scholarly journals Differences between Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a and Pantoea agglomerans BRT98 in Epiphytic and Endophytic Colonization of Leaves

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 1220-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siva Sabaratnam ◽  
Gwyn A. Beattie
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Pantoea Agglomerans ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Surface Sites ◽  
Maize Leaves ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Favorable Conditions

ABSTRACT The leaf colonization strategies of two bacterial strains were investigated. The foliar pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strain B728a and the nonpathogen Pantoea agglomerans strain BRT98 were marked with a green fluorescent protein, and surface (epiphytic) and subsurface (endophytic) sites of bean and maize leaves in the laboratory and the field were monitored to see if populations of these strains developed. The populations were monitored using both fluorescence microscopy and counts of culturable cells recovered from nonsterilized and surface-sterilized leaves. The P. agglomerans strain exclusively colonized epiphytic sites on the two plant species. Under favorable conditions, the P. agglomerans strain formed aggregates that often extended over multiple epidermal cells. The P. syringae pv. syringae strain established epiphytic and endophytic populations on asymptomatic leaves of the two plant species in the field, with most of the P. syringae pv. syringae B728a cells remaining in epiphytic sites of the maize leaves and an increasing number occupying endophytic sites of the bean leaves in the 15-day monitoring period. The epiphytic P. syringae pv. syringae B728a populations appeared to originate primarily from multiplication in surface sites rather than from the movement of cells from subsurface to surface sites. The endophytic P. syringae pv. syringae B728a populations appeared to originate primarily from inward movement through the stomata, with higher levels of multiplication occurring in bean than in maize. A rainstorm involving a high raindrop momentum was associated with rapid growth of the P. agglomerans strain on both plant species and with rapid growth of both the epiphytic and endophytic populations of the P. syringae pv. syringae strain on bean but not with growth of the P. syringae pv. syringae strain on maize. These results demonstrate that the two bacterial strains employed distinct colonization strategies and that the epiphytic and endophytic population dynamics of the pathogenic P. syringae pv. syringae strain were dependent on the plant species, whereas those of the nonpathogenic P. agglomerans strain were not.

Green fluorescent protein reveals variability in vacuoles of three plant species

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. P. Sansebastiano ◽  
L. Renna ◽  
M. Gigante ◽  
M. Caroli ◽  
G. Piro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Green Fluorescent

scholarly journals Functional Characterization of a Drought-Responsive Invertase Inhibitor from Maize (Zea mays L.)

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 4081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Chen ◽  
Xiaohong Liu ◽  
Xiaojia Huang ◽  
Wei Luo ◽  
Yuming Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Protein Fusion ◽  
Drought Treatment ◽  
Vacuolar Invertase ◽  
Maize Leaves ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Proteinaceous Inhibitor

Invertases (INVs) play essential roles in plant growth in response to environmental cues. Previous work showed that plant invertases can be post-translationally regulated by small protein inhibitors (INVINHs). Here, this study characterizes a proteinaceous inhibitor of INVs in maize (Zm-INVINH4). A functional analysis of the recombinant Zm-INVINH4 protein revealed that it inhibited both cell wall and vacuolar invertase activities from maize leaves. A Zm-INVINH4::green fluorescent protein fusion experiment indicated that this protein localized in the apoplast. Transcript analysis showed that Zm-INVINH4 is specifically expressed in maize sink tissues, such as the base part of the leaves and young kernels. Moreover, drought stress perturbation significantly induced Zm-INVINH4 expression, which was accompanied with a decrease of cell wall invertase (CWI) activities and an increase of sucrose accumulation in both base parts of the leaves 2 to 7 days after pollinated kernels. In summary, the results support the hypothesis that INV-related sink growth in response to drought treatment is (partially) caused by a silencing of INV activity via drought-induced induction of Zm-INVINH4 protein.

scholarly journals Combined Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of a Cationic Disubstituted Dexamethasone-Spermine Conjugate

2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 2525-2533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bucki ◽  
Katarzyna Leszczyńska ◽  
Fitzroy J. Byfield ◽  
David E. Fein ◽  
Esther Won ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Glucocorticoid Receptors ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Lipoteichoic Acid ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Bacterial Killing ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Anti Inflammatory ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT The rising number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains represents an emerging health problem that has motivated efforts to develop new antibacterial agents. Endogenous cationic antibacterial peptides (CAPs) that are produced in tissues exposed to the external environment are one model for the design of novel antibacterial compounds. Here, we report evidence that disubstituted dexamethasone-spermine (D2S), a cationic corticosteroid derivative initially identified as a by-product of synthesis of dexamethasone-spermine (DS) for the purpose of improving cellular gene delivery, functions as an antibacterial peptide-mimicking molecule. This moiety exhibits bacterial killing activity against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa present in cystic fibrosis (CF) sputa, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. Although compromised in the presence of plasma, D2S antibacterial activity resists the proteolytic activity of pepsin and is maintained in ascites, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. D2S also enhances S. aureus susceptibility to antibiotics, such as amoxicillin (AMC), tetracycline (T), and amikacin (AN). Inhibition of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 release from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-treated neutrophils in the presence of D2S suggests that this molecule might also prevent systemic inflammation caused by bacterial wall products. D2S-mediated translocation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in bovine aorta endothelial cells (BAECs) suggests that some of its anti-inflammatory activities involve engagement of glucocorticoid receptors. The combined antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of D2S suggest its potential as an alternative to natural CAPs in the prevention and treatment of some bacterial infections.

scholarly journals Colonization and movement of GFP-labeled Clavibacter nebraskensis in maize

Plant Disease ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Mullens ◽  
Tiffany Jamann
Keyword(s):  
Crop Residue ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Leaf Surface ◽  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
Primary Control ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Disease Symptoms ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Clavibacter nebraskensis (Cn) causes Goss’s bacterial wilt and leaf blight, a major disease of maize. Infected crop residue is the primary inoculum source and infection can occur via wounds or natural openings, such as stomata or hydathodes. The use of resistant hybrids is the primary control method for Goss’s wilt. In this study, colonization and movement patterns of Cn during infection were examined using green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled bacterial strains. We successfully introduced a plasmid to Cn via electroporation, which resulted in GFP accumulation. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that in the absence of wounding, bacteria colonize leaf tissue via entry through the hydathodes when guttation droplets are present. Stomatal penetration was not observed under natural conditions. Bacteria initially colonize the xylem and subsequently the mesophyll, which creates the freckles that are characteristic of the disease. Bacteria infiltrated into the mesophyll did not cause disease symptoms, could not enter the vasculature, and did not spread from the initial inoculation point. Bacteria were observed exuding through stomata onto the leaf surface, resulting in the characteristic sheen of diseased leaves. Resistant maize lines exhibited decreased bacterial spread in the vasculature and the mesophyll. These tools to examine Cn movement offer opportunities and new insights into the pathogenesis process and can form the basis for improved Goss’s wilt management through host resistance.

scholarly journals Pseudomonas syringae HrpP Is a Type III Secretion Substrate Specificity Switch Domain Protein That Is Translocated into Plant Cells but Functions Atypically for a Substrate-Switching Protein

2009 ◽  
Vol 191 (9) ◽  
pp. 3120-3131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne E. Morello ◽  
Alan Collmer
Keyword(s):  
Substrate Specificity ◽  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Plant Cells ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Type Iii ◽  
Native Promoter ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas syringae delivers virulence effector proteins into plant cells via an Hrp1 type III secretion system (T3SS). P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 HrpP has a C-terminal, putative T3SS substrate specificity switch domain, like Yersinia YscP. A ΔhrpP DC3000 mutant could not cause disease in tomato or elicit a hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco, but the HR could be restored by expression of HrpP in trans. Though HrpP is a relatively divergent protein in the T3SS of different P. syringae pathovars, hrpP from P. syringae pv. syringae 61 and P. syringae pv. phaseolicola 1448A restored HR elicitation and pathogenicity to DC3000 ΔhrpP. HrpP was translocated into Nicotiana benthamiana cells via the DC3000 T3SS when expressed from its native promoter, but it was not secreted in culture. N- and C-terminal truncations of HrpP were tested for their ability to be translocated and to restore HR elicitation activity to the ΔhrpP mutant. No N-terminal truncation completely abolished translocation, implying that HrpP has an atypical T3SS translocation signal. Deleting more than 20 amino acids from the C terminus abolished the ability to restore HR elicitation. HrpP fused to green fluorescent protein was no longer translocated but could restore HR elicitation activity to the ΔhrpP mutant, suggesting that translocation is not essential for the function of HrpP. No T3SS substrates were detectably secreted by DC3000 ΔhrpP except the pilin subunit HrpA, which unexpectedly was secreted poorly. HrpP may function somewhat differently than YscP because the P. syringae T3SS pilus likely varies in length due to differing plant cell walls.

scholarly journals Induction and Suppression of PEN3 Focal Accumulation During Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 Infection of Arabidopsis

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 861-867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu-Fang Xin ◽  
Kinya Nomura ◽  
William Underwood ◽  
Sheng Yang He
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Type Iii Secretion ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Tomato Dc3000 ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Powdery Mildew Fungi ◽  
Combined Action ◽  
Green Fluorescent

The pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) proteins belong to the super-family of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. AtPDR8, also called PEN3, is required for penetration resistance of Arabidopsis to nonadapted powdery mildew fungi. During fungal infection, plasma-membrane-localized PEN3 is concentrated at fungal entry sites, as part of the plant's focal immune response. Here, we show that the pen3 mutant is compromised in resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 infection or treatment with a flagellin-derived peptide, flg22, induced strong focal accumulation of PEN3-green fluorescent protein. Interestingly, after an initial induction of PEN3 accumulation, P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 but not the type-III-secretion-deficient mutant hrcC could suppress PEN3 accumulation. Moreover, transgenic overexpression of the P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 effector AvrPto was sufficient to suppress PEN3 focal accumulation in response to flg22. Analyses of P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 effector deletion mutants showed that individual effectors, including AvrPto, appear to be insufficient to suppress PEN3 accumulation when delivered by bacteria, suggesting a requirement for a combined action of multiple effectors. Collectively, our results indicate that PEN3 plays a positive role in plant resistance to a bacterial pathogen and show that focal accumulation of PEN3 protein may be a useful cellular response marker for the Arabidopsis–P. syringae interaction.

scholarly journals Proof that Burkholderia Strains Form Effective Symbioses with Legumes: a Study of Novel Mimosa-Nodulating Strains from South America

2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 7461-7471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Ming Chen ◽  
Sergio M. de Faria ◽  
Rosângela Straliotto ◽  
Rosa M. Pitard ◽  
Jean L. Simões-Araùjo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Restriction Analysis ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
Consensus Sequences ◽  
Mimosa Pigra ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Gene Restriction ◽  
Single Cluster ◽  
The 16S Rrna Gene

ABSTRACT Twenty Mimosa-nodulating bacterial strains from Brazil and Venezuela, together with eight reference Mimosa-nodulating rhizobial strains and two other β-rhizobial strains, were examined by amplified rRNA gene restriction analysis. They fell into 16 patterns and formed a single cluster together with the known β-rhizobia, Burkholderia caribensis, Burkholderia phymatum, and Burkholderia tuberum. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of 15 of the 20 strains were determined, and all were shown to belong to the genus Burkholderia; four distinct clusters could be discerned, with strains isolated from the same host species usually clustering very closely. Five of the strains (MAP3-5, Br3407, Br3454, Br3461, and Br3469) were selected for further studies of the symbiosis-related genes nodA, the NodD-dependent regulatory consensus sequences (nod box), and nifH. The nodA and nifH sequences were very close to each other and to those of B. phymatum STM815, B. caribensis TJ182, and Cupriavidus taiwanensis LMG19424 but were relatively distant from those of B. tuberum STM678. In addition to nodulating their original hosts, all five strains could also nodulate other Mimosa spp., and all produced nodules on Mimosa pudica that had nitrogenase (acetylene reduction) activities and structures typical of effective N2-fixing symbioses. Finally, both wild-type and green fluorescent protein-expressing transconjugant strains of Br3461 and MAP3-5 produced N2-fixing nodules on their original hosts, Mimosa bimucronata (Br3461) and Mimosa pigra (MAP3-5), and hence this confirms strongly that Burkholderia strains can form effective symbioses with legumes.

scholarly journals Interactions between Food-Borne Pathogens and Protozoa Isolated from Lettuce and Spinach

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 2518-2525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Poornima Gourabathini ◽  
Maria T. Brandl ◽  
Katherine S. Redding ◽  
John H. Gunderson ◽  
Sharon G. Berk
Keyword(s):  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Tetrahymena Pyriformis ◽  
Enteric Bacteria ◽  
Enteric Pathogens ◽  
Leafy Vegetables ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Bacterial Strains ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT The survival of Salmonella enterica was recently shown to increase when the bacteria were sequestered in expelled food vacuoles (vesicles) of Tetrahymena. Because fresh produce is increasingly linked to outbreaks of enteric illness, the present investigation aimed to determine the prevalence of protozoa on spinach and lettuce and to examine their interactions with S. enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes. Glaucoma sp., Colpoda steinii, and Acanthamoeba palestinensis were cultured from store-bought spinach and lettuce and used in our study. A strain of Tetrahymena pyriformis previously isolated from spinach and a soil-borne Tetrahymena sp. were also used. Washed protozoa were allowed to graze on green fluorescent protein- or red fluorescent protein-labeled enteric pathogens. Significant differences in interactions among the various protist-enteric pathogen combinations were observed. Vesicles were produced by Glaucoma with all of the bacterial strains, although L. monocytogenes resulted in the smallest number per ciliate. Vesicle production was observed also during grazing of Tetrahymena on E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica but not during grazing on L. monocytogenes, in vitro and on leaves. All vesicles contained intact fluorescing bacteria. In contrast, C. steinii and the amoeba did not produce vesicles from any of the enteric pathogens, nor were pathogens trapped within their cysts. Studies of the fate of E. coli O157:H7 in expelled vesicles revealed that by 4 h after addition of spinach extract, the bacteria multiplied and escaped the vesicles. The presence of protozoa on leafy vegetables and their sequestration of enteric bacteria in vesicles indicate that they may play an important role in the ecology of human pathogens on produce.

scholarly journals Conditional Survival as a Selection Strategy To Identify Plant-Inducible Genes of Pseudomonas syringae

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (10) ◽  
pp. 5793-5801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria L. Marco ◽  
Jennifer Legac ◽  
Steven E. Lindow
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Green Fluorescent Protein Fluorescence ◽  
Restriction Pattern ◽  
Selection Strategy ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Protein Fluorescence ◽  
Novel Strategy ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Bean Leaves

ABSTRACT A novel strategy termed habitat-inducible rescue of survival (HIRS) was developed to identify genes of Pseudomonas syringae that are induced during growth on bean leaves. This strategy is based on the complementation of metXW, two cotranscribed genes that are necessary for methionine biosynthesis and required for survival of P. syringae on bean leaves exposed to conditions of low humidity. We constructed a promoter trap vector, pTrap, containing a promoterless version of the wild-type P. syringae metXW genes. Only with an active promoter fused to metXW on pTrap did this plasmid restore methionine prototrophy to the P. syringae metXW mutant B7MX89 and survival of this strain on bean leaves. To test this method, a partial library of P. syringae genomic DNA was constructed in pTrap and a total of 1,400 B7MX89 pTrap clones were subjected to HIRS selection on bean leaves. This resulted in the enrichment of five clones, each with a unique RsaI restriction pattern of their DNA insert. Sequence analysis of these clones revealed those P. syringae genes for which putative plant-inducible activity could be assigned. Promoter activity experiments with a gfp reporter gene revealed that these plant-inducible gene promoters had very low levels of expression in minimal medium. Based on green fluorescent protein fluorescence levels, it appears that many P. syringae genes have relatively low expression levels and that the metXW HIRS strategy is a sensitive method to detect weakly expressed P. syringae genes that are active on plants. Furthermore, we found that protected sites on the leaf surface provided a higher level of enrichment for P. syringae expressing metXW than exposed sites. Thus, the metXW HIRS strategy should lead to the identification of P. syringae genes that are expressed primarily in these areas on the leaf.

scholarly journals Use of Green Fluorescent Protein-Transgenic Strains to Study Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Lifestyles in Colletotrichum acutatum

2002 ◽  
Vol 92 (7) ◽  
pp. 743-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigal Horowitz ◽  
Stanley Freeman ◽  
Amir Sharon
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
Colletotrichum Acutatum ◽  
Signal Molecules ◽  
Primary Host ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Cell Layers ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Colletotrichum acutatum, which causes anthracnose disease on strawberry, can also persist on several other plant species without causing disease symptoms. The genetic and molecular bases that determine pathogenic and nonpathogenic lifestyles in C. acutatum are unclear. We developed a transformation system for C. acutatum by electroporation of germinating conidia, and transgenic isolates that express the green fluorescent protein (GFP) were produced. Details of the pathogenic and nonpathogenic lifestyles of C. acutatum were determined by using GFP-transgenic isolates. Major differences between colonization-mediating processes of strawberry and of other plants were observed. On the main host, strawberry, the germinating conidia formed branched, thick hyphae, and large numbers of appressoria were produced that were essential for plant penetration. In strawberry, the fungus developed rapidly, filling the mesophyll with dense mycelium that invaded the cells and caused necrosis of the tissue. In nonpathogenic interactions on pepper, eggplant, and tomato, the conidia germinated, producing thin, straight germ tubes. Appressoria were produced but failed to germinate and penetrate leaf tissue, resulting in epiphytic growth without invasion of the plant. Penetration of the plant occurred only several days after inoculation and was restricted to the intercellular spaces of the first cell layers of infected tissue without causing any visible damage. Much of the new fungal biomass continued to develop on the surface of inoculated organs in the nonpathogenic interaction. The differences in fungal development on strawberry compared with the other plant species suggest that signal molecules, which may be present only in strawberry, trigger appressorial germination and penetration of the primary host.

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