Flagellin from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci induced hrp-independent HR in tomato

We have previously shown that flagellin of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci is an elicitor that induces a hypersensitive reaction (HR) in nonhost tomato cells. Flagellin is the major HR elicitor produced by this pathogen, as shown by the inability of a flagellin-defective mutant, ΔfliC, to induce HR. Also, a ΔfliD mutant that secretes large amounts of monomer flagellins induces a strong HR in tomato. In this study, the possible involvement of an Hrp type III secretion system (TTSS) in flagellin-induced HR was investigated using flagella-defective mutants or Hrp TTSS-defective mutants. The hrcC gene encodes HrcC protein, which is required for Hrp pilus formation in the outer membrane. An hrcC mutation, introduced into the wild-type, ΔfliC, and ΔfliD mutants of P. syringae pv. tabaci did not affect swimming motility or flagellin secretion, whereas all ΔhrcC, ΔfliC, and ΔfliD mutants lost the ability to cause disease on host tobacco leaves. However, the ΔhrcC mutant and the ΔfliD/ΔhrcC double mutant were still able to induce HR cell death, expression of one of the defense-related genes hsr203J, and the generation of hydrogen peroxide in nonhost tomato cells. Thus, flagellin is required for both pathogenicity in host tobacco and HR in nonhost tomato. On the other hand, hrp TTSS is necessary for pathogenicity on host tobacco but is not indispensable to induce HR in nonhost tomato. These results clearly show that flagellin-induced HR is hrp-independent in tomato.The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under the accession number AB049570     

Nitric oxide-overproducing transformants of Pseudomonas fluorescens with enhanced biocontrol of tomato bacterial wilt

The relation between nitric oxide (NO) production and the protective ability of Pseudomonas fluorescens T5 against bacterial wilt disease in tomato was examined. The endogenous nitric oxide reductase gene of T5 was disrupted by homologous recombination using a suicide plasmid. Three disruptants were obtained, and all had higher levels of NO production. Infection with Ralstonia solanacearum was reduced in tomato plants treated with the NO-overproducing transformants compared with the wild type. These results suggest that the modification of pseudomonads to increase their level of NO production is a new approach to enhancing their biocontrol efficacy.     

Local and systemic resistance to fungal pathogens triggered by an AVR9-mediated hypersensitive response in tomato and oilseed rape carrying the Cf-9 resistance gene

Tomato and transgenic oilseed rape plants expressing the Cf-9 resistance gene develop a hypersensitive response (HR) after injection of the corresponding Avr9 gene product. It was investigated whether induction of a HR conferred resistance to different fungal pathogens in tomato and oilseed rape. Induction of an AVR9 mediated HR at the pathogen infection site delayed the development of the biotrophs Oidium lycopersicum in tomato and Erysiphe polygoni in oilseed rape, but enhanced the development of the necrotrophs Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria solani in tomato and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in oilseed rape. Interestingly, delayed fungal disease development was observed in plant tissues surrounding the HR lesion regardless of whether a necrotrophic or biotrophic pathogen was used. In tomato, AVR9 injection induced systemic expression of PR1, PR2 and PR3 defence genes but did not induce systemic resistance to O. lycopersicum, B. cinerea or A. solani. In oilseed rape, AVR9 injection temporarily induced systemic resistance to Leptosphaeria maculans and E. polygoni, but did not induce detectable systemic expression of PR1, PR2 or Cxc750. These results give new insights into the potential uses of an induced HR to engineer disease resistance.     

The TIR–NBS but not LRR domains of two novel N-like proteins are functionally competent to induce the elicitor p50-dependent hypersensitive response

The tobacco N protein recognizes the helicase domain (p50) of the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) replicase as an elicitor and mediates hypersensitive response (HR). We obtained two cDNA clones encoding novel N-like (NL) proteins NL-C26 and NL-B69 from Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun NN. NL-C26 and NL-B69 had a Toll-interleukin-1 receptor/nucleotide-binding site/leucine-rich repeat (TIR–NBS–LRR) structure and showed 78% and 73% identities to N, respectively. The NL-C26 and NL-B69 genes were also expressed in N. tabacum cv. Samsun nn, which lacks the N gene. Unlike N, NL-C26 and NL-B69, when coexpressed with p50, failed to induce HR on the sites of agroinfiltration in Samsun nn leaves. However, the elicitor-dependent HR in Samsun nn was induced efficiently by chimeric N proteins with the continuous TIR–NBS domains of NL-C26 and NL-B69. On the other hand, the efficiency of HR induction varied significantly among chimeric N proteins with either of the TIR and NBS domains of the NL proteins. In contrast, chimeras carrying the LRR domains of the NL proteins did not induce HR. Thus, the TIR–NBS domains of NL-C26 and NL-B69 could functionally adapt to the LRR domain of N, which may determine the specificity for the elicitor. We speculate that the NL genes are potential HR-inducing resistance genes for undetermined pathogens other than TMV.     

Identification of dspEF, hrpW, and hrpN loci and characterization of the hrpN Ep gene in Erwinia pyrifoliae

Erwinia pyrifoliae, the causal pathogen of shoot blight in the Asian pear tree (Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Singo), is host-specific and endemic to Korea. To identify the genes associated with the hypersensitive response (HR) and pathogenicity, a genomic library of E. pyrifoliae WT3 was constructed, and the cosmid clone Escherichia coli (pCEP33) was selected. Sequence analysis of 19.7-kb pCEP33 determined disease-specific (dsp) region homolog and approximately 40% of the hrp genes, which included hrpW, hrpN_Ep, hrpV, hrpT, hrcC, hrpG, hrpF, and partial hrpE homologs, with respect to the cluster of Erwinia amylovora. Additionally, two open reading frames, ORFD and ORFE, were found downstream of the dspEF region. The results of the sequence analysis showed that the pCEP33 did not contain any hrp regulatory genes or most of the genes encoding components of the Hrp protein secretion system. The hrpN_Ep gene of E. pyrifoliae contained five intergenic nucleotide fragment insertions (INFIs) and produced the HR elicitor protein harpin_Ep, with a molecular mass of approximately 44kDa. The purified HrpN_Ep protein elicited faster and stronger HR when infiltrated into tobacco leaves than did HrpN_Ea from E. amylovora. To observe the role of the hrpL gene in the expression of HrpN_Ep, the pEL2 containing hrpL was used to transform E. coli (pCEP33). Expression of HrpN_Ep in E. coli (pCEP33 + pEPL2) was detected with an immunoblot using antiserum raised against HrpN_Ep, indicating a role of hrpL gene in enhancing the expression of HrpN_Ep.     

Conditional expression of harpinPsscauses yeast cell death that shares features of cell death pathway with harpinPss-mediated plant hypersensitive response (HR)

Conditional expression of harpin_Psscauses yeast cell death that shares features of cell death pathway with harpin_Pss-mediated plant hypersensitive response (HR).Pseudomonas syringae pv.syringae 61 hrp Z gene encodes harpin_Pss, a 34.7 kD extracellular protein that elicits a hypersensitive response (HR) in plants. Conditional expression of either full-length or truncated hrp Z sequences under the GAL1 promoter caused cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y187. Plating of pYEUT- hrp Z transformants on a medium containing galactose resulted in complete inhibition of colony formation, whereas their growth on a glucose-based medium was unaffected. Western blot analysis confirmed the expression of harpin_Pssin yeast cells transformed with pYEUT- hrp Z and grown in galactose-containing medium. A time-dependent decline in the percentage of trypan blue-excluding cells in cultures of pYEUT- hrp Z transformants was observed when cultured on galactose-containing medium. Similarly, the number of viable cells reduced to about 50% within 6 h. There were similarities in the harpin_Pss-mediated cell death in plants and yeast cell death (YCD). Galactose-induced cell death in pYEUT-hrp Z transformants of S. cerevisiae Y187 was suppressed by a protein kinase inhibitor K252a (10 μ M). The viability of pYEUT- hrp Z transformants was prolonged in the presence of 100 U ml⁻¹catalase suggesting a role for the oxidative burst in YCD that was further supported by the flow cytometric patterns of propidium iodide uptake by yeast cells. Overall, it appears that yeast provides a useful model system to understand the molecular mechanism of harpin_Pss-mediated cell death.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrobacterium tumefaciens</Emphasis>-mediated transformation for random insertional mutagenesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Colletotrichum lagenarium</Emphasis>

Random insertional mutagenesis using a marker DNA fragment is an effective method for identifying fungal genes relevant to morphogenesis, metabolism, and so on. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (AtMT) has long been used as a tool for the genetic modification of a wide range of plant species. Recent study has indicated that A. tumefaciens could transfer T-DNA not only to plant cells but also to fungal cells. In this study, AtMT was applied to Colletotrichum lagenarium for random insertional mutagenesis. We constructed a binary vector pBIG2RHPH2 carrying a hygromycin-resistant gene cassette between the right and left borders of T-DNA. Optimal co-cultivation of C. lagenarium wild-type 104-T with pBIG2RHPH2-introduced A. tumefaciens C58C1 led to the production of 150–300 hygromycin-resistant transformants per 10⁶ conidia. Southern blot analysis revealed that T-DNA was mainly integrated at a single site in the genome and at different sites in transformants. The T-DNA inserts showed small truncations of either end, but the hygromycin-resistant gene cassette inside the T-DNA was generally intact. The mode of T-DNA insertion described above resulted in highly efficient gene recovery from the transformants by thermal asymmetrical interlaced-polymerase chain reaction. The fungal genomic DNA segments flanking T-DNA were identified from five of eight mutants that had defective melanin biosynthesis. The sequence from one of the segments was identical to that of the melanin biosynthesis gene PKS1 of C. lagenarium, which we previously characterized. These results strongly support our notion that AtMT is a possible tool for tagging genes relevant to pathogenicity in the plant pathogenic fungus C. lagenarium.     

Experimental evidence of a pathogenic change caused by homologous recombination between endogenous and introduced dysfunctional Avr-Pita genes in Pyricularia oryzae

To provide experimental evidence that somatic homologous recombination (HR) is involved in the instability and diversification of the avirulence gene Avr-Pita in Pyricularia oryzae, we generated a dysfunctional Avr-Pita homolog and integrated it into strain Hoku-1 containing Avr-Pita. In the transformants, the occurrence of somatic HR events between Avr-Pita and the dysfunctional homolog was confirmed by PCR–RFLP. Germlings from conidia from the HR-positive transformants had lost the avirulence function, which enabled it to infect rice cultivar Yashiromochi containing the corresponding resistant gene Pi-ta. These results suggested that genetic mutation caused by somatic HR is one of the mechanisms responsible for virulence diversity.     

Systemic resistance to bacterial leaf speck pathogen in Arabidopsis thaliana induced by the culture filtrate of a plant growth-promoting fungus (PGPF) Phoma sp. GS8-1

The culture filtrate (CF) from the plant growth-promoting fungus Phoma sp. GS8-1 was found to induce systemic resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana against the bacterial leaf speck pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst), and the underlying mechanism was studied. Roots of A. thaliana were treated with CF from GS8-1, and plants expressed a clear resistance to subsequent Pst infection; disease severity was reduced, and proliferation of pathogen was suppressed. Various mutants of A. thaliana were used to test whether the CF induced resistance through one of the known signaling pathways: salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene (ET). The CF was fully protective against Pst in Arabidopsis mutants jar1 and ein2 similar to wild-type plants. However, its efficacy was reduced in plants containing transgene NahG. Examination of systemic gene expression revealed that CF modulates the expression of SA-inducible PR-1, PR-2 and PR-5 genes, the JA/ET-inducible ChitB gene, and the ET-inducible Hel gene. Moreover, the expression of these genes was further enhanced upon subsequent stimulation after attack by Pst. Our data suggest that in addition to a partial requirement for SA, the signals JA and ET may also play a role in defense signaling in Arabidopsis.     

Cloning of the pathogenicity-related gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">FPD1</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">lycopersici</Emphasis>

We selected a reduced-pathogenicity mutant of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, a tomato wilt pathogen, from the transformants generated by restriction enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) transformation. The gene tagged with the plasmid in the mutant was predicted to encode a protein of 321 amino acids and was designated FPD1. Homology search showed its partial similarity to a chloride conductance regulatory protein of Xenopus, suggesting that FPD1 is a transmembrane protein. Although the function of FPD1 has not been identified, it does participate in the pathogenicity of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici because FPD1-deficient mutants reproduced the reduced pathogenicity on tomato.The nucleotide sequence data reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under the accession number AB110097     

Reduction of Bacterial Speck (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato) of Tomato by Combined Treatments of Plant Growth-promoting Bacterium, Azospirillum brasilense, Streptomycin Sulfate, and Chemo-thermal Seed Treatment

Inoculation of tomato seeds with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense, or spraying tomato foliage with A. brasilense, streptomycin sulfate, or commercial copper bactericides, separately, before or after inoculation with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, the casual agent of bacterial speck of tomato, had no lasting effect on disease severity or on plant height and dry weight. Seed inoculation with A. brasilense combined with a single streptomycin foliar treatment and two foliar bactericide applications at 5-day intervals (a third or less of the recommended commercial dose) reduced disease severity in tomato seedlings by over 90% after 4 weeks, and significantly slowed disease development under mist conditions. A. brasilense did not induce significant systemic resistance against the pathogen although the level of salicylic acid increased in inoculated plants. Treatment of tomato seeds that were artificially inoculated with P. syringae pv. tomato, with a combination of mild chemo-thermal treatment, A. brasilense seed inoculation, and later, a single foliar application of a copper bactericide, nearly eliminated bacterial leaf speck even when the plants were grown under mist for 6 weeks. This study shows that a combination of otherwise ineffective disease management tactics, when applied in concert, can reduce bacterial speck intensity in tomatoes under mist conditions.     

A novel type of Potato virus Y recombinant genome,determined for the genetic strain PVYE

Two Potato virus Y (PVY) isolates collected in Brazil, PVY‐AGA and PVY‐MON, were identified as recombinants between two parent genomes, PVY^NTN and PVY‐NE‐11, with a novel type of genomic pattern. The new recombinants had an ordinary PVY^NTN genome structure for approximately 6·7‐kb from the 5′‐end of the genome whereas the 3′‐terminal 3·0‐kb segment had two fragments of NE‐11‐like sequence separated by another small PVY^NTN‐like fragment. PVY strains are defined based on the hypersensitive resistance (HR) response in potato indicators. Both PVY‐AGA and PVY‐MON isolates did not induce the HR in potato cultivars carrying Ny, Nc, or (putative) Nz genes and thus were able to overcome all known resistance genes to PVY. Only one of the two isolates, PVY‐AGA, induced a vein necrosis reaction in tobacco. The biological responses of the potato indicators and tobacco defined PVY‐MON as an isolate of the PVY^E strain. To distinguish PVY‐AGA and PVY‐MON from other PVY^NTN isolates, an RT‐PCR test was developed utilizing new specific primers from the capsid protein gene area and producing a characteristic 955‐bp band. Serological profiling of these PVY isolates with three monoclonal antibodies revealed an unusual reactivity, where one of the two commercial PVY^N‐specific monoclonal antibodies did not recognize PVY‐AGA. The ability of these new PVY recombinants to overcome resistance genes in potato producing mild or no symptoms, combined with the lack of serological reactivity towards at least one PVY^N‐specific antibody may present a significant threat posed by these isolates to seed potato production areas.     

A New Cell Wall Located N-rich Protein is Strongly Induced During the Hypersensitive Response in Glycine Max L.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merill, cv. Williams 82) plants and cell cultures respond to avirulent pathogens with a hypersensitive reaction. After inoculation of soybean with Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea, carrying the avirulence gene avrA, or zoospores from the fungus Phytophthora sojae Race 1, a resistance-gene-dependent cell death programme is activated. A new gene was identified by differential display of mRNAs that is specifically activated during the early phase of incompatible pathogen-soybean interactions but does not respond to compatible pathogens. The gene is strongly induced within 2h after addition of P. sojae zoospores. A similar kinetic pattern was observed for P. syringae (avrA) inoculated soybean cell cultures. The gene encodes a deduced protein of 368 amino acids with a very high content of asparagine and was therefore termed N-rich protein (NRP). The protein is composed of two distinct domains, of which only the C-terminal domain has striking homology to proteins of unknown function from other plants. An antibody raised against the recombinant NRP recognizes a protein of 42kDa. The protein is located in the cell wall as indicated by cell fractionation studies. Comparison of the genomic DNA-sequence with the cDNA, identified two introns within the open reading frame. The NRP-gene is not directly induced by salicylic acid or hydrogen peroxide, indicating a distinct and specific signal transduction pathway which is only activated during programmed cell death. The NRP-gene appears to be a new marker in soybean activated early in plant disease resistance.     

Identification and characterization of a new class of Tomato spotted wilt virus isolates that break Tsw-based resistance in a temperature-dependent manner

The single dominant Tsw resistance gene from Capsicum chinense against the Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) is temperature sensitive, i.e. the resistance fails to function at or above 32 °C. This study describes a new class of temperature-sensitive resistance-breaking TSWV isolates that induce Tsw-mediated resistance at T < 28 °C but at T ≥ 28 °C break this resistance. The NSs genes from these isolates were cloned and expressed to be analysed for RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) activity and the ability to induce a Tsw-mediated hypersensitive response (HR) in C. chinense and Capsicum annuum (Tsw+). Unlike in viral infection, transient expression of some of the NSs proteins at standard temperatures (22 °C) did not induce Tsw-mediated HR, although varying degrees of RSS activity were observed. Attempts to express and test the NSs proteins for functionality at an elevated temperature through agroinfiltration remained unsuccessful. The NSs proteins of some TSWV resistance-breaking (RB) isolates were analysed and found to lack amino acid residues that were previously shown to be important for RNA silencing suppression and avirulence. This study describes a new class of resistance-breaking TSWV isolates that may be of importance for breeders and growers and for which the underlying mechanism still remains unknown.     

In Planta - Complementation of Clavibacter Michiganensis Subsp. sepedonicus Strains Deficient in Cellulase Production or HR Induction Restores Virulence

Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus, a Gram positive bacterium that causes bacterial ring rot of potato, was studied in eggplant, an alternate host, using strains that differed in phenotype. Two factors affecting virulence, the ability to induce a hypersensitive response (HR) and cellulase production, were studied. A plasmid-free isolate of C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus that causes HR on tobacco but is unable to produce cellulase multiplied efficiently in planta, but caused only weak symptoms. In contrast, a strain that is unable to induce HR on tobacco but produces cellulase was impaired in the ability to multiply in the host and caused no symptoms. When the two non-virulent strains were coinoculated into eggplants, typical disease symptoms developed. This enhancement was not due to formation of a new phenotype or significant increases in population density of either of the strains. Our results suggest that both cellulase production and the ability to induce HR are required for a successful infection process and disease induction by C. michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus. Our results additionally suggest that the ability to induce HR on non-host plants is required for multiplication in the host plant, whereas cellulase expression is necessary for induction of disease symptoms.     

Biological control of rice blast by the epiphytic bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erwinia ananas</Emphasis> transformed with a chitinolytic enzyme gene from an antagonistic bacterium, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Serratia marcescens</Emphasis> strain B2

The gene chiA, encoding for the endochitinase ChiA, was cloned from Serratia marcescens strain B2, a tomato epiphytic bacterium, and introduced into the epiphytic bacterium Erwinia ananas NR-1, isolated from rice phylloplane. The gene chiA was introduced under the control of two types of promoter into a broad-host-range plasmid vector. The vector contained various fragments with promoter activity isolated from E. ananas chromosomal DNA. The constructed vectors were designated pchiA-V1pcf9 and pchiA-V1pcf53 for their respective promoters. E. ananas NR-1 transformed with either of these vectors produced and secreted ChiA. The antifungal activity of ChiA produced by transformed E. ananas NR-1 was demonstrated in vitro by the inhibition of Pyricularia oryzae germ tube elongation such as bursting of the hyphal tip. Transformed E. ananas NR-1 suppressed the incidence of rice blast caused by P. oryzae under greenhouse conditions; however, the magnitude of the suppressive effect depended on which promoter was used. Both transformants and the nontransformant E. ananas NR-1 survived on rice phylloplane. It is expected that the rice epiphytic bacterium E. ananas NR-1 carrying a chitinolytic enzyme gene is an efficient biological control agent against rice blast.     

Induction of Systemic Resistance Against Bacterial Wilt in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus urophylla</Emphasis> by Fluorescent <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas</Emphasis> spp

The ability of selected strains of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. to cause induced systemic resistance (ISR) in Eucalyptus urophylla against bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum was investigated. Four of the five strains used can produce salicylic acid (SA) in vitro and, therefore, chemical SA, that is known to induce resistance in many plant species, was used as a reference treatment. Whereas a soil drench with SA did induce systemic resistance in E. urophylla, infiltration of SA into leaves did not. None of the fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. strains caused ISR against bacterial wilt when applied to the soil, but two strains, P. putida WCS358r and P. fluorescens WCS374r triggered ISR when infiltrated into two lower leaves 3–7 days before challenge inoculation. A mutant of strain WCS358r defective in the biosynthesis of the fluorescent siderophore pseudobactin, did not cause ISR, while the purified siderophore of WCS358r did, suggesting that pseudobactin358 is the ISR determinant of WCS358. A siderophore-minus mutant of WCS374r induced the same level of disease resistance as its parental strain, but the purified siderophore induced resistance as well, indicating that both the siderophore and another, unknown, inducing determinant(s) of WCS374r can trigger ISR in Eucalyptus. A possible role of WCS374r-produced SA remains uncertain. Transformation of a siderophore-minus mutant of WCS358 with the SA biosynthetic gene cluster from WCS374 did not enable this transformant to cause ISR in E. urophylla.     

Transfer of the β‐tubulin gene of Botrytis cinerea with resistance to carbendazim into Fusarium graminearum

BACKGROUND: Resistance to carbendazim and other benzimidazole fungicides in Botrytis cinerea (Pers. ex Fr.) and most other fungi is usually conferred by mutation(s) in a single chromosomal β‐tubulin gene, often with several allelic mutations. In Fusarium graminearum Schwade, however, carbendazim resistance is not associated with a mutation in the corresponding β‐tubulin gene. RESULTS: The β‐tubulin gene conferring carbendazim resistance in B. cinerea was cloned and connected with two homologous arms of the β‐tubulin gene of F. graminearum by using a double‐joint polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This fragment was transferred into F. graminearum via homologous double crossover at the site where the β‐tubulin gene of F. graminearum is normally located (the β‐tubulin gene of F. graminearum had been deleted). The transformants were confirmed and tested for their sensitivity to carbendazim. CONCLUSION: The β‐tubulin gene conferring carbendazim resistance in B. cinerea could not express this resistance in F. graminearum, as transformants were still very sensitive to carbendazim. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry