Elucidation of the hrp Clusters of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola That Control the Hypersensitive Response in Nonhost Tobacco and Pathogenicity in Susceptible Host Rice

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, the cause of bacterial leaf streak in rice, possesses clusters of hrp genes that determine its ability to elicit a hypersensitive response (HR) in nonhost tobacco and pathogenicity in host rice. A 27-kb region of the genome of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola (RS105) was identified and sequenced, revealing 10 hrp, 9 hrc (hrp conserved), and 8 hpa (hrp-associated) genes and 7 regulatory plant-inducible promoter boxes. While the region from hpa2 to hpaB and the hrpF operon resembled the corresponding genes of other xanthomonads, the hpaB-hrpF region incorporated an hrpE3 gene that was not present in X. oryzae pv. oryzae. We found that an hrpF mutant had lost the ability to elicit the HR in tobacco and pathogenicity in adult rice plants but still caused water-soaking symptoms in rice seedlings and that Hpa1 is an HR elicitor in nonhost tobacco whose expression is controlled by an hrp regulator, HrpX. Using an Hrp phenotype complementation test, we identified a small hrp cluster containing the hrpG and hrpX regulatory genes, which is separated from the core hrp cluster. In addition, we identified a gene, prhA (plant-regulated hrp), that played a key role in the Hrp phenotype of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola but was neither in the core hrp cluster nor in the hrp regulatory cluster. A prhA mutant failed to reduce the HR in tobacco and pathogenicity in rice but caused water-soaking symptoms in rice. This is the first report that X. oryzae pv. oryzicola possesses three separate DNA regions for HR induction in nonhost tobacco and pathogenicity in host rice, which will provide a fundamental base to understand pathogenicity determinants of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola compared with those of X. oryzae pv. oryzae.     

The noncanonical type III secretion system of Xanthomonas translucens pv. graminis is essential for forage grass infection

Xanthomonas translucens pv. graminis (Xtg) is a gammaproteobacterium that causes bacterial wilt on a wide range of forage grasses. To gain insight into the host–pathogen interaction and to identify the virulence factors of Xtg, we compared a draft genome sequence of one isolate (Xtg29) with other Xanthomonas spp. with sequenced genomes. The type III secretion system (T3SS) encoding a protein transport system for type III effector (T3E) proteins represents one of the most important virulence factors of Xanthomonas spp. In contrast with other Xanthomonas spp. assigned to clade 1 on the basis of phylogenetic analyses, we identified an hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) gene cluster encoding T3SS components and a representative set of 35 genes encoding putative T3Es in the genome of Xtg29. The T3SS was shown to be divergent from the hrp gene clusters of other sequenced Xanthomonas spp. Xtg mutants deficient in T3SS regulating and structural genes were constructed to clarify the role of the T3SS in forage grass colonization. Italian ryegrass infection with these mutants led to significantly reduced symptoms (P < 0.05) relative to plants infected with the wild‐type strain. This showed that the T3SS is required for symptom evocation. In planta multiplication of the T3SS mutants was not impaired significantly relative to the wild‐type, indicating that the T3SS is not required for survival until 14 days post‐infection. This study represents the first major step to understanding the bacterial colonization strategies deployed by Xtg and may assist in the identification of resistance (R) genes in forage grasses.     

Ketoglutarate transport protein KgtP is secreted through the type III secretion system and contributes to virulence in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

The phytopathogenic prokaryote Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight (BB) of rice and utilizes a type III secretion system (T3SS) to deliver T3SS effectors into rice cells. In this report, we show that the ketoglutarate transport protein (KgtP) is secreted in an HpaB-independent manner through the T3SS of X. oryzae pv. oryzae PXO99(A) and localizes to the host cell membrane for α-ketoglutaric acid export. kgtP contained an imperfect PIP box (plant-inducible promoter) in the promoter region and was positively regulated by HrpX and HrpG. A kgtP deletion mutant was impaired in bacterial virulence and growth in planta; furthermore, the mutant showed reduced growth in minimal media containing α-ketoglutaric acid or sodium succinate as the sole carbon source. The reduced virulence and the deficiency in α-ketoglutaric acid utilization by the kgtP mutant were restored to wild-type levels by the presence of kgtP in trans. The expression of OsIDH, which is responsible for the synthesis of α-ketoglutaric acid in rice, was enhanced when KgtP was present in the pathogen. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that KgtP, which is regulated by HrpG and HrpX and secreted by the T3SS in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, transports α-ketoglutaric acid when the pathogen infects rice.     

Global Analysis of the HrpL Regulon in the Plant Pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 Reveals New Regulon Members with Diverse Functions

The type III secretion system (T3SS) is required for virulence in the gram-negative plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. The alternative sigma factor HrpL directly regulates expression of T3SS genes via a promoter sequence, often designated as the “hrp promoter.” Although the HrpL regulon has been extensively investigated in DC3000, it is not known whether additional regulon members remain to be found. To systematically search for HrpL-regulated genes, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-Seq) and bulk mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to identify HrpL-binding sites and likely hrp promoters. The analysis recovered 73 sites of interest, including 20 sites that represent new hrp promoters. The new promoters lie upstream of a diverse set of genes encoding potential regulators, enzymes and hypothetical proteins. PSPTO_5633 is the only new HrpL regulon member that is potentially an effector and is now designated HopBM1. Deletions in several other new regulon members, including PSPTO_5633, PSPTO_0371, PSPTO_2130, PSPTO_2691, PSPTO_2696, PSPTO_3331, and PSPTO_5240, in either DC3000 or ΔhopQ1-1 backgrounds, do not affect the hypersensitive response or in planta growth of the resulting strains. Many new HrpL regulon members appear to be unrelated to the T3SS, and orthologs for some of these can be identified in numerous non-pathogenic bacteria. With the identification of 20 new hrp promoters, the list of HrpL regulon members is approaching saturation and most likely includes all DC3000 effectors.     

Pseudomonas syringae lytic transglycosylases coregulated with the type III secretion system contribute to the translocation of effector proteins into plant cells

Pseudomonas syringae translocates virulence effector proteins into plant cells via a type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded by hrp (for hypersensitive response and pathogenicity) genes. Three genes coregulated with the Hrp T3SS system in P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 have predicted lytic transglycosylase domains: PSPTO1378 (here designated hrpH), PSPTO2678 (hopP1), and PSPTO852 (hopAJ1). hrpH is located between hrpR and avrE1 in the Hrp pathogenicity island and is carried in the functional cluster of P. syringae pv. syringae 61 hrp genes cloned in cosmid pHIR11. Strong expression of DC3000 hrpH in Escherichia coli inhibits bacterial growth unless the predicted catalytic glutamate at position 148 is mutated. Translocation tests involving C-terminal fusions with a Cya (Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase) reporter indicate that HrpH and HopP1, but not HopAJ1, are T3SS substrates. Pseudomonas fluorescens carrying a pHIR11 derivative lacking hrpH is poorly able to translocate effector HopA1, and this deficiency can be restored by HopP1 and HopAJ1, but not by HrpH(E148A) or HrpH_1-241. DC3000 mutants lacking hrpH or hrpH, hopP1, and hopAJ1 combined are variously reduced in effector translocation, elicitation of the hypersensitive response, and virulence. However, the mutants are not reduced in secretion of T3SS substrates in culture. When produced in wild-type DC3000, the HrpH(E148A) and HrpH_1-241 variants have a dominant-negative effect on the ability of DC3000 to elicit the hypersensitive response in nonhost tobacco and to grow and cause disease in host tomato. The three Hrp-associated lytic transglycosylases in DC3000 appear to have overlapping functions in contributing to T3SS functions during infection.