Identification of a virulence factor in the banana pathogen Dickeya zeae MS2.
Journal: 2019/September - Applied and Environmental Microbiology
ISSN: 1098-5336
Abstract:
The phytopathogen Dickeya zeae MS2 is a particularly virulent agent of banana soft-rot disease. To begin to understand the banana disease and to understand the role of quorum sensing and quorum sensing-related regulatory elements in D. zeae MS2 we sequenced its genome and queried the sequence for genes coding LuxR homologs. We identified a canonical LuxR-LuxI homolog pair similar to those in other members of the genus Dickeya The quorum-sensing signal for this pair was N-luxR homolog linked to a gene annotated as encoding a proline iminopeptidase. Similar linked pairs have been associated with virulence in other plant pathogens. We show that mutants with deletions in the proline iminopeptidase gene are attenuated for virulence. Surprisingly, a mutant with a deletion in the gene coding the LuxR homolog shows normal virulence.IMPORTANCEDickeya zeae is an emerging banana soft-rot pathogen in China. We used genome sequencing and annotation to create an inventory of potential virulence factors and virulence gene regulators encoded in Dickeya zeae MS2, a particularly virulent strain. We created mutations in several genes and tested these mutants in a banana seedling infection model. A strain with a mutated proline iminopeptidase gene, homologs of which are important for disease in the Xanthomonas spp. phytopathogens, was attenuated for soft-rot symptoms in our model. Understanding how the proline iminopeptidase functions as a virulence factor may lead to insights about how to control the disease and it is of general importance as homologs of the proline iminopeptidase occur in dozens of plant-associated bacteria.
Relations:
Diseases
(1)
Conditions
(1)
Drugs
(2)
Chemicals
(4)
Genes
(4)
Organisms
(2)
Processes
(3)
Anatomy
(1)
Affiliates
(2)
Similar articles
Articles by the same authors
Discussion board
Collaboration tool especially designed for Life Science professionals.Drag-and-drop any entity to your messages.