plant growth, net photosynthesis, and tissues Fe concentration against a significant stimulation of the oxidative stress indicators, H2O2 and Malondialdehyde (MDA). In the same time, we have reported significant induction of SOD activity in shoots and CAT activity in roots of the genotype Alexandra (ne clear behavior observed in the other genotypes). Fe use efficiency increased on calcareous soil and clearly discriminates the studied genotypes. Conclusion Genotypic differences were observed, and Alex was found to be the most tolerant. This genotype protect its tissues against oxidative stress by stimulating SOD activity in shoots and CAT içn roots, and expressed significant efficiency of Fe uptake and use on calcareous soil. The Fe use efficiency for photosynthesis and for SOD and CAT activities clearly discriminates the studied genotypes and can be used as a useful trait for further screening programs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 201 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiuxin Qu ◽  
Neha K. Prasad ◽  
Michelle A. Yu ◽  
Shuyan Chen ◽  
Amy Lyden ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Conditionally essential (CE) genes are required by pathogenic bacteria to establish and maintain infections. CE genes encode virulence factors, such as secretion systems and effector proteins, as well as biosynthetic enzymes that produce metabolites not found in the host environment. Due to their outsized importance in pathogenesis, CE gene products are attractive targets for the next generation of antimicrobials. However, the precise manipulation of CE gene expression in the context of infection is technically challenging, limiting our ability to understand the roles of CE genes in pathogenesis and accordingly design effective inhibitors. We previously developed a suite of CRISPR interference-based gene knockdown tools that are transferred by conjugation and stably integrate into bacterial genomes that we call Mobile-CRISPRi. Here, we show the efficacy of Mobile-CRISPRi in controlling CE gene expression in an animal infection model. We optimize Mobile-CRISPRi in Pseudomonas aeruginosa for use in a murine model of pneumonia by tuning the expression of CRISPRi components to avoid nonspecific toxicity. As a proof of principle, we demonstrate that knock down of a CE gene encoding the type III secretion system (T3SS) activator ExsA blocks effector protein secretion in culture and attenuates virulence in mice. We anticipate that Mobile-CRISPRi will be a valuable tool to probe the function of CE genes across many bacterial species and pathogenesis models. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to global health. To optimize the use of our existing antibiotics and identify new targets for future inhibitors, understanding the fundamental drivers of bacterial growth in the context of the host immune response is paramount. Historically, these genetic drivers have been difficult to manipulate precisely, as they are requisite for pathogen survival. Here, we provide the first application of Mobile-CRISPRi to study conditionally essential virulence genes in mouse models of lung infection through partial gene perturbation. We envision the use of Mobile-CRISPRi in future pathogenesis models and antibiotic target discovery efforts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1055-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namgyu Kim ◽  
Jin Ju Kim ◽  
Inyoung Kim ◽  
Mohamed Mannaa ◽  
Jungwook Park ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (18) ◽  
pp. 2657-2676
Author(s):  
Thomas Trunk ◽  
Michael A. Casasanta ◽  
Christopher C. Yoo ◽  
Daniel J. Slade ◽  
Jack C. Leo

Abstract Autotransporters, or type 5 secretion systems, are widespread surface proteins of Gram-negative bacteria often associated with virulence functions. Autotransporters consist of an outer membrane β-barrel domain and an exported passenger. In the poorly studied type 5d subclass, the passenger is a patatin-like lipase. The prototype of this secretion pathway is PlpD of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen. The PlpD passenger is a homodimer with phospholipase A1 (PLA1) activity. Based on sequencing data, PlpD-like proteins are present in many bacterial species. We characterized the enzymatic activity, specific lipid binding and oligomeric status of PlpD homologs from Aeromonas hydrophila (a fish pathogen), Burkholderia pseudomallei (a human pathogen) and Ralstonia solanacearum (a plant pathogen) and compared these with PlpD. We demonstrate that recombinant type 5d-secreted patatin domains have lipase activity and form dimers or higher-order oligomers. However, dimerization is not necessary for lipase activity; in fact, by making monomeric variants of PlpD, we show that enzymatic activity slightly increases while protein stability decreases. The lipases from the intracellular pathogens A. hydrophila and B. pseudomallei display PLA2 activity in addition to PLA1 activity. Although the type 5d-secreted lipases from the animal pathogens bound to intracellular lipid targets, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol phosphates, hydrolysis of these lipids could only be observed for FplA of Fusobacterium nucleatum. Yet, we noted a correlation between high lipase activity in type 5d autotransporters and intracellular lifestyle. We hypothesize that type 5d phospholipases are intracellularly active and function in modulation of host cell signaling events.


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