scholarly journals A Single Regulator Mediates Strategic Switching between Attachment/Spread and Growth/Virulence in the Plant Pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Devanshi Khokhani ◽  
Tiffany M. Lowe-Power ◽  
Tuan Minh Tran ◽  
Caitilyn Allen
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Cell Density ◽  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Ralstonia Solanacearum ◽  
Xylem Sap ◽  
Complex Life Cycle ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Density Condition ◽  
Tomato Roots ◽  
Low Cell Density

ABSTRACT The PhcA virulence regulator in the vascular wilt pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum responds to cell density via quorum sensing. To understand the timing of traits that enable R. solanacearum to establish itself inside host plants, we created a ΔphcA mutant that is genetically locked in a low-cell-density condition. Comparing levels of gene expression of wild-type R. solanacearum and the ΔphcA mutant during tomato colonization revealed that the PhcA transcriptome includes an impressive 620 genes (>2-fold differentially expressed; false-discovery rate [FDR], ≤0.005). Many core metabolic pathways and nutrient transporters were upregulated in the ΔphcA mutant, which grew faster than the wild-type strain in tomato xylem sap and on dozens of specific metabolites, including 36 found in xylem. This suggests that PhcA helps R. solanacearum to survive in nutrient-poor environmental habitats and to grow rapidly during early pathogenesis. However, after R. solanacearum reaches high cell densities in planta, PhcA mediates a trade-off from maximizing growth to producing costly virulence factors. R. solanacearum infects through roots, and low-cell-density-mode-mimicking ΔphcA cells attached to tomato roots better than the wild-type cells, consistent with their increased expression of several adhesins. Inside xylem vessels, ΔphcA cells formed aberrantly dense mats. Possibly as a result, the mutant could not spread up or down tomato stems as well as the wild type. This suggests that aggregating improves R. solanacearum survival in soil and facilitates infection and that it reduces pathogenic fitness later in disease. Thus, PhcA mediates a second strategic switch between initial pathogen attachment and subsequent dispersal inside the host. PhcA helps R. solanacearum optimally invest resources and correctly sequence multiple steps in the bacterial wilt disease cycle. IMPORTANCE Ralstonia solanacearum is a destructive soilborne crop pathogen that wilts plants by colonizing their water-transporting xylem vessels. It produces its costly virulence factors only after it has grown to a high population density inside a host. To identify traits that this pathogen needs in other life stages, we studied a mutant that mimics the low-cell-density condition. This mutant (the ΔphcA mutant) cannot sense its own population density. It grew faster than and used many nutrients not available to the wild-type bacterium, including metabolites present in tomato xylem sap. The mutant also attached much better to tomato roots, and yet it failed to spread once it was inside plants because it was trapped in dense mats. Thus, PhcA helps R. solanacearum succeed over the course of its complex life cycle by ensuring avid attachment to plant surfaces and rapid growth early in disease, followed by high virulence and effective dispersal later in disease. Ralstonia solanacearum is a destructive soilborne crop pathogen that wilts plants by colonizing their water-transporting xylem vessels. It produces its costly virulence factors only after it has grown to a high population density inside a host. To identify traits that this pathogen needs in other life stages, we studied a mutant that mimics the low-cell-density condition. This mutant (the ΔphcA mutant) cannot sense its own population density. It grew faster than and used many nutrients not available to the wild-type bacterium, including metabolites present in tomato xylem sap. The mutant also attached much better to tomato roots, and yet it failed to spread once it was inside plants because it was trapped in dense mats. Thus, PhcA helps R. solanacearum succeed over the course of its complex life cycle by ensuring avid attachment to plant surfaces and rapid growth early in disease, followed by high virulence and effective dispersal later in disease.

scholarly journals Ralstonia solanacearum depends on catabolism of myo-inositol, sucrose, and trehalose for virulence in an infection stage-dependent manner

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corri D. Hamilton ◽  
Olivia R. Steidl ◽  
April M MacIntyre ◽  
Connor G. Hendrich ◽  
Caitilyn Allen
Keyword(s):  
Cell Density ◽  
Ralstonia Solanacearum ◽  
Xylem Sap ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Tomato Root ◽  
Catabolic Pathways ◽  
Infection Stage

The soilborne pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) causes a lethal bacterial wilt disease of tomato and many other crops by infecting host roots, then colonizing the water-transporting xylem vessels. Tomato xylem sap is nutritionally limiting but it does contain some carbon sources including sucrose, trehalose, and myo-inositol. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that Rs expresses distinct catabolic pathways at low cell density (LCD) and high cell density (HCD). To investigate the links between bacterial catabolism, infection stage, and virulence, we measured in planta fitness of bacterial mutants lacking specific carbon catabolic pathways expressed at either LCD or HCD. We hypothesized that early in disease, during root infection, the bacterium depends on carbon sources catabolized at LCD, while HCD carbon sources are only required later in disease during stem colonization. An Rs ΔiolG mutant unable to use the LCD-catabolized nutrient myo-inositol was defective in tomato root colonization, but after it reached the stem this strain colonized and caused symptoms as well as wild type. In contrast, Rs mutants unable to use the HCD-catabolized nutrients sucrose (ΔscrA), trehalose (ΔtreA), or both (∆scrA/treA) infected roots as well as wild type Rs but were defective in colonization and competitive fitness in mid-stems and had reduced virulence. Further, xylem sap from tomato plants colonized by ΔscrA, ΔtreA, or ΔscrA/treA Rs mutants contained twice as much sucrose as sap from plants colonized by wild-type Rs. Together, these findings suggest that quorum sensing specifically adapts Rs metabolism for success in the different nutritional environments of plant roots and xylem sap.

scholarly journals Ralstonia solanacearum depends on catabolism of myo-inositol, sucrose, and trehalose for virulence in an infection stage-dependent manner

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corri D. Hamilton ◽  
Olivia Steidl ◽  
April M. MacIntyre ◽  
Caitilyn Allen
Keyword(s):  
Cell Density ◽  
Bacterial Wilt ◽  
Ralstonia Solanacearum ◽  
Xylem Sap ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Catabolic Pathways ◽  
Infection Stage

The soilborne pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) causes lethal bacterial wilt disease of tomato and many other crops by infecting host roots and then colonizing the xylem vessels. Tomato xylem sap is nutritionally limiting but it does contain sucrose and trehalose. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that Rs expresses distinct sets of catabolic pathways at low cell density (LCD) and high cell density (HCD). To investigate the links between bacterial catabolism, infection stage, and virulence, we measured the in planta fitness of bacterial mutants lacking carbon catabolic pathways expressed at either LCD or HCD. We hypothesized that the bacterium needs LCD carbon sources early in disease (root infection) while HCD carbon sources are required during late disease (stem colonization). An Rs ΔiolG mutant unable to use the LCD nutrient myo-inositol was defective in root colonization but once it reached the stem, this strain colonized and caused symptoms as well as wild type. In contrast, Rs mutants unable to use sucrose (ΔscrA), trehalose (ΔtreA), or both (ΔscrA/treA), infected roots as well as wild type but were defective in colonization and competitive fitness in tomato mid-stems and were reduced in bacterial wilt virulence. Additionally, xylem sap from tomato plants colonized by ΔscrA, ΔtreA, or ΔscrA/treA contained more sucrose than sap from plants colonized by wild-type Rs. Together, these findings suggest Rs metabolism is specifically adapted for success in the different nutritional environments of plant roots and xylem sap.

scholarly journals Sociality in Escherichia coli: Enterochelin Is a Private Good at Low Cell Density and Can Be Shared at High Cell Density

2015 ◽  
Vol 197 (13) ◽  
pp. 2122-2128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Scholz ◽  
E. Peter Greenberg
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cell Density ◽  
Iron Acquisition ◽  
Partial Privatization ◽  
High Cell ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cell Densities ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Low Cell Density

ABSTRACTMany bacteria produce secreted iron chelators called siderophores, which can be shared among cells with specific siderophore uptake systems regardless of whether the cell produces siderophores. Sharing secreted products allows freeloading, where individuals use resources without bearing the cost of production. Here we show that theEscherichia colisiderophore enterochelin is not evenly shared between producers and nonproducers. Wild-typeEscherichia coligrows well in low-iron minimal medium, and an isogenic enterochelin synthesis mutant (ΔentF) grows very poorly. The enterochelin mutant grows well in low-iron medium supplemented with enterochelin. At high cell densities the ΔentFmutant can compete equally with the wild type in low-iron medium. At low cell densities the ΔentFmutant cannot compete. Furthermore, the growth rate of the wild type is unaffected by cell density. The wild type grows well in low-iron medium even at very low starting densities. Our experiments support a model where at least some enterochelin remains associated with the cells that produce it, and the cell-associated enterochelin enables iron acquisition even at very low cell density. Enterochelin that is not retained by producing cells at low density is lost to dilution. At high cell densities, cell-free enterochelin can accumulate and be shared by all cells in the group. Partial privatization is a solution to the problem of iron acquisition in low-iron, low-cell-density habitats. Cell-free enterochelin allows for iron scavenging at a distance at higher population densities. Our findings shed light on the conditions under which freeloaders might benefit from enterochelin uptake systems.IMPORTANCESociality in microbes has become a topic of great interest. One facet of sociality is the sharing of secreted products, such as the iron-scavenging siderophores. We present evidence that theEscherichia colisiderophore enterochelin is relatively inexpensive to produce and is partially privatized such that it can be efficiently shared only at high producer cell densities. At low cell densities, cell-free enterochelin is scarce and only enterochelin producers are able to grow in low-iron medium. Because freely shared products can be exploited by freeloaders, this partial privatization may help explain how enterochelin production is stabilized inE. coliand may provide insight into when enterochelin is available for freeloaders.

scholarly journals Nodulation Gene Regulation and Quorum Sensing Control Density-Dependent Suppression and Restriction of Nodulation in the Bradyrhizobium japonicum-Soybean Symbiosis

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
pp. 3749-3756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siriluck Jitacksorn ◽  
Michael J. Sadowsky
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Cell Density ◽  
Bradyrhizobium Japonicum ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Inoculum Density ◽  
Complex Medium ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Soybean Genotype ◽  
Density Dependent

ABSTRACT The nodulation of Glycine max cv. Lambert and the nodulation-restricting plant introduction (PI) genotype PI 417566 by wild-type Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA110 is regulated in a population-density-dependent manner. Nodulation on both plant genotypes was suppressed (inhibited) when plants received a high-density inoculum (109 cells/ml) of strain USDA110 grown in complex medium, and more nodules were produced on plants receiving a low-cell-density inoculum (105 cells/ml). Since cell-free supernatants from strain USDA110 grown to high cell density in complex medium decreased the expression of an nodY-lacZ fusion, this phenomenon was attributed to bradyoxetin-induced repression of nod gene expression. Inoculation of either the permissive soybean genotype (cv. Lambert) or PI 417566 with 109 cells/ml of the nodD2, nolA, nodW, and nwsB mutants of USDA110 enhanced nodulation (up to 24%) relative to that seen with inoculations done with 105 cells/ml of the mutants or the wild-type strain, indicating that these genes are involved in population-density-dependent nodulation of soybeans. In contrast, the number of nodules produced by an nodD1 mutant on either soybean genotype was less than those seen with the wild-type strain inoculated at a low inoculum density. The nodD2 mutant outcompeted B. japonicum strain USDA123 for nodulation of G. max cv. Lambert at a high or low inoculum density, and the results of root-tip-marking and time-to-nodulate studies indicated that the nolA and nodD2 mutants nodulated this soybean genotype faster than wild-type USDA110. Taken together, the results from these studies indicate that the nodD2 mutant of B. japonicum may be useful to enhance soybean nodulation at high inoculum densities and that NodD2 is a key repressor influencing host-controlled restriction of nodulation, density-dependent suppression of nodulation, perception of bradyoxetin, and competitiveness in the soybean-B. japonicum symbiosis.

scholarly journals The Plant Pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum Needs Aerotaxis for Normal Biofilm Formation and Interactions with Its Tomato Host

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (17) ◽  
pp. 6415-6424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Yao ◽  
Caitilyn Allen
Keyword(s):  
Ralstonia Solanacearum ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Energy Taxis ◽  
Abiotic Surfaces ◽  
Tomato Roots ◽  
Intracellular Energy ◽  
Favorable Conditions ◽  
Diverse Plant Species ◽  
Wild Type Parent

ABSTRACT Ralstonia solanacearum is a soilborne pathogen that causes bacterial wilt of diverse plant species. To locate and infect host plant roots R. solanacearum needs taxis, the ability to move toward more favorable conditions. However, the specific signals that attract this pathogen were unknown. One candidate is aerotaxis, or energy taxis, which guides bacteria toward optimal intracellular energy levels. The R. solanacearum genome encodes two putative aerotaxis transducers. Cloned R. solanacearum aer1 and aer2 genes restored aerotaxis to an Escherichia coli aer mutant, demonstrating that both genes encode heterologously functional aerotaxis transducers. Site-directed mutants lacking aer1, aer2, or both aer1 and aer2 were significantly less able to move up an oxygen gradient than the wild-type parent strain; in fact, the aerotaxis of the aer mutants was indistinguishable from that of a completely nonmotile strain. Tomato plants inoculated with either the aer2 or the aer1/aer2 mutant had slightly delayed wilt disease development. Furthermore, the aer1/aer2 double mutant was significantly impaired in the ability to rapidly localize on tomato roots compared to its wild-type parent. Unexpectedly, all nonaerotactic mutants formed thicker biofilms on abiotic surfaces than the wild type. These results indicate that energy taxis contributes significantly to the ability of R. solanacearum to locate and effectively interact with its host plants.

scholarly journals Using the Ralstonia solanacearum Tat Secretome To Identify Bacterial Wilt Virulence Factors

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (12) ◽  
pp. 3779-3786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enid T. Gonz�lez ◽  
Darby G. Brown ◽  
Jill K. Swanson ◽  
Caitilyn Allen
Keyword(s):  
Virulence Factors ◽  
Bacterial Wilt ◽  
Ralstonia Solanacearum ◽  
Acid Tolerance ◽  
Bioinformatic Analysis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
In Planta ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Tat System

ABSTRACT To identify secreted virulence factors involved in bacterial wilt disease caused by the phytopathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, we mutated tatC, a key component of the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) secretion system. The R. solanacearum tatC mutation was pleiotropic; its phenotypes included defects in cell division, nitrate utilization, polygalacturonase activity, membrane stability, and growth in plant tissue. Bioinformatic analysis of the R. solanacearum strain GMI1000 genome predicted that this pathogen secretes 70 proteins via the Tat system. The R. solanacearum tatC strain was severely attenuated in its ability to cause disease, killing just over 50% of tomato plants in a naturalistic soil soak assay where the wild-type parent killed 100% of the plants. This result suggested that elements of the Tat secretome may be novel bacterial wilt virulence factors. To identify contributors to R. solanacearum virulence, we cloned and mutated three genes whose products are predicted to be secreted by the Tat system: RSp1521, encoding a predicted AcvB-like protein, and two genes, RSc1651 and RSp1575, that were identified as upregulated in planta by an in vivo expression technology screen. The RSc1651 mutant had wild-type virulence on tomato plants. However, mutants lacking either RSp1521, which appears to be involved in acid tolerance, or RSp1575, which encodes a possible amino acid binding protein, were significantly reduced in virulence on tomato plants. Additional bacterial wilt virulence factors may be found in the Tat secretome.

scholarly journals Ralstonia solanacearum Iron Scavenging by the Siderophore Staphyloferrin B Is Controlled by PhcA, the Global Virulence Regulator

2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (23) ◽  
pp. 7896-7904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garima Bhatt ◽  
Timothy P. Denny
Keyword(s):  
Ralstonia Solanacearum ◽  
Xylem Sap ◽  
Group Iv ◽  
Scavenging Activity ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Virulence Regulator ◽  
Culture Supernatants ◽  
Layer Chromatography ◽  
Siderophore Activity

ABSTRACT PhcA is a transcriptional regulator that activates expression of multiple virulence genes in the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. Relative to their wild-type parents, phcA mutants overproduced iron-scavenging activity detected with chrome azurol S siderophore detection medium. Transposon mutagenesis of strain AW1-PC (phcA1) generated strain GB6, which was siderophore negative but retained weak iron-scavenging activity. The ssd gene inactivated in GB6 encodes a protein similar to group IV amino acid decarboxylases, and its transcription was repressed by iron(III) and PhcA. ssd is the terminal gene in a putative operon that also appears to encode three siderophore synthetase subunits, a integral membrane exporter, and three genes with no obvious role in siderophore production. A homologous operon was found in the genomes of Ralstonia metallidurans and Staphylococcus aureus, both of which produce the polycarboxylate siderophore staphyloferrin B. Comparison of the siderophores present in culture supernatants of R. solanacearum, R. metallidurans, and Bacillus megaterium using chemical tests, a siderophore utilization bioassay, thin-layer chromatography, and mass spectroscopy indicated that R. solanacearum produces staphyloferrin B rather than schizokinen as was reported previously. Inactivation of ssd in a wild-type AW1 background resulted in a mutant almost incapable of scavenging iron but normally virulent on tomato plants. AW1 did not produce siderophore activity when cultured in tomato xylem sap, suggesting that the main location in tomato for R. solanacearum during pathogenesis is iron replete.

scholarly journals Trehalose Synthesis Contributes to Osmotic Stress Tolerance and Virulence of the Bacterial Wilt Pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 462-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
April M. MacIntyre ◽  
John X. Barth ◽  
Molly C. Pellitteri Hahn ◽  
Cameron O. Scarlett ◽  
Stéphane Genin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Osmotic Stress ◽  
Bacterial Wilt ◽  
Ralstonia Solanacearum ◽  
Type Strain ◽  
Wild Type Strain ◽  
Xylem Sap ◽  
Wilt Disease ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Tomato Plants ◽  
Trehalose Synthesis

The xylem-dwelling plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum changes the chemical composition of host xylem sap during bacterial wilt disease. The disaccharide trehalose, implicated in stress tolerance across all kingdoms of life, is enriched in sap from R. solanacearum–infected tomato plants. Trehalose in xylem sap could be synthesized by the bacterium, the plant, or both. To investigate the source and role of trehalose metabolism during wilt disease, we evaluated the effects of deleting the three trehalose synthesis pathways in the pathogen: TreYZ, TreS, and OtsAB, as well as its sole trehalase, TreA. A quadruple treY/treS/otsA/treA mutant produced 30-fold less intracellular trehalose than the wild-type strain missing the trehalase enzyme. This trehalose-nonproducing mutant had reduced tolerance to osmotic stress, which the bacterium likely experiences in plant xylem vessels. Following naturalistic soil-soak inoculation of tomato plants, this triple mutant did not cause disease as well as wild-type R. solanacearum. Further, the wild-type strain out-competed the trehalose-nonproducing mutant by over 600-fold when tomato plants were coinoculated with both strains, showing that trehalose biosynthesis helps R. solanacearum overcome environmental stresses during infection. An otsA (trehalose-6-phosphate synthase) single mutant behaved similarly to ΔtreY/treS/otsA in all experimental settings, suggesting that the OtsAB pathway is the dominant trehalose synthesis pathway in R. solanacearum.

scholarly journals PldB, a Putative Phospholipase D Homologue in Dictyostelium discoideum Mediates Quorum Sensing during Development

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Chen ◽  
Vanessa Rodrick ◽  
Yi Yan ◽  
Derrick Brazill
Keyword(s):  
Quorum Sensing ◽  
Cell Density ◽  
Dictyostelium Discoideum ◽  
Phospholipase D ◽  
Unicellular Eukaryote ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Developmental Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Coding ◽  
Early Developmental ◽  
Low Cell Density

ABSTRACT Quorum sensing, also known as cell-density sensing in the unicellular eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum, is required for efficient entry into the differentiation and development segment of its life cycle. Quorum sensing is accomplished by simultaneously secreting and sensing the glycoprotein Conditioned Medium Factor, or CMF. When the density of starving cells is high, CMF levels are high, which leads to aggregation followed by development. Here, we describe the role of pldB, a gene coding for a putative phospholipase D (PLD) homologue, in quorum sensing. We find that in submerged culture, adding butanol, an inhibitor of PLD-catalyzed phosphatidic acid production, allows cells to bypass the requirement for CMF mediated quorum sensing and aggregate at low cell density. Deletion of pldB mimics the presence of butanol, allowing cells to aggregate at low cell density. pldB − cells also initiate and finish aggregation rapidly. Analysis of early developmental gene expression in pldB − cells reveals that the cyclic AMP receptor cAR1 is expressed at higher levels earlier than in wild-type cells, which could explain the rapid aggregation phenotype. As would be predicted, cells overexpressing pldB are unable to aggregate even at high cell density. Adding CMF to these pldB − overexpressing cells does not rescue aggregation. Both of these phenotypes are cell autonomous, as mixing a small number of pldB − cells with wild-type cells does not cause the wild-type cells to behave like pldB − cells.

scholarly journals Characterization of bcsA Mutations That Bypass Two Distinct Signaling Requirements for Myxococcus xanthus Development

2002 ◽  
Vol 184 (18) ◽  
pp. 5141-5150 ◽  
Author(s):  
John K. Cusick ◽  
Elizabeth Hager ◽  
Ronald E. Gill
Keyword(s):  
Cell Density ◽  
Myxococcus Xanthus ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Amino Acid Similarity ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Protease Deficient ◽  
Mutant Cells ◽  
Low Cell Density ◽  
Significant Amino Acid

ABSTRACT The BsgA protease is required for starvation-induced development in Myxococcus xanthus. Bypass suppressors of a bsgA mutant were isolated to identify genes that may encode additional components of BsgA protease-dependent regulation of development. Strain M951 was isolated following Tn5 mutagenesis of a bsgA mutant and was capable of forming fruiting bodies and viable spores in the absence of the BsgA protease. The Tn5Ω951 insertion was localized to a gene, bcsA, that encodes a protein that has significant amino acid similarity to a group of recently described flavin-containing monooxygenases involved in styrene catabolism. Mutations in bcsA bypassed the developmental requirements for both extracellular B and C signaling but did not bypass the requirement for A signaling. Bypass of the B-signaling requirement by the bcsA mutation was accompanied by restored expression of a subset of developmentally induced lacZ fusions to the BsgA protease-deficient strain. bcsA mutant cells developed considerably faster than wild-type cells at low cell density and altered transcriptional levels of a developmentally induced, cell-density-regulated gene (Ω4427), suggesting that the bcsA gene product may normally act to inhibit development in a cell-density-regulated fashion. Bypass of the requirements for both B and C signaling by bcsA mutations suggests a possible link between these two genetically, biochemically, and temporally distinct signaling requirements.

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