Expression of the Pseudomonas syringae avirulence protein AvrB in plant cells alleviates its dependence on the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity (Hrp) secretion system in eliciting genotype-specific hypersensitive cell death.

The nonpathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas fluorescens and Escherichia coli can elicit a genotype-specific hypersensitive response (HR) in plants if they express both the HR and pathogenesis (Hrp) protein secretion system and the HrpZ harpin from P. syringae pv syringae 61 and a P. syringae avirulence (avr) gene whose presence is recognized by a corresponding disease resistance gene in the plant. We have found that the recognition event appears to require transfer of the Avr protein into the plant cell. Elicitation of a genotype-specific HR was observed with avrB+ P. fluorescens in soybean and Arabidopsis plants carrying resistance genes RPG1 and RPM1, respectively, and with avrPto+ E. coll in tomato plants carrying resistance gene PTO, but only if the Hrp secretion system, HrpZ, and the appropriate Avr proteins were produced in the same bacterial cell. The failure of avrB hyperexpression and exogenous AvrB or HrpZ to alleviate these requirements in soybean and Arabidopsis suggests that the site of AvrB action is not in the bacterial cell or plant apoplast. An Arabidopsis rps3 (rpm1) glabrous1 mutant was transformed with constructs expressing avrB and was crossed with an Arabidopsis ecotype Columbia (RPM1 GLABROUS1) plant. F1 seedlings (identified by their kanamycin-resistant, pubescent phenotype) exhibited extensive necrosis on cotyledon leaves 10 days postgermination. Ecotype Columbia and rps3-1 leaves biolistically cobombarded with plasmids expressing the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and avrB failed to produce GUS activity (indicative of cell death) only when RPM1 and avrB were present in the leaf. Thus, both stable and transient expression of avrB in Arabidopsis resulted in RPM1-dependent necrosis, and the only demonstrable site of action for AvrB was inside plant cells.     

Functional mapping of harpin HrpZ of Pseudomonas syringae reveals the sites responsible for protein oligomerization, lipid interactions and plant defence induction

Harpin HrpZ is one of the most abundant proteins secreted through the pathogenesis-associated type III secretion system of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. HrpZ shows membrane-binding and pore-forming activities in vitro, suggesting that it could be targeted to the host cell plasma membrane. We studied the native molecular forms of HrpZ and found that it forms dimers and higher order oligomers. Lipid binding by HrpZ was tested with 15 different membrane lipids, with HrpZ interacting only with phosphatidic acid. Pore formation by HrpZ in artificial lipid vesicles was found to be dependent on the presence of phosphatidic acid. In addition, HrpZ was able to form pores in vesicles prepared from Arabidopsis thaliana plasma membrane, providing evidence for the suggested target of HrpZ in the host. To map the functions associated with HrpZ, we constructed a comprehensive series of deletions in the hrpZ gene derived from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola, and studied the mutant proteins. We found that oligomerization is mainly mediated by a region near the C-terminus of the protein, and that the same region is also essential for membrane pore formation. Phosphatidic acid binding seems to be mediated by two regions separate in the primary structure. Tobacco, a nonhost plant, recognizes, as a defence elicitor, a 24-amino-acid HrpZ fragment which resides in the region indispensable for the oligomerization and pore formation functions of HrpZ.     

The Pseudomonas syringae HrpJ protein controls the secretion of type III translocator proteins and has a virulence role inside plant cells

The bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae injects effector proteins into plant cells via a type III secretion system (T3SS), which is required for pathogenesis. The protein HrpJ is secreted by P. syringae and is required for a fully functional T3SS. A hrpJ mutant is non-pathogenic and cannot inject effectors into plant cells or secrete the harpin HrpZ1. Here we show that the hrpJ mutant also cannot secrete the harpins HrpW1 and HopAK1 or the translocator HrpK1, suggesting that these proteins are required in the translocation (injection) of effectors into plant cells. Complementation of the hrpJ mutant with secretion incompetent HrpJ derivatives restores the secretion of HrpZ1 and HrpW1 and the ability to elicit a hypersensitive response, a measure of translocation. However, growth in planta and disease symptom production is only partially restored, suggesting that secreted HrpJ may have a direct role in virulence. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing HrpJ-HA complemented the virulence phenotype of the hrpJ mutant expressing a secretion incompetent HrpJ derivative and were reduced in their immune responses. Collectively, these data indicate that HrpJ has a dual role in P. syringae: inside bacterial cells HrpJ controls the secretion of translocator proteins and inside plant cells it suppresses plant immunity.     

Analysis of the role of the Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae HrpZ harpin in elicitation of the hypersensitive response in tobacco using functionally non-polar hrpZ deletion mutations, truncated HrpZ fragments, and hrmA mutations

Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae , like many plant pathogenic bacteria, secretes a 'harpin' protein that can elicit the hypersensitive response (HR), a defensive cellular suicide, in non-host plants. The harpin-encoding hrpZ gene is located in an operon that also encodes Hrp secretion pathway components and is part of the functional cluster of hrp genes carried on cosmid pHIR11 that enables saprophytic bacteria like Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas fluorescens to elicit the HR in tobacco leaves. We have constructed functionally non-polar hrpZ deletion mutations, revealing that HrpZ is necessary for saprophytic bacteria carrying pHIR11 to elicit a typical HR, whereas it only enhances the elicitation activity of P. s. syringae . Partial deletion mutations revealed that the N-terminal 153 amino acids of HrpZ can enable E. coli MC4100-(pHIR11) to elicit a strong HR. hrpZ subclone products comprising the N-terminal 109 amino acids and C-terminal 216 amino acids, respectively, of the 341 amino acid protein were isolated and found to elicit the HR. P. fluorescens (pHIR11 hrmA  ::Tn phoA ) mutants do not elicit the HR, but cell fractionation and immunoblot analysis revealed that they produce and secrete wild-type levels of HrpZ. Therefore, elicitor activity resides in multiple regions of HrpZ, P. syringae produces elicitor(s) in addition to HrpZ, and HrpZ is essential but not sufficient for HR elicitation by saprophytic bacteria carrying pHIR11.     

Separable roles of the Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola accessory protein HrpZ1 in ion-conducting pore formation and activation of plant immunity

The HrpZ1 gene product from phytopathogenic Pseudomonas syringae is secreted in a type-III secretion system-dependent manner during plant infection. The ability of HrpZ1 to form ion-conducting pores is proposed to contribute to bacterial effector delivery into host cells, or may facilitate the nutrition of bacteria in the apoplast. Furthermore, HrpZ1 is reminiscent of a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) that triggers immunity-associated responses in a variety of plants. Here, we provide evidence that the ion pore formation and immune activation activities of HrpZ1 have different structure requirements. All HrpZ1 orthologous proteins tested possess pore formation activities, but some of these proteins fail to trigger plant defense-associated responses. In addition, a C-terminal fragment of HrpZ1 retains the ability to activate plant immunity, whereas ion pore formation requires intact HrpZ1. Random insertion mutagenesis of HrpZ1 further revealed the C terminus to be important for the PAMP activity of the protein. HrpZ1 binds to plant membranes with high affinity and specificity, suggesting that the activation of plant immunity-associated responses by HrpZ1 is receptor-mediated. Our data are consistent with dual roles of HrpZ1 as a virulence factor affecting host membrane integrity, and as a microbial pattern governing the activation of plant immunity during infection.     

The Avr (effector) proteins HrmA (HopPsyA) and AvrPto are secreted in culture from Pseudomonas syringae pathovars via the Hrp (type III) protein secretion system in a temperature- and pH-sensitive manner.

We present here data showing that the Avr proteins HrmA and AvrPto are secreted in culture via the native Hrp pathways from Pseudomonas syringae pathovars that produce these proteins. Moreover, their secretion is strongly affected by the temperature and pH of the culture medium. Both HrmA and AvrPto were secreted at their highest amounts when the temperature was between 18 and 22 degrees C and when the culture medium was pH 6.0. In contrast, temperature did not affect the secretion of HrpZ. pH did affect HrpZ secretion, but not as strongly as it affected the secretion of HrmA. This finding suggests that there are at least two classes of proteins that travel the P. syringae pathway: putative secretion system accessory proteins, such as HrpZ, which are readily secreted in culture; and effector proteins, such as HrmA and AvrPto, which apparently are delivered inside plant cells and are detected in lower amounts in culture supernatants under the appropriate conditions. Because HrmA was shown to be a Hrp-secreted protein, we have changed the name of hrmA to hopPsyA to reflect that it encodes a Hrp outer protein from P. syringae pv. syringae. The functional P. syringae Hrp cluster encoded by cosmid pHIR11 conferred upon P. fluorescens but not Escherichia coli the ability to secrete HopPsyA in culture. The use of these optimized conditions should facilitate the identification of additional proteins traveling the Hrp pathway and the signals that regulate this protein traffic.     

Pseudomonas syringae HrpJ is a type III secreted protein that is required for plant pathogenesis, injection of effectors, and secretion of the HrpZ1 Harpin

The bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae requires a type III protein secretion system (TTSS) to cause disease. The P. syringae TTSS is encoded by the hrp-hrc gene cluster. One of the genes within this cluster, hrpJ, encodes a protein with weak similarity to YopN, a type III secreted protein from the animal pathogenic Yersinia species. Here, we show that HrpJ is secreted in culture and translocated into plant cells by the P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 TTSS. A DC3000 hrpJ mutant, UNL140, was greatly reduced in its ability to cause disease symptoms and multiply in Arabidopsis thaliana. UNL140 exhibited a reduced ability to elicit a hypersensitive response (HR) in nonhost tobacco plants. UNL140 was unable to elicit an AvrRpt2- or AvrB1-dependent HR in A. thaliana but maintained its ability to secrete AvrB1 in culture via the TTSS. Additionally, UNL140 was defective in its ability to translocate the effectors AvrPto1, HopB1, and AvrPtoB. Type III secretion assays showed that UNL140 secreted HrpA1 and AvrPto1 but was unable to secrete HrpZ1, a protein that is normally secreted in culture in relatively large amounts, into culture supernatants. Taken together, our data indicate that HrpJ is a type III secreted protein that is important for pathogenicity and the translocation of effectors into plant cells. Based on the failure of UNL140 to secrete HrpZ1, HrpJ may play a role in controlling type III secretion, and in its absence, specific accessory proteins, like HrpZ1, may not be extracellularly localized, resulting in disabled translocation of effectors into plant cells.     

Diversifying selection drives the evolution of the type III secretion system pilus of Pseudomonas syringae

The plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae uses a type III secretion system to inject virulence proteins directly into the cytoplasm of its hosts. The P. syringae type III secretion apparatus is encoded, in part, by the HrpZ operon, which carries the hrpA gene encoding the pilin subunit of the pilus, various components of the structural apparatus, and the HrpZ harpin protein that is believed to produce pores in the host cell membrane. The pilus of the type III system comes into direct contact with the host cell and is, therefore, a likely target of the host's pathogen surveillance systems. We sequenced and analyzed 22 HrpZ operons from P. syringae strains spanning the diversity of the species. Selection analyses, including K(a)/K(s) tests and Tajima's D, revealed strong diversifying selection acting on the hrpA gene. This form of selection enables pathogens to maintain genetic diversity within their populations and is often driven by selection imposed by host defense systems. The HrpZ operon also revealed a single significant recombination event that dramatically changed the evolutionary relationships among P. syringae strains from 2 quite distinct phylogroups. This recombination event appears to have introduced genetic diversity into a clade of strains that may now be undergoing positive selection. The identification of diversifying selection acting on the Hrp pilus across the whole population sample and positive selection within one P. syringae lineage supports a trench warfare coevolutionary model between P. syringae and its plant hosts.     

The Hrp pilus of Pseudomonas syringae elongates from its tip and acts as a conduit for translocation of the effector protein HrpZ

The type III secretion system (TTSS) is an essential requirement for the virulence of many Gram-negative bacteria infecting plants, animals and man. Pathogens use the TTSS to deliver effector proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm to the eukaryotic host cell, where the effectors subvert host defences. Plant pathogens have to translocate their effector proteins through the plant cell wall barrier. The best candidates for directing effector protein traffic are bacterial appendages attached to the membrane-bound components of the TTSS. We have investigated the protein secretion route in relation to the TTSS appendage, termed the Hrp pilus, of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. By pulse expression of proteins combined with immunoelectron microscopy, we show that the Hrp pilus elongates by the addition of HrpA pilin subunits at the distal end, and that the effector protein HrpZ is secreted only from the pilus tip. Our results indicate that both HrpA and HrpZ travel through the Hrp pilus, which functions as a conduit for the long-distance translocation of effector proteins.     

Identification of harpins in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, which are functionally similar to HrpK1 in promoting translocation of type III secretion system effectors

Harpins are a subset of type III secretion system (T3SS) substrates found in all phytopathogenic bacteria that utilize a T3SS. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 was previously reported to produce two harpins, HrpZ1 and HrpW1. DC3000 was shown here to deploy two additional proteins, HopAK1 and HopP1, which have the harpin-like properties of lacking cysteine, eliciting the hypersensitive response (HR) when partially purified and infiltrated into tobacco leaves, and possessing a two-domain structure similar to that of the HrpW1 class of harpins. Unlike the single-domain harpin HrpZ1, the two-domain harpins have C-terminal enzyme-like domains: pectate lyase for HopAK1 and lytic transglycosylase for HopP1. Genetic techniques to recycle antibiotic markers were applied to DC3000 to generate a quadruple harpin gene polymutant. The polymutant was moderately reduced in the elicitation of the HR and translocation of the T3SS effector AvrPto1 fused to a Cya translocation reporter, but the mutant was unaffected in the secretion of AvrPto1-Cya. The DC3000 hrpK1 gene encodes a putative translocator in the HrpF/NopX family and was deleted in combination with the four harpin genes. The hrpK1 quadruple harpin gene polymutant was strongly reduced in HR elicitation, virulence, and translocation of AvrPto1-Cya into plant cells but not in the secretion of representative T3SS substrates in culture. HrpK1, HrpZ1, HrpW1, and HopAK1, but not HopP1, were independently capable of restoring some HR elicitation to the hrpK1 quadruple harpin gene polymutant, which suggests that a consortium of semiredundant translocators from three protein classes cooperate to form the P. syringae T3SS translocon.     

The lemA gene required for pathogenicity of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae on bean is a member of a family of two-component regulators.

The lemA gene of the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is required for disease lesion formation on bean plants. Cosmid clones that complemented a lemA mutant in trans were isolated previously. The lemA gene was localized by subcloning and transposon mutagenesis. The lemA region and flanking DNA were sequenced, and an open reading frame of 2.7 kb was identified. The nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences of the lemA gene showed sequence similarity to a family of prokaryotic two-component regulatory proteins. Unlike most of the previously described two-component systems, the lemA gene product contained homology to both components in one protein. Mutations introduced upstream and downstream of the lemA gene failed to locate a gene for a second protein component but identified the putative cysM gene of P. syringae pv. syringae. The cysM gene was located upstream of the lemA gene and was divergently transcribed. The lemA gene product was expressed at low levels in P. syringae pv. syringae and appeared to be positively auto-regulated.     

A pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 Hrp (Type III secretion) deletion mutant expressing the Hrp system of bean pathogen P. syringae pv. syringae 61 retains normal host specificity for tomato

The plant pathogenic species Pseudomonas syringae is divided into numerous pathovars based on host specificity. For example, P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 is pathogenic on tomato and Arabidopsis, whereas P. syringae pv. syringae 61 is pathogenic on bean. The ability of P. syringae strains to elicit the hypersensitive response (HR) in non-hosts or be pathogenic (or parasitic) in hosts is dependent on the Hrp (type III secretion) system and effector proteins this system is thought to inject into plant cells. To test the role of the Hrp system in determining host range, the hrp/hrc gene cluster (hrpK through hrpR) was deleted from DC3000 and complemented in trans with the orthologous cluster from strain 61. Mutant CUCPB5114 expressing the bean pathogen Hrp system on plasmid pCPP2071 retained the ability of wild-type DC3000 to elicit the HR in bean, to grow and cause bacterial speck in tomato, and to elicit a cultivar-specific (gene-for-gene) HR in tomato plants carrying the Pto resistance gene. However, the symptoms produced in compatible tomato plants involved markedly reduced chlorosis, and CUCPB5114(pCPP2071) did not grow or produce symptoms in Arabidopsis Col-0 although it was weakly virulent in NahG Arabidopsis. A hypersensitive-like collapse was produced by CUCPB5114(pCPP2071) in Arabidopsis Col-0 at 1 x 10(7) CFU/ml, but only if the bacteria also expressed AvrB, which is recognized by the RPM1 resistance gene in Col-0 and confers incompatibility. These observations support the concept that the P. syringae effector proteins, rather than secretion system components, are the primary determinants of host range at both the species and cultivar levels of host specificity.     

Structural dynamics of the DnaK-peptide complex

The molecular chaperone DnaK recognizes and binds substrate proteins via a stretch of seven amino acid residues that is usually only exposed in unfolded proteins. The binding kinetics are regulated by the nucleotide state of DnaK, which alternates between DnaK.ATP (fast exchange) and DnaK.ADP (slow exchange). These two forms cycle with a rate mainly determined by the ATPase activity of DnaK and nucleotide exchange. The different substrate binding properties of DnaK are mainly attributed to changes of the position and mobility of a helical region in the C-terminal peptide-binding domain, the so-called LID. It closes the peptide-binding pocket and thus makes peptide binding less dynamic in the ADP-bound state, but does not (strongly) interact with peptides directly. Here, we address the question if nucleotide-dependent structural changes may be observed in the peptide-binding region that could also be connected to peptide binding kinetics and more importantly could induce structural changes in peptide stretches using the energy available from ATP hydrolysis. Model peptides containing two cysteine residues at varying positions were derived from the structurally well-documented peptide NRLLLTG and labelled with electron spin sensitive probes. Measurements of distances and mobilities of these spin labels by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) of free peptides or peptides bound to the ATP and ADP-state of DnaK, respectively, showed no significant changes of mobility nor distance of the two labels. This indicates that no structural changes that could be sensed by the probes at the position of central leucine residues located in the center of the binding region occur due to different nucleotide states. We conclude from these studies that the ATPase activity of DnaK is not connected to structural changes of the peptide-binding pocket but rather only has an effect on the LID domain or other further remote residues.     

Were Ancestral Proteins Less Specific?

Some have hypothesized that ancestral proteins were, on average, less specific than their descendants. If true, this would provide a universal axis along which to organize protein evolution and suggests that reconstructed ancestral proteins may be uniquely powerful tools for protein engineering. Ancestral sequence reconstruction studies are one line of evidence used to support this hypothesis. Previously, we performed such a study, investigating the evolution of peptide-binding specificity for the paralogs S100A5 and S100A6. The modern proteins appeared more specific than their last common ancestor (ancA5/A6), as each paralog bound a subset of the peptides bound by ancA5/A6. In this study, we revisit this transition, using quantitative phage display to measure the interactions of 30,533 random peptides with human S100A5, S100A6, and ancA5/A6. This unbiased screen reveals a different picture. While S100A5 and S100A6 do indeed bind to a subset of the peptides recognized by ancA5/A6, they also acquired new peptide partners outside of the set recognized by ancA5/A6. Our previous work showed that ancA5/A6 had lower specificity than its descendants when measured against biological targets; our new work shows that ancA5/A6 has similar specificity to the modern proteins when measured against a random set of peptide targets. This demonstrates that altered biological specificity does not necessarily indicate altered intrinsic specificity, and sounds a cautionary note for using ancestral reconstruction studies with biological targets as a means to infer global evolutionary trends in specificity.     

The ShcA protein is a molecular chaperone that assists in the secretion of the HopPsyA effector from the type III (Hrp) protein secretion system of Pseudomonas syringae

Pseudomonas syringae uses a type III protein secretion system encoded by the Hrp pathogenicity island (Pai) to translocate effector proteins into plant cells. One of these effector proteins is HopPsyA. A small open reading frame (ORF), named shcA, precedes the hopPsyA gene in the Hrp Pai of P. s. syringae 61. The predicted amino acid sequence of shcA shares general characteristics with chaperones used in type III protein secretion systems of animal pathogens. A functionally non-polar deletion of shcA in P. s. syringae 61 resulted in the loss of detectable HopPsyA in supernatant fractions, consistent with ShcA acting as a chaperone for HopPsyA. Cosmid pHIR11 carries a functional set of type III genes from P. s. syringae 61 and confers upon saprophytes the ability to secrete HopPsyA in culture and to elicit a HopPsyA-dependent hypersensitive response (HR) on tobacco. P. fluorescens carrying a pHIR11 derivative lacking shcA failed to secrete HopPsyA in culture, but maintained the ability to secrete another type III-secreted protein, HrpZ. This pHIR11 derivative was also greatly reduced in its ability to elicit an HR, indicating that the ability to translocate HopPsyA into plant cells was compromised. Using affinity chromatography, we showed that ShcA binds directly to HopPsyA and that the ShcA binding site must reside within the first 166 amino acids of HopPsyA. Thus, ShcA represents the first demonstrated chaperone used in a type III secretion system of a bacterial plant pathogen. We searched known P. syringae type III-related genes for neighbouring ORFs that shared the general characteristics of type III chaperones and identified five additional candidate type III chaperones. Therefore, it is likely that chaperones are as prevalent in bacterial plant pathogen type III systems as they are in their animal pathogenic counterparts.     

Flexibility of the MHC class II peptide binding cleft in the bound, partially filled, and empty states: a molecular dynamics simulation study

Major histocompatibility (MHC) Class II cell surface proteins present antigenic peptides to the immune system. Class II structures in complex with peptides but not in the absence of peptide are known. Comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a Class II protein (HLA-DR3) with and without CLIP (invariant chain-associated protein) peptide were performed starting from the CLIP-bound crystal structure. Depending on the protonation of acidic residues in the P6 peptide-binding pocket the simulations stayed overall close to the start structure. The simulations without CLIP showed larger conformational fluctuations especially of alpha-helices flanking the binding cleft. Largest fluctuations without CLIP were observed in a helical segment near the peptide C-terminus binding region matching a segment recognized by antibodies specific for empty Class II proteins. Simulations on a Val86Tyr mutation that fills the peptide N-terminus binding P1 pocket or of a complex with a CLIP fragment (dipeptide) bound to P1 showed an unexpected long range effect. In both simulations the mobility not only of P1 but also of the entire binding cleft was reduced compared to simulations without CLIP. It correlates with the experimental finding that the CLIP fragment binding to P1 is sufficient to prevent antibody recognition specific for the empty form at a site distant from P1. The results suggest a mechanism how a local binding event of small peptides or of an exchange factor near P1 may promote peptide binding and exchange through a long range stabilization of the whole binding cleft in a receptive (near bound) conformation.     

Cellular locations of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae HrcC and HrcJ proteins, required for harpin secretion via the type III pathway

The complete hrp-hrc-hrmA cluster of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 61 encodes 28 polypeptides. A saprophytic bacterium carrying this cluster is capable of secreting HrpZ-a harpin encoded by hrpZ-in an hrp-dependent manner, which suggests that this cluster contains sufficient components to assemble functional type III secretion machinery. Sequence data show that HrcJ and HrcC are putative outer membrane proteins, and nonpolar mutagenesis demonstrates they are all required for HrpZ secretion. In this study, we investigated the cellular localization of the HrcC and HrcJ proteins by Triton solubilization, sucrose-gradient isopycnic centrifugation, and immunogold labeling of the bacterial cell surface. Our results indicate that HrcC is indeed an outer membrane protein and that HrcJ is located between both membranes. Their membrane localization suggests that they might be involved in the formation of a supramolecular structure for protein secretion.     

Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola effector HopF1 inhibits pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity in a RIN4-independent manner in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Plant pathogens usually promote pathogenesis by secreting effector proteins into host plant cells. One of the secreted effectors of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, the causative agent of halo-blight disease in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), HopF1, activates effector-triggered immunity (ETI) in a bean cultivar containing R1 resistance gene, but displays virulence function in a bean cultivar without the R1 gene. The virulence mechanism of the effector remained unknown, although it was identified more than a decade ago. Here we demonstrated that HopF1 can inhibit pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) in a susceptible bean cultivar Tendergreen. HopF1 directly interacted with two RPM1-interacting protein 4 (RIN4) orthologs of bean, PvRIN4a and PvRIN4b. Like RIN4 in Arabidopsis, both PvRIN4 orthologs negatively regulated the PTI responses in bean. However, the virulence function of HopF1 was enhanced in Tendergreen silencing PvRIN4. Furthermore, silencing PvRIN4a compromised the avrβ1-induced hypersensitive response (HR), which previously was reported to be suppressed by HopF1. Together, these results demonstrated that PvRIN4 orthologs were not the virulence target of HopF1 for inhibiting PTI, but probably for interfering with ETI.     

The hrpZ gene of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola enhances resistance to rhizomania disease in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana and sugar beet

To explore possible sources of transgenic resistance to the rhizomania-causing Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), Nicotiana benthamiana plants were constructed to express the harpin of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (HrpZ(Psph)). The HrpZ protein was expressed as an N-terminal fusion to the PR1 signal peptide (SP/HrpZ) to direct harpin accumulation to the plant apoplast. Transgene integration was verified by mPCR in all primary transformants (T0), while immunoblot analysis confirmed that the protein HrpZ(Psph) was produced and the signal peptide was properly processed. Neither T0 plants nor selfed progeny (T1) showed macroscopically visible necrosis or any other macroscopic phenotypes. However, plants expressing the SP/HrpZ(Psph) showed increased vigor and grew faster in comparison with non-transgenic control plants. Transgenic resistance was assessed after challenge inoculation with BNYVV on T1 progeny by scoring of disease symptoms and by DAS-ELISA at 20 and 30 dpi. Transgenic and control lines showed significant differences in terms of the number of plants that became infected, the timing of infection and the disease symptoms displayed. Plants expressing the SP/HrpZ(Psph) developed localized leaf necrosis in the infection area and had enhanced resistance upon challenge with BNYVV. In order to evaluate the SP/HrpZ-based resistance in the sugar beet host, A. rhizogenes-mediated root transformation was exploited as a transgene expression platform. Upon BNYVV inoculation, transgenic sugar beet hairy roots showed high level of BNYVV resistance. In contrast, the aerial non-transgenic parts of the same seedlings had virus titers that were comparable to those of the seedlings that were untransformed or transformed with wild type R1000 cells. These findings indicate that the transgenically expressed SP/HrpZ protein results in enhanced rhizomania resistance both in a model plant and sugar beet, the natural host of BNYVV. Possible molecular mechanisms underlying the enhanced resistance and plant growth phenotypes observed in SP/HrpZ transgenic plants are discussed.