Functional analysis of the aroC gene encoding chorismate synthase from Xanthomonas oryzae pathovar oryzae

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causes bacterial blight in rice, and this bacterial blight has been widely found in the major rice-growing areas. We constructed a transposon mutagenesis library of X. oryzae pv. oryzae and identified a mutant strain (KXOM9) that is deficient for pigment production and virulence. Furthermore, the KXOM9 mutant was unable to grow in minimal medium lacking aromatic amino acids. Thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR and sequence analysis of KXOM9 revealed that the transposon was inserted into the aroC gene, which encodes a chorismate synthase in various bacterial pathogens. In planta growth assays revealed that bacterial growth of the KXOM9 mutant in rice leaves was severely reduced. Genetic complementation of this mutant with a 7.9-kb fragment containing aroC restored virulence, pigmentation, and prototrophy. These results suggest that the aroC gene plays a crucial role in the growth, attenuation of virulence, and pigment production of X. oryzae pv. oryzae.     

The rsmA-like gene rsmA(Xoo) of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae regulates bacterial virulence and production of diffusible signal factor

The plant-pathogenic prokaryote Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial leaf blight, one of the most destructive diseases of rice. A nonpolar mutant of the rsmA-like gene rsmA(Xoo) of the Xoo Chinese strain 13751 was constructed by homologous integration with a suicide plasmid. Virulence tests on a host plant, namely the hybrid rice cultivar Teyou 63, showed that the mutant had lost its virulence almost completely, whereas tests on a nonhost, namely castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis), showed that the mutant had also lost the ability to induce a hypersensitive response in the nonhost. In addition, the rsmA(Xoo) mutant produced significantly smaller amounts of the diffusible signal factor, extracellular endoglucanase, amylase and extracellular polysaccharide, but showed significantly higher glycogen accumulation, bacterial aggregation and cell adhesion. The expression of most hrp genes, genes encoding AvrBs3/PthA family members, rpfB, xrvA, glgA, eglXoB and XOO0175 (encoding an α-amylase) was down-regulated in the rsmA(Xoo) mutant. All phenotypes and expression levels of the tested genes in the rsmA(Xoo) mutant were restored to their levels in the wild-type by the presence of rsmA(Xoo) in trans. These results indicate that rsmA(Xoo) is essential for the virulence of Xoo.     

hrpD6基因决定白叶枯病菌在烟草上的过敏反应和在水稻上的致病性

【目的】白叶枯病菌hrp基因簇由包括hrpD6在内的26个hpa-hrp-hrc基因组成,与植物互作后形成Ⅲ型分泌系统(T3S),将T3S效应分子注入寄主细胞中从而决定在非寄主上的过敏反应(HR)和在水稻上的致病性。但hrpD6基因是否参与了白叶枯病菌在非寄主上的过敏反应(HR)和在水稻上的致病性(pathogenicity)还不清楚。【方法】借助同源重组方法,本研究对白叶枯病菌hrpD6基因进行了突变。【结果】PCR和Southern杂交结果显示,hrpD6基因被成功敲除。烟草上测定结果显示,hrpD6突变体ΔPhrpD6丧失了HR激发能力。致病性测定发现,ΔPhrpD6在水稻苗期不能形成水渍症状,在成株期水稻上不具有致病性,并且细菌生长能力显著下降。功能互补结果显示,hrpD6基因可恢复ΔPhrpD6在烟草上激发HR和在水稻上的致病性以及在水稻组织中的生长能力。RT-PCR结果显示,hrpD6基因的转录表达不仅受水稻诱导,而且受hrpG和hrpX基因调控。不仅如此,hrpD6基因突变还影响T3S效应分子hpa1基因的转录表达和Hpa1蛋白的分泌,暗示hrpD6基因对hpa1基因转录表达具有调控作用。【结论】hrpD6基因的缺失导致白叶枯病菌不能激发烟草产生HR和和丧失在水稻上的致病性,主要是HrpD6对hpa1基因转录表达具有调控作用,并影响T3S效应分子Hpa1的分泌。这些结果为进一步分析hrpD6是否参与T3S分泌装置的形成和调控其它hrp基因的转录表达从而决定病菌在非寄主上的HR和在水稻上的致病性,提供了科学线索。     

转录调控因子OxyRxoo对水稻白叶枯病菌H2O2降解途径的调控作用

摘要：【目的】为了阐明水稻白叶枯病菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, 简称Xoo)转录调控因子OxyRxoo对过氧化氢(H2O2) 降解途径的调控作用。【方法】本研究对推导的H2O2识别调控基因oxyRxoo进行了基因克隆、序列分析、缺失突变和互补试验及其相关表型的鉴定。【结果】克隆的oxyRxoo基因序列与其它几种病原黄单胞菌的同源序列高度保守。OxyRxoo是LysR家族成员之一,具有PBPb结构域和DNA结合保守结构域(HTH)。用标记交换法构建了△oxyRxoo基因缺失突变体。与野生型菌株PXO99A相比,尽管△oxyRxoo在离体培养条件下的生长无明显变化,但H2O2抗性显著地降低,过氧化物酶(CAT)活性明显下降,基因互补可以使之恢复; 过氧化物酶基因表达下调, oxyRxoo自身表达显著上调。【结论】OxyRxoo作为一个重要转录调控因子,调控了Xoo的 H2O2降解途径。     

水稻条斑病菌胞外多糖相关基因的鉴定

摘要:【目的】前期研究中从Tn5 转座子插入的水稻条斑病菌突变体库中获得了17 个胞外多糖改变的突变体。【方法】本文对这些突变体的Tn5 插入位点和基因类型进行了鉴定。【结果】结果显示,胞外多糖减少的11 个突变体中多数为Tn5 插入在已知的gum、xan 和wxoc 基因簇上,Xoryp_4217、Xoryp_2488 和Xoryp_0918为未知的与胞外多糖产生有关的基因,属首次报道;6 个胞外多糖增多的突变体中,fimO、pilY 和xopQ 与胞外多糖产生有关,但在水稻条斑病菌中未见报道;Xoryp2392、Xoryp_4221 和Xoryp_3511 为首次鉴定,其中Xoryp_3511 仅在水稻黄单胞菌中存在。毒性测定结果显示,胞外多糖减少的突变体在水稻上的毒性变弱,而胞外多糖增加的突变体在水稻上的毒性没有显著变化。【结论】这些结果为进一步分析水稻条斑病菌胞外多糖代谢途径以及与水稻的互作关系奠定了基础。     

Novel genomic locus with atypical G+C content that is required for extracellular polysaccharide production and virulence in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

Three exopolysaccharide (EPS)- and virulence-deficient mutants of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight of rice, were isolated by Tn5 mutagenesis. These insertions are not located within the gum gene cluster. A 40-kb cosmid clone that restored EPS production and virulence to all three mutants was isolated, and the three transposon insertions were localized to contiguous 4.3- and 3.5-kb EcoRI fragments that are included in this clone. Sequence data indicate that two of the transposon insertions are in genes that encode a putative sugar nucleotide epimerase and a putative glycosyl transferase, respectively; the third insertion is located between the glycosyl transferase gene and a novel open reading frame (ORF). A 5.5-kb genomic region in which these three ORFs are located has a G+C content of 5-1.7%, quite different from the G+C content of approximately 65.0% that is typical of X. oryzae pv. oryzae. Homologues of this locus have not yet been reported in any other xanthomonad.     

Virulence deficiency caused by a transposon insertion in the purH gene of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causes bacterial leaf blight, a serious disease of rice. We have identified a Tn5-induced virulence-deficient mutant (BXO1704) of X. oryzae pv. oryzae. The BXO1704 mutant exhibited growth deficiency in minimal medium but was proficient in inducing a hypersensitive response in a non-host tomato plant. Sequence analysis of the chromosomal DNA flanking the Tn5 insertion indicated that the Tn5 insertion is in the purH gene, which is highly homologous to purH genes of other closely related plant pathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri and Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Purine supplementation reversed the growth deficiency of BXO1704 in minimal medium. These results suggest that the virulence deficiency of BXO1704 may be due to the inability to use sufficient purine in the host.     

High-quality mutant libraries of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and X. campestris pv. campestris generated by an efficient transposon mutagenesis system

A novel transposon mutagenesis system for the phytopathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and X. campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) was developed using a Tn5-based transposome. A highly efficient transformation up to 10(6) transformants per microg transposon DNA was obtained. Southern blot and thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction analyses of Tn5 insertion sites suggested a random mode of transposition. The transposition was stable in the transformants for 20 subcultures. Eighteen thousand and 17000 transformants for Xoo and Xcc, respectively, were generated, corresponding to 4X ORF coverage of the genomes. The libraries will facilitate the identification of pathogenicity-related genes as well as functional genomic analysis in Xoo and Xcc.     

水稻白叶枯病菌TonB-Dep-Rec蛋白家族成员Tdrxoo的功能鉴定

【目的】旨在揭示水稻白叶枯病菌(Xanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzae,Xoo)致病性和运动性及其基因表达的调控途径。【方法】本研究通过基因克隆、序列分析和缺失突变方法,对与应答调节子GacAxoo互作的Tdrxoo的分子特征和功能进行了鉴定。【结果】利用序列特异性引物进行基因扩增,成功地从野生型菌株PXO99A中克隆了tdrxoo基因。Tdrxoo与其它病原黄单胞菌的同源序列高度保守,具有TonB-Dependent-Receptor(TDR)结构域,推测其是位于细菌外膜、可能接收来自细菌体外环境信号的蛋白。用基因标记交换法,构建了△tdrxoo基因缺失突变体。与PXO99A相比,Δtdrxoo在人工培养条件下的生长受到影响,致病性完全丧失,胞外纤维素酶和木聚糖酶活性和运动能力显著减弱,基因互补可以使之恢复;Δtdrxoo嗜铁素产生无明显改变。【结论】Tdrxoo作为一种细胞外膜蛋白,可能参与调控了病菌的生长、致病性、胞外酶活性和运动性等表型。     

水稻黄单胞菌黄色素合成相关基因的克隆与鉴定

用硫酸二乙酯(DES)诱变水稻白叶枯病菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae,简称Xoo)和条斑病细菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, 简称Xooc),分别得到5株和13株黄色素缺失突变体,其中来自Xooc的M6和M12 还丧失了对水稻的致病性和在烟草上激发过敏反应的能力。以Xooc黄色素缺失突变体M51为受体菌交叉互补从Xoo JXOIII基因文库中筛选出一个黄色素合成相关的基因克隆pA341,以Xoo黄色素缺失突变体M1071为受体菌,从Xooc RS105基因文库中获得了一个黄色素合成相关的基因克隆pA270。功能互补显示,18株黄色素缺失突变体中的10株能分别被pA341和 pA270互补后正常产生黄色素,但这两个克隆不能同时互补同一株黄色素缺失突变体。能被pA341互补的黄色素缺失突变体M6没有恢复对水稻的致病性和在烟草上激发过敏反应,表明黄色素合成相关基因与hrp基因间不存在相关性。斑点杂交结果表明,pA270与pA341之间没有同源性。pA270亚克隆结果显示,与黄色素合成相关的基因约11.6kb大小,以基因簇的形式存在,不仅决定了黄色素的产生,还影响黄色素合成的数量和质量（吸收峰）。在紫外光条件下,黄色素能够提高菌体的存活率,提示黄色素对病原细菌有保护作用。     

水稻白叶枯病抗性基因Xa23鉴别菌株突变体库的构建及无毒基因突变体的筛选

利用in vivo转座技术构建了白叶枯病抗性基因Xa23鉴别菌株的突变体库,特异性引物PCR扩增和转座子插入位点旁侧序列分析结果表明转座子插入到白叶枯病菌的基因组中。经人工接种鉴定,筛选到4个毒力发生变化的突变体。为进一步克隆Xa23无毒基因提供了条件。     

Construction of a Tn5-Tagged Mutant Library of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola as An Invaluable Resource for Functional Genomics

To genome-widely mine pathogenesis-related genes of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), which is the casual agent of bacterial leaf streak resulting in significant yield loss and poor quality in rice, a Tn5 transposon-mediated mutation library was generated. Twenty-five thousand transformants were produced by using Tn5 transposome, appropriately corresponding to 5 × ORF coverage of the genome, and inoculated into rice and tobacco, individually and respectively, for screening candidate virulence genes. Southern blot and thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction analysis of Tn5 insertion sites of randomly selected mutants suggested a random mode of transposition and a saturation library. Characterization of extracellular polysaccharides, extracellular protease activity, and pigment production of individual mutants in the growth media revealed that 11 mutants enhanced in growth, 12 reduced extracellular polysaccharide production, 12 lost extracellular protease activity completely or partially, and 21 were pigment deficient. In planta pathogenicity assays revealed 253 mutants reduced virulence in rice, but kept triggering hypersensitive response in tobacco; 49 lost the ability to elicit HR in tobacco and pathogenicity in rice; and 3 still induced hypersensitive response in tobacco, but lost pathogenicity in rice. The achieved mutant library of Xoc is of high-quality and nearly saturated and candidate virulence mutants provided a strong basis for functional genomics of Xoc.     

Mutants of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae deficient in general secretory pathway are virulence deficient and unable to secrete xylanase

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial leaf blight, a serious disease of rice. A virulence- and xylanase-deficient mutant of Xoo was isolated following ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis. A cosmid clone that restored virulence and xylanase secretion was obtained from a genomic library by functional complementation. Transposon mutagenesis and marker exchange studies revealed genes on the cloned DNA that were required for xylanase production and virulence. Sequence analysis with transposon-specific primers revealed that these genes were homologues of xps F and xps D, which encode components of a protein secretion system in Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Enzyme assays showed xylanase accumulation in the periplasmic space and cytoplasm of the xps F mutant and the complementing clone restored transport to the extracellular space.     

Constitutive heterologous expression of avrXa27 in rice containing the R gene Xa27 confers enhanced resistance to compatible Xanthomonas oryzae strains

The vascular pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo ) and nonvascular pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola ( Xoc ) cause bacterial blight (BB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS) diseases of rice, respectively. We have previously identified the avirulence gene avrXa27 from Xoo PXO99^A, which specifically induces the expression of the rice resistance gene Xa27 , ultimately leading to resistance against BB disease in rice. In this study, we have generated a transgenic rice line (L24) that expresses avrXa27 constitutively under the control of the PR1 promoter, and have examined its role in the host–pathogen interaction. L24 is not more susceptible to BB, indicating that avrXa27 does not contribute to virulence. AvrXa27 retains avirulence activity in L24 and, after crossing with a line containing Xa27 , progeny display phenotypic changes including inhibition of tillering, delay in flowering, stiff leaves, early leaf senescence and activation of pathogenesis-related ( PR ) genes. On challenge with a variety of compatible strains of Xoo and Xoc strain L8, lines with both avrXa27 and Xa27 also show enhanced resistance to bacterial infection. The induction of Xa27 and subsequent inhibition of Xoc growth in Xa27 plants are observed on inoculation with Xoc L8 harbouring avrXa27 . Our results indicate that the heterologous expression of avrXa27 in rice containing Xa27 triggers R gene-specific resistance and, at the same time, confers enhanced resistance to compatible strains of Xoo and Xoc . The expression of AvrXa27 and related proteins in plants has the potential to generate broad resistance in plants.     

Induction of bacterial blight (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae) resistance in rice by treatment with acibenzolar-S-methyl

The role of the plant defence activator, acibenzolar‐S‐methyl (ASM), in inducing resistance in rice against bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) was studied. Application of ASM induced resistance in rice to infection by Xoo. When the pathogen was clip‐inoculated to the rice plants, it caused bacterial leaf blight symptoms in the untreated control. However, in the rice plants pretreated with ASM, infection was significantly reduced. Induced systemic resistance was found to persist for up to 3 days in the pretreated rice plants. Increased phenolic content and accumulation of pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins, viz. chitinase, β‐1,3‐glucanase and thaumatin‐like protein (TLP; PR 5) were observed in rice plants pretreated with ASM followed by inoculation with Xoo. Immunoblot analysis using rice TLP and tobacco chitinase antiserum revealed rapid induction and over‐expression of 25 and 35 kDa TLP and chitinase, respectively, in rice in response to pretreatment with ASM followed by Xoo inoculation. Based on these experiments, it is evident that induction of disease resistance in rice was accelerated following treatment with ASM.     

OsSERK1 regulates rice development but not immunity to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae or Magnaporthe oryzae

Somatic embryogenesis receptor kinase (SERK) proteins play pivotal roles in regulation of plant development and immunity. The rice genome contains two SERK genes, OsSerk1 and OsSerk2. We previously demonstrated that OsSerk2 is required for rice Xa21-mediated resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and for normal development. Here we report the molecular characterization of OsSerk1. Overexpression of OsSerk1 results in a semi-dwarf phenotype whereas silencing of OsSerk1 results in a reduced angle of the lamina joint. OsSerk1 is not required for rice resistance to Xoo or Magnaporthe oryzae. Overexpression of OsSerk1 in OsSerk2-silenced lines complements phenotypes associated with brassinosteroid (BR) signaling defects, but not the disease resistance phenotype mediated by Xa21. In yeast, OsSERK1 interacts with itself forming homodimers, and also interacts with the kinase domains of OsSERK2 and BRI1, respectively. OsSERK1 is a functional protein kinase capable of auto-phosphorylation in vitro. We conclude that, whereas OsSERK2 regulates both rice development and immunity, OsSERK1 functions in rice development but not immunity to Xoo and M. oryzae.     

Role of an in planta-expressed xylanase of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in promoting virulence on rice

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae is the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight, a serious disease of rice. We demonstrated earlier that the type II secretion system (T2S) is important for virulence of X. oryzae pv. oryzae and that several proteins, including a xylanase, are secreted through this system. In this study, the xynB gene encoding for the secreted xylanase was cloned as a 6.9-kb EcoRI fragment (pRR7) that also included a paralog called xynA. As in X. oryzae pv. oryzae, xynA and xynB are adjacent to each other in X. axonopodis pv. citri, whereas only the xynA homolog is present in X. campestris pv. campestris. Mutations in xynB but not xynA affect secreted xylanase activity. Western blot analysis using anti-XynB antibodies on exudates from infected rice leaves indicated that this xylanase is expressed during in planta growth. Another T2S-secreted protein was identified to be a lipase/esterase (LipA) based on the sequence tags obtained by tandem mass spectrometry analysis and biochemical assays. Mutations in either xynB or lipA partially affected virulence. However, a lipA-xynB double mutant was significantly reduced for virulence, and the pRR7 clone containing an intact xynB gene could complement the virulence-deficient phenotype of the lipA-xynB mutant. Our results suggest that there is functional redundancy among the T2S secreted proteins of X. oryzae pv. oryzae in promoting virulence on rice.