# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6355 | 0 | 0.9943 | Regulation of resistance to copper in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria. Copper-resistant strains of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria were previously shown to carry plasmid-borne copper resistance genes related to the cop and pco operons of Pseudomonas syringae and Escherichia coli, respectively. However, instead of the two-component (copRS and pcoRS) systems determining copper-inducible expression of the operons in P. syringae and E. coli, a novel open reading frame, copL, was found to be required for copper-inducible expression of the downstream multicopper oxidase copA in X. axonopodis. copL encodes a predicted protein product of 122 amino acids that is rich in histidine and cysteine residues, suggesting a possible direct interaction with copper. Deletions or frameshift mutations within copL, as well as an amino acid substitution generated at the putative start codon of copL, caused a loss of copper-inducible transcriptional activation of copA. A nonpolar insertion of a kanamycin resistance gene in copL resulted in copper sensitivity in the wild-type strain. However, repeated attempts to complement copL mutations in trans failed. Analysis of the genomic sequence databases shows that there are copL homologs upstream of copAB genes in X. axonopodis pv. citri, X. campestris pv. campestris, and Xylella fastidiosa. The cloned promoter area upstream of copA in X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria did not function in Pseudomonas syringae or in E. coli, nor did the P. syringae cop promoter function in Xanthomonas. However, a transcriptional fusion of the Xanthomonas cop promoter with the Pseudomonas copABCDRS was able to confer resistance to copper in Xanthomonas, showing divergence in the mechanisms of regulation of the resistance to copper in phytopathogenic bacteria. | 2005 | 15691931 |
| 609 | 1 | 0.9941 | A metazoan ortholog of SpoT hydrolyzes ppGpp and functions in starvation responses. In nutrient-starved bacteria, RelA and SpoT proteins have key roles in reducing cell growth and overcoming stresses. Here we identify functional SpoT orthologs in metazoa (named Mesh1, encoded by HDDC3 in human and Q9VAM9 in Drosophila melanogaster) and reveal their structures and functions. Like the bacterial enzyme, Mesh1 proteins contain an active site for ppGpp hydrolysis and a conserved His-Asp-box motif for Mn(2+) binding. Consistent with these structural data, Mesh1 efficiently catalyzes hydrolysis of guanosine 3',5'-diphosphate (ppGpp) both in vitro and in vivo. Mesh1 also suppresses SpoT-deficient lethality and RelA-induced delayed cell growth in bacteria. Notably, deletion of Mesh1 (Q9VAM9) in Drosophila induces retarded body growth and impaired starvation resistance. Microarray analyses reveal that the amino acid-starved Mesh1 null mutant has highly downregulated DNA and protein synthesis-related genes and upregulated stress-responsible genes. These data suggest that metazoan SpoT orthologs have an evolutionarily conserved function in starvation responses. | 2010 | 20818390 |
| 594 | 2 | 0.9939 | Challenging Xanthomonas campestris with low levels of arsenic mediates cross-protection against oxidant killing. Xanthomonas encounters highly toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) from many sources, such as those generated by plants against invading bacteria, other soil bacteria and from aerobic respiration. Thus, conditions that alter intracellular ROS levels such as exposure to toxic metalloids would have profound effects on bacterial physiology. Here, we report that exposure of Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli (Xp) to low levels of arsenic induces physiological cross-protection against killing by H(2)O(2) and organic hydroperoxide but not a superoxide generator. Cross-protection against H(2)O(2) and organic hydroperoxide toxicity was due to increased expression of genes encoding major peroxide-metabolizing enzymes such as alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC), catalase (KatA) and organic hydroperoxide resistance protein (Ohr). Arsenic-induced protection against H(2)O(2) and organic hydroperoxide requires the peroxide stress response regulators, OxyR and OhrR, respectively. Moreover, analyses of double mutants of the major H(2)O(2) and organic hyproperoxide-scavenging enzymes, Xp ahpC katA and Xp ahpC ohr, respectively, suggested the existence of unidentified OxyR- and OhrR-regulated genes that are involved in arsenic-induced resistance to H(2)O(2) and organic hyproperoxide killing in Xp. These arsenic-induced physiological alterations could play an important role in bacterial survival both in the soil environment and during plant-pathogen interactions. | 2006 | 16907748 |
| 545 | 3 | 0.9936 | Characterization of the organic hydroperoxide resistance system of Brucella abortus 2308. The organic hydroperoxide resistance protein Ohr has been identified in numerous bacteria where it functions in the detoxification of organic hydroperoxides, and expression of ohr is often regulated by a MarR-type regulator called OhrR. The genes annotated as BAB2_0350 and BAB2_0351 in the Brucella abortus 2308 genome sequence are predicted to encode OhrR and Ohr orthologs, respectively. Using isogenic ohr and ohrR mutants and lacZ promoter fusions, it was determined that Ohr contributes to resistance to organic hydroperoxide, but not hydrogen peroxide, in B. abortus 2308 and that OhrR represses the transcription of both ohr and ohrR in this strain. Moreover, electrophoretic mobility shift assays and DNase I footprinting revealed that OhrR binds directly to a specific region in the intergenic region between ohr and ohrR that shares extensive nucleotide sequence similarity with so-called "OhrR boxes" described in other bacteria. While Ohr plays a prominent role in protecting B. abortus 2308 from organic hydroperoxide stress in in vitro assays, this protein is not required for the wild-type virulence of this strain in cultured murine macrophages or experimentally infected mice. | 2012 | 22821968 |
| 62 | 4 | 0.9935 | Different requirements for EDS1 and NDR1 by disease resistance genes define at least two R gene-mediated signaling pathways in Arabidopsis. The Arabidopsis genes EDS1 and NDR1 were shown previously by mutational analysis to encode essential components of race-specific disease resistance. Here, we examined the relative requirements for EDS1 and NDR1 by a broad spectrum of Resistance (R) genes present in three Arabidopsis accessions (Columbia, Landsberg-erecta, and Wassilewskija). We show that there is a strong requirement for EDS1 by a subset of R loci (RPP2, RPP4, RPP5, RPP21, and RPS4), conferring resistance to the biotrophic oomycete Peronospora parasitica, and to Pseudomonas bacteria expressing the avirulence gene avrRps4. The requirement for NDR1 by these EDS1-dependent R loci is either weak or not measurable. Conversely, three NDR1-dependent R loci, RPS2, RPM1, and RPS5, operate independently of EDS1. Another RPP locus, RPP8, exhibits no strong exclusive requirement for EDS1 or NDR1 in isolate-specific resistance to P. parasitica, although resistance is compromised weakly by eds1. Similarly, resistance conditioned by two EDS1-dependent RPP genes, RPP4 and RPP5, is impaired partially by ndr1, implicating a degree of pathway cross-talk. Our results provide compelling evidence for the preferential utilization of either signaling component by particular R genes and thus define at least two disease resistance pathways. The data also suggest that strong dependence on EDS1 or NDR1 is governed by R protein structural type rather than pathogen class. | 1998 | 9707643 |
| 546 | 5 | 0.9935 | Resistance to organic hydroperoxides requires ohr and ohrR genes in Sinorhizobium meliloti. BACKGROUND: Sinorhizobium meliloti is a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacterium that elicits nodules on roots of host plants Medicago sativa. During nodule formation bacteria have to withstand oxygen radicals produced by the plant. Resistance to H2O2 and superoxides has been extensively studied in S. meliloti. In contrast resistance to organic peroxides has not been investigated while S. meliloti genome encodes putative organic peroxidases. Organic peroxides are produced by plants and are highly toxic. The resistance to these oxygen radicals has been studied in various bacteria but never in plant nodulating bacteria. RESULTS: In this study we report the characterisation of organic hydroperoxide resistance gene ohr and its regulator ohrR in S. meliloti. The inactivation of ohr affects resistance to cumene and ter-butyl hydroperoxides but not to hydrogen peroxide or menadione in vitro. The expression of ohr and ohrR genes is specifically induced by organic peroxides. OhrR binds to the intergenic region between the divergent genes ohr and ohrR. Two binding sites were characterised. Binding to the operator is prevented by OhrR oxidation that promotes OhrR dimerisation. The inactivation of ohr did not affect symbiosis and nitrogen fixation, suggesting that redundant enzymatic activity exists in this strain. Both ohr and ohrR are expressed in nodules suggesting that they play a role during nitrogen fixation. CONCLUSIONS: This report demonstrates the significant role Ohr and OhrR proteins play in bacterial stress resistance against organic peroxides in S. meliloti. The ohr and ohrR genes are expressed in nodule-inhabiting bacteroids suggesting a role during nodulation. | 2011 | 21569462 |
| 598 | 6 | 0.9933 | Bacteria possessing two RelA/SpoT-like proteins have evolved a specific stringent response involving the acyl carrier protein-SpoT interaction. Bacteria respond to nutritional stress by producing (p)ppGpp, which triggers a stringent response resulting in growth arrest and expression of resistance genes. In Escherichia coli, RelA produces (p)ppGpp upon amino acid starvation by detecting stalled ribosomes. The SpoT enzyme responds to various other types of starvation by unknown mechanisms. We previously described an interaction between SpoT and the central cofactor of lipid synthesis, acyl carrier protein (ACP), which is involved in detecting starvation signals in lipid metabolism and triggering SpoT-dependent (p)ppGpp accumulation. However, most bacteria possess a unique protein homologous to RelA/SpoT (Rsh) that is able to synthesize and degrade (p)ppGpp and is therefore more closely related to SpoT function. In this study, we asked if the ACP-SpoT interaction is specific for bacteria containing two RelA and SpoT enzymes or if it is a general feature that is conserved in Rsh enzymes. By testing various combinations of SpoT, RelA, and Rsh enzymes and ACPs of E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumoniae, we found that the interaction between (p)ppGpp synthases and ACP seemed to be restricted to SpoT proteins of bacteria containing the two RelA and SpoT proteins and to ACP proteins encoded by genes located in fatty acid synthesis operons. When Rsh enzymes from B. subtilis and S. pneumoniae are produced in E. coli, the behavior of these enzymes is different from the behavior of both RelA and SpoT proteins with respect to (p)ppGpp synthesis. This suggests that bacteria have evolved several different modes of (p)ppGpp regulation in order to respond to nutrient starvation. | 2009 | 18996989 |
| 75 | 7 | 0.9933 | Identification and expression profiling of tomato genes differentially regulated during a resistance response to Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. The gram-negative bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is the causal agent of spot disease in tomato and pepper. Plants of the tomato line Hawaii 7981 are resistant to race T3 of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria expressing the type III effector protein AvrXv3 and develop a typical hypersensitive response upon bacterial challenge. A combination of suppression subtractive hybridization and microarray analysis identified a large set of cDNAs that are induced or repressed during the resistance response of Hawaii 7981 plants to X. campestris pv. vesicatoria T3 bacteria. Sequence analysis of the isolated cDNAs revealed that they correspond to 426 nonredundant genes, which were designated as XRE (Xanthomonas-regulated) genes and were classified into more than 20 functional classes. The largest functional groups contain genes involved in defense, stress responses, protein synthesis, signaling, and photosynthesis. Analysis of XRE expression kinetics during the tomato resistance response to X. campestris pv. vesicatoria T3 revealed six clusters of genes with coordinate expression. In addition, by using isogenic X. campestris pv. vesicatoria T2 strains differing only by the avrXv3 avirulence gene, we found that 77% of the identified XRE genes were directly modulated by expression of the AvrXv3 effector protein. Interestingly, 64% of the XRE genes were also induced in tomato during an incompatible interaction with an avirulent strain of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. The identification and expression analysis of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria T3-modulated genes, which may be involved in the control or in the execution of plant defense responses, set the stage for the dissection of signaling and cellular responses activated in tomato plants during the onset of spot disease resistance. | 2004 | 15553246 |
| 246 | 8 | 0.9933 | Changes in gene expression in canola roots induced by ACC-deaminase-containing plant-growth-promoting bacteria. The technique of RNA arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (RAP-PCR) was used to study changes in gene expression over time in canola roots treated with the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase-containing plant-growth-promoting bacterium Enterobacter cloacae UW4 and to compare the changes with those in a mutant of E. cloacae UW4 in which the ACC deaminase structural gene acdS was replaced by homologous recombination with acdS with an intentional knockout containing a tetracycline resistance gene. Genes that were either up- or down-regulated over a three-day period in canola plants treated with wild-type or mutant bacteria were isolated, cloned, and sequenced; all appeared to have high homology with Arabidopsis thaliana genes. The upregulated genes included a cell division cycle protein 48 homolog and a eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit 7 gene homolog. The downregulated genes included one encoding a glycine-rich RNA binding protein with a function in RNA processing or binding during ethylene-induced stress, which is expressed only in roots, and another gene thought to be involved in a defense signaling pathway. All RAP-PCR results were verified using Northern blotting. These data, indicate that roots isolated from canola seeds treated with the ACC deaminase-producing E. cloacae UW4 upregulate genes involved in cell division and proliferation but down-regulate stress genes. This data is in agreement with a model in which ACC deaminase-containing plant-growth-promoting bacteria reduce plant stress and induce root elongation and proliferation in plants, largely by lowering ethylene levels. | 2004 | 15305607 |
| 433 | 9 | 0.9932 | Expression of the strA-strB streptomycin resistance genes in Pseudomonas syringae and Xanthomonas campestris and characterization of IS6100 in X. campestris. Expression of the strA-strB streptomycin resistance (SMr) genes was examined in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. The strA-strB genes in P. syringae and X. campestris were encoded on elements closely related to Tn5393 from Erwinia amylovora and designated Tn5393a and Tn5393b, respectively. The putative recombination site (res) and resolvase-repressor (tnpR) genes of Tn5393 from E. amylovora, P syringae, and X. campestris were identical; however, IS6100 mapped within tnpR in X. campestris, and IS1133 was previously located downstream of tnpR in E. amylovora (C.-S Chiou and A. L. Jones, J. Bacteriol. 175:732-740, 1993). Transcriptional fusions (strA-strB::uidA) indicated that a strong promoter sequence was located within res in Tn5393a. Expression from this promoter sequence was reduced when the tnpR gene was present in cis position relative to the promoter. In X. campestris pv. vesicatoria, analysis of promoter activity with transcriptional fusions indicated that IS6100 increased the expression of strA-strB. Analysis of codon usage patterns and percent G+C in the third codon position indicated that IS6100 could have originated in a gram-negative bacterium. The data obtained in the present study help explain differences observed in the levels of SMr expressed by three genera which share common genes for resistance. Furthermore, the widespread dissemination of Tn5393 and derivatives in phytopathogenic prokaryotes confirms the importance of these bacteria as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance in the environment. | 1995 | 7487022 |
| 559 | 10 | 0.9932 | Coordinated regulation of chemotaxis and resistance to copper by CsoR in Pseudomonas putida. Copper is an essential enzyme cofactor in bacteria, but excess copper is highly toxic. Bacteria can cope with copper stress by increasing copper resistance and initiating chemorepellent response. However, it remains unclear how bacteria coordinate chemotaxis and resistance to copper. By screening proteins that interacted with the chemotaxis kinase CheA, we identified a copper-binding repressor CsoR that interacted with CheA in Pseudomonas putida. CsoR interacted with the HPT (P1), Dimer (P3), and HATPase_c (P4) domains of CheA and inhibited CheA autophosphorylation, resulting in decreased chemotaxis. The copper-binding of CsoR weakened its interaction with CheA, which relieved the inhibition of chemotaxis by CsoR. In addition, CsoR bound to the promoter of copper-resistance genes to inhibit gene expression, and copper-binding released CsoR from the promoter, leading to increased gene expression and copper resistance. P. putida cells exhibited a chemorepellent response to copper in a CheA-dependent manner, and CsoR inhibited the chemorepellent response to copper. Besides, the CheA-CsoR interaction also existed in proteins from several other bacterial species. Our results revealed a mechanism by which bacteria coordinately regulated chemotaxis and resistance to copper by CsoR. | 2025 | 40197389 |
| 8430 | 11 | 0.9932 | Deinococcus geothermalis: the pool of extreme radiation resistance genes shrinks. Bacteria of the genus Deinococcus are extremely resistant to ionizing radiation (IR), ultraviolet light (UV) and desiccation. The mesophile Deinococcus radiodurans was the first member of this group whose genome was completely sequenced. Analysis of the genome sequence of D. radiodurans, however, failed to identify unique DNA repair systems. To further delineate the genes underlying the resistance phenotypes, we report the whole-genome sequence of a second Deinococcus species, the thermophile Deinococcus geothermalis, which at its optimal growth temperature is as resistant to IR, UV and desiccation as D. radiodurans, and a comparative analysis of the two Deinococcus genomes. Many D. radiodurans genes previously implicated in resistance, but for which no sensitive phenotype was observed upon disruption, are absent in D. geothermalis. In contrast, most D. radiodurans genes whose mutants displayed a radiation-sensitive phenotype in D. radiodurans are conserved in D. geothermalis. Supporting the existence of a Deinococcus radiation response regulon, a common palindromic DNA motif was identified in a conserved set of genes associated with resistance, and a dedicated transcriptional regulator was predicted. We present the case that these two species evolved essentially the same diverse set of gene families, and that the extreme stress-resistance phenotypes of the Deinococcus lineage emerged progressively by amassing cell-cleaning systems from different sources, but not by acquisition of novel DNA repair systems. Our reconstruction of the genomic evolution of the Deinococcus-Thermus phylum indicates that the corresponding set of enzymes proliferated mainly in the common ancestor of Deinococcus. Results of the comparative analysis weaken the arguments for a role of higher-order chromosome alignment structures in resistance; more clearly define and substantially revise downward the number of uncharacterized genes that might participate in DNA repair and contribute to resistance; and strengthen the case for a role in survival of systems involved in manganese and iron homeostasis. | 2007 | 17895995 |
| 8788 | 12 | 0.9932 | Plant nitrate supply regulates Erwinia amylovora virulence gene expression in Arabidopsis. We showed previously that nitrogen (N) limitation decreases Arabidopsis resistance to Erwinia amylovora (Ea). We show that decreased resistance to bacteria in low N is correlated with lower apoplastic reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and lower jasmonic acid (JA) pathway expression. Consistently, pretreatment with methyl jasmonate (Me-JA) increased the resistance of plants grown under low N. In parallel, we show that in planta titres of a nonvirulent type III secretion system (T3SS)-deficient Ea mutant were lower than those of wildtype Ea in low N, as expected, but surprisingly not in high N. This lack of difference in high N was consistent with the low expression of the T3SS-encoding hrp virulence genes by wildtype Ea in plants grown in high N compared to plants grown in low N. This suggests that expressing its virulence factors in planta could be a major limiting factor for Ea in the nonhost Arabidopsis. To test this hypothesis, we preincubated Ea in an inducing medium that triggers expression of hrp genes in vitro, prior to inoculation. This preincubation strongly enhanced Ea titres in planta, independently of the plant N status, and was correlated to a significant repression of JA-dependent genes. Finally, we identify two clusters of metabolites associated with resistance or with susceptibility to Ea. Altogether, our data showed that high susceptibility of Arabidopsis to Ea, under low N or following preincubation in hrp-inducing medium, is correlated with high expression of the Ea hrp genes in planta and low expression of the JA signalling pathway, and is correlated with the accumulation of specific metabolites. | 2021 | 34382308 |
| 74 | 13 | 0.9932 | Non-host Resistance Induced by the Xanthomonas Effector XopQ Is Widespread within the Genus Nicotiana and Functionally Depends on EDS1. Most Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacteria translocate effector proteins (T3Es) directly into plant cells via a conserved type III secretion system, which is essential for pathogenicity in susceptible plants. In resistant plants, recognition of some T3Es is mediated by corresponding resistance (R) genes or R proteins and induces effector triggered immunity (ETI) that often results in programmed cell death reactions. The identification of R genes and understanding their evolution/distribution bears great potential for the generation of resistant crop plants. We focus on T3Es from Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv), the causal agent of bacterial spot disease on pepper and tomato plants. Here, 86 Solanaceae lines mainly of the genus Nicotiana were screened for phenotypical reactions after Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression of 21 different Xcv effectors to (i) identify new plant lines for T3E characterization, (ii) analyze conservation/evolution of putative R genes and (iii) identify promising plant lines as repertoire for R gene isolation. The effectors provoked different reactions on closely related plant lines indicative of a high variability and evolution rate of potential R genes. In some cases, putative R genes were conserved within a plant species but not within superordinate phylogenetical units. Interestingly, the effector XopQ was recognized by several Nicotiana spp. lines, and Xcv infection assays revealed that XopQ is a host range determinant in many Nicotiana species. Non-host resistance against Xcv and XopQ recognition in N. benthamiana required EDS1, strongly suggesting the presence of a TIR domain-containing XopQ-specific R protein in these plant lines. XopQ is a conserved effector among most xanthomonads, pointing out the XopQ-recognizing R(xopQ) as candidate for targeted crop improvement. | 2016 | 27965697 |
| 187 | 14 | 0.9932 | Functional coexistence of twin arsenic resistance systems in Pseudomonas putida KT2440. The genome of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 bears two virtually identical arsRBCH operons putatively encoding resistance to inorganic arsenic species. Single and double chromosomal deletions in each of these ars clusters of this bacterium were tested for arsenic sensitivity and found that the contribution of each operon to the resistance to the metalloid was not additive, as either cluster sufficed to endow cells with high-level resistance. However, otherwise identical traits linked to each of the ars sites diverged when temperature was decreased. Growth of the various mutants at 15°C (instead of the standard 30°C for P. putida) uncovered that ars2 affords a much higher resistance to As (III) than the ars1 counterpart. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of arsB1 and arsB2 genes as well as lacZ fusions to the Pars1 and Pars2 promoters traced the difference to variations in transcription of the corresponding gene sets at each temperature. Functional redundancy may thus be selected as a stable condition - rather than just as transient state - if it affords one key activity to be expressed under a wider range of physicochemical settings. This seems to provide a straightforward solution to regulatory problems in environmental bacteria that thrive under changing scenarios. | 2015 | 24673935 |
| 584 | 15 | 0.9931 | Cadmium and iron transport by members of a plant metal transporter family in Arabidopsis with homology to Nramp genes. Metal cation homeostasis is essential for plant nutrition and resistance to toxic heavy metals. Many plant metal transporters remain to be identified at the molecular level. In the present study, we have isolated AtNramp cDNAs from Arabidopsis and show that these genes complement the phenotype of a metal uptake deficient yeast strain, smf1. AtNramps show homology to the Nramp gene family in bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals. Expression of AtNramp cDNAs increases Cd(2+) sensitivity and Cd(2+) accumulation in yeast. Furthermore, AtNramp3 and AtNramp4 complement an iron uptake mutant in yeast. This suggests possible roles in iron transport in plants and reveals heterogeneity in the functional properties of Nramp transporters. In Arabidopsis, AtNramps are expressed in both roots and aerial parts under metal replete conditions. Interestingly, AtNramp3 and AtNramp4 are induced by iron starvation. Disruption of the AtNramp3 gene leads to slightly enhanced cadmium resistance of root growth. Furthermore, overexpression of AtNramp3 results in cadmium hypersensitivity of Arabidopsis root growth and increased accumulation of Fe, on Cd(2+) treatment. Our results show that Nramp genes in plants encode metal transporters and that AtNramps transport both the metal nutrient Fe and the toxic metal cadmium. | 2000 | 10781110 |
| 8786 | 16 | 0.9931 | Pattern triggered immunity (PTI) in tobacco: isolation of activated genes suggests role of the phenylpropanoid pathway in inhibition of bacterial pathogens. BACKGROUND: Pattern Triggered Immunity (PTI) or Basal Resistance (BR) is a potent, symptomless form of plant resistance. Upon inoculation of a plant with non-pathogens or pathogenicity-mutant bacteria, the induced PTI will prevent bacterial proliferation. Developed PTI is also able to protect the plant from disease or HR (Hypersensitive Response) after a challenging infection with pathogenic bacteria. Our aim was to reveal those PTI-related genes of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) that could possibly play a role in the protection of the plant from disease. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Leaves were infiltrated with Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae hrcC- mutant bacteria to induce PTI, and samples were taken 6 and 48 hours later. Subtraction Suppressive Hybridization (SSH) resulted in 156 PTI-activated genes. A cDNA microarray was generated from the SSH clone library. Analysis of hybridization data showed that in the early (6 hpi) phase of PTI, among others, genes of peroxidases, signalling elements, heat shock proteins and secondary metabolites were upregulated, while at the late phase (48 hpi) the group of proteolysis genes was newly activated. Microarray data were verified by real time RT-PCR analysis. Almost all members of the phenyl-propanoid pathway (PPP) possibly leading to lignin biosynthesis were activated. Specific inhibition of cinnamic-acid-4-hydroxylase (C4H), rate limiting enzyme of the PPP, decreased the strength of PTI--as shown by the HR-inhibition and electrolyte leakage tests. Quantification of cinnamate and p-coumarate by thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-densitometry supported specific changes in the levels of these metabolites upon elicitation of PTI. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We believe to provide first report on PTI-related changes in the levels of these PPP metabolites. Results implicated an actual role of the upregulation of the phenylpropanoid pathway in the inhibition of bacterial pathogenic activity during PTI. | 2014 | 25101956 |
| 315 | 17 | 0.9931 | Phosphorothioate DNA as an antioxidant in bacteria. Diverse bacteria contain DNA with sulfur incorporated stereo-specifically into their DNA backbone at specific sequences (phosphorothioation). We found that in vitro oxidation of phosphorothioate (PT) DNA by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) or peracetic acid has two possible outcomes: DNA backbone cleavage or sulfur removal resulting in restoration of normal DNA backbone. The physiological relevance of this redox reaction was investigated by challenging PT DNA hosting Salmonella enterica cells using H(2)O(2). DNA phosphorothioation was found to correlate with increasing resistance to the growth inhibition by H(2)O(2). Resistance to H(2)O(2) was abolished when each of the three dnd genes, required for phosphorothioation, was inactivated. In vivo, PT DNA is more resistant to the double-strand break damage caused by H(2)O(2) than PT-free DNA. Furthermore, sulfur on the modified DNA was consumed and the DNA was converted to PT-free state when the bacteria were incubated with H(2)O(2). These findings are consistent with a hypothesis that phosphorothioation modification endows DNA with reducing chemical property, which protects the hosting bacteria against peroxide, explaining why this modification is maintained by diverse bacteria. | 2012 | 22772986 |
| 82 | 18 | 0.9930 | Type III effectors orchestrate a complex interplay between transcriptional networks to modify basal defence responses during pathogenesis and resistance. To successfully infect a plant, bacterial pathogens inject a collection of Type III effector proteins (TTEs) directly into the plant cell that function to overcome basal defences and redirect host metabolism for nutrition and growth. We examined (i) the transcriptional dynamics of basal defence responses between Arabidopsis thaliana and Pseudomonas syringae and (ii) how basal defence is subsequently modulated by virulence factors during compatible interactions. A set of 96 genes displaying an early, sustained induction during basal defence was identified. These were also universally co-regulated following other bacterial basal resistance and non-host responses or following elicitor challenges. Eight hundred and eighty genes were conservatively identified as being modulated by TTEs within 12 h post-inoculation (hpi), 20% of which represented transcripts previously induced by the bacteria at 2 hpi. Significant over-representation of co-regulated transcripts encoding leucine rich repeat receptor proteins and protein phosphatases were, respectively, suppressed and induced 12 hpi. These data support a model in which the pathogen avoids detection through diminution of extracellular receptors and attenuation of kinase signalling pathways. Transcripts associated with several metabolic pathways, particularly plastid based primary carbon metabolism, pigment biosynthesis and aromatic amino acid metabolism, were significantly modified by the bacterial challenge at 12 hpi. Superimposed upon this basal response, virulence factors (most likely TTEs) targeted genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, consistent with the abrogation of lignin deposition and other wall modifications likely to restrict the passage of nutrients and water to the invading bacteria. In contrast, some pathways associated with stress tolerance are transcriptionally induced at 12 hpi by TTEs. | 2006 | 16553893 |
| 8789 | 19 | 0.9930 | Herbivore Oral Secreted Bacteria Trigger Distinct Defense Responses in Preferred and Non-Preferred Host Plants. Insect symbiotic bacteria affect host physiology and mediate plant-insect interactions, yet there are few clear examples of symbiotic bacteria regulating defense responses in different host plants. We hypothesized that plants would induce distinct defense responses to herbivore- associated bacteria. We evaluated whether preferred hosts (horsenettle) or non-preferred hosts (tomato) respond similarly to oral secretions (OS) from the false potato beetle (FPB, Leptinotarsa juncta), and whether the induced defense triggered by OS was due to the presence of symbiotic bacteria in OS. Both horsenettle and tomato damaged by antibiotic (AB) treated larvae showed higher polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity than those damaged by non-AB treated larvae. In addition, application of OS from AB treated larvae induced higher PPO activity compared with OS from non-AB treated larvae or water treatment. False potato beetles harbor bacteria that may provide abundant cues that can be recognized by plants and thus mediate corresponding defense responses. Among all tested bacterial isolates, the genera Pantoea, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, and Serratia were found to suppress PPO activity in tomato, while only Pantoea sp. among these four isolates was observed to suppress PPO activity in horsenettle. The distinct PPO suppression caused by symbiotic bacteria in different plants was similar to the pattern of induced defense-related gene expression. Pantoea inoculated FPB suppressed JA-responsive genes and triggered a SA-responsive gene in both tomato and horsenettle. However, Enterobacter inoculated FPB eliminated JA-regulated gene expression and elevated SA-regulated gene expression in tomato, but did not show evident effects on the expression levels of horsenettle defense-related genes. These results indicate that suppression of plant defenses by the bacteria found in the oral secretions of herbivores may be a more widespread phenomenon than previously indicated. | 2016 | 27294415 |