Beate Völksch

The Role of Ethylene Production in Virulence of Pseudomonas syringae pvs. glycinea and phaseolicola.

ABSTRACT The importance of ethylene production for virulence of Pseudomonas syringae pvs. glycinea and phaseolicola was assayed by comparing bacterial multiplication and symptom development in bean and soybean plants inoculated with ethylene-negative (efe) mutants and wild-type strains. The efe mutants of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea were significantly reduced in their ability to grow in planta. However, the degree of reduction was strain-dependent. Population sizes of efe mutant 16/83-E1 that did not produce the phototoxin coronatine were 10- and 15-fold lower than those of the wild-type strain on soybean and on bean, and 16/83-E1 produced very weak symptoms compared with the wild-type strain. The coronatine-producing efe mutant 7a/90-E1 reached fourfold and twofold lower population sizes compared with the wild-type strain on soybean and bean, respectively, and caused disease symptoms typical of the wild-type strain. Experiments with ethylene-insensitive soybeans confirmed these results. The virulence of the wild-type strains was reduced to the same extent in ethylene-insensitive soybean plants as the virulence of the efe mutants in ethylene-susceptible soybeans. In contrast, the virulence of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola was not affected by disruption of the efe gene.

Comparison of Ethylene Production by Pseudomonas syringae and Ralstonia solanacearum

ABSTRACT Strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi and Ralstonia solanacearum produced ethylene at rates 20- and 200-fold lower, respectively, than strains of P. syringae pvs. cannabina, glycinea, phaseolicola, and sesami. In the current study, we investigated which ethylene biosynthetic pathways were used by P. syringae pv. pisi and R. solanacearum. Neither the activity of an ethylene-forming enzyme nor a corresponding efe gene homolog could be detected in R. solanacearum, suggesting synthesis of ethylene via 2-keto-4-methyl-thiobutyric acid. In contrast, 2-oxoglutarate-dependent ethylene formation was observed with P. syringae pv. pisi, and Southern blot hybridization revealed the presence of an efe homolog in this pathovar. The efe genes from P. syringae pvs. cannabina, glycinea, phaseolicola, pisi, and sesami were sequenced. Nucleotide sequence comparisons indicated that the efe gene in pv. pisi was not as highly conserved as it was in other P. syringae pathovars. The pv. pisi efe homolog showed numerous nucleotide substitutions and a deletion of 13 amino acids at the C-terminus of the predicted gene product. These sequence alterations might account for the lower rate of ethylene production by this pathovar. All ethylene-producing P. syringae pathovars were virulent on bush bean plants. The overlapping host range of these pathovars suggests that horizontal transfer of the efe gene may have occurred among bacteria inhabiting the same host.

Molecular characterization of field isolates of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea differing in coronatine production

Coronatine-producing and non-producing strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea have been examined. We found a connection between copper resistance and synthesis of coronatine. Published data implied that these properties may be encoded on different plasmids. Production of coronatine and copper resistance were also found to be correlated for pv. glycinea in 19 field-isolates from leaf spots of plants in a soybean field and in 28 strains of a bacterial culture collection. Genomic diversity within pv. glycinea was investigated by plasmid profiling, DNA hybridization studies and PCR analysis. All strains unable to produce coronatine (cor-) were sensitive to copper ions and showed no homology to DNA from plasmid pSAY1, which carries a gene cluster for steps in coronatine production. In addition, cor- strains could be distinguished from coronatine-producing strains by a single unique band when amplified by random primer PCR. Plasmid profiles of strains isolated from field-populations during 1983, 1985 and 1990 showed that coronatine-producing and non-producing strains were present. The plasmid patterns also varied in 28 strains examined from a culture collection. No correlation between plasmid patterns and race specificity was observed. Cosmid pSAY1 proved to be an effective probe for detection of the coronatine synthesis genes and also revealed polymorphisms in coronatine producing strains of pv. glycinea.

Antagonistic activities of epiphytic bacteria from soybean leaves against Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea in vitro and in planta

A bstractOver two growing seasons, 273 bacterial strains were isolated from soybean leaves without and with bacterial blight symptoms caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea (Psg). The majority of the isolates from leaves with symptoms were identified as Psg (43%), followed by Erwinia herbicola (21%), and Enterobacter/Erwinia (19%). The isolates from leaves without symptoms included mainly a group of unidentified Gram-negative bacteria (22%), Psg (21%), and E. herbicola (18%). Psg colonized the soybean leaves prior to saprophytic bacteria, and remained dominant during both seasons on healthy, as well as infected, leaves. Eighty-two saprophytic isolates were tested in vitro for their antagonistic activities against Psg, using an agar-diffusion assay. For the in planta assay, Psg and each isolate were simultaneously inoculated into wounds of pin-pricked leaves of greenhouse-grown soybean plants. Twenty-nine isolates were antagonistic in vitro. Nineteen isolates were able to suppress the growth of Psg and prevented the formation of leaf spots in planta when mixtures of isolate and pathogen were inoculated at ratios >1. Only 9 of the 82 isolates inhibited Psg in vitro as well as in planta. Most antagonists detected belonged to the genera Pseudomonas and the species Erwinia herbicola. The in planta assay should be a reliable predictor of field performance for screening of biological control agents.

Impact of Siderophore Production by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae 22d/93 on Epiphytic Fitness and Biocontrol Activity against Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea 1a/96

ABSTRACT The use of naturally occurring microbial antagonists to suppress plant diseases offers a favorable alternative to classical methods of plant protection. The soybean epiphyte Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strain 22d/93 shows great potential for controlling P. syringae pv. glycinea, the causal agent of bacterial blight of soybean. Its activity against P. syringae pv. glycinea is highly reproducible even in field trials, and the suppression mechanisms involved are of special interest. In this work we demonstrated that P. syringae pv. syringae 22d/93 produced a significantly larger amount of siderophores than the pathogen P. syringae pv. glycinea produced. While P. syringae pv. syringae 22d/93 and P. syringae pv. glycinea produce the same siderophores, achromobactin and pyoverdin, the regulation of siderophore biosynthesis in the former organism is very different from that in the latter organism. The epiphytic fitness of P. syringae pv. syringae 22d/93 mutants defective in siderophore biosynthesis was determined following spray inoculation of soybean leaves. The population size of the siderophore-negative mutant P. syringae pv. syringae strain 22d/93ΔSid was 2 orders of magnitude lower than that of the wild type 10 days after inoculation. The growth deficiency was compensated for when wound inoculation was used, indicating the availability of iron in the presence of small lesions on the leaves. Our results suggest that siderophore production has an indirect effect on the biocontrol activity of P. syringae pv. syringae 22d/93. Although siderophore-defective mutants of P. syringae pv. syringae 22d/93 still suppressed development of bacterial blight caused by P. syringae pv. glycinea, siderophore production enhanced the epiphytic fitness and thus the competitiveness of the antagonist.

A polyphasic approach assigns the pathogenic Erwinia strains from diseased pear trees in Japan to Erwinia pyrifoliae.

Aims:  Bacterial shoot blight of pear in Japan (BSBP) is caused by Erwinia strains which were formerly associated with the species Erwinia amylovora, the causative agent of fire blight. The description of Erwinia pyrifoliae as a pear pathogen in Korea renewed a possible connection of the pear pathogens in both countries.

Biological Control of Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea by Epiphytic Bacteria Under Field Conditions

The efficacy of a bacterial strain as a biocontrol agent in the field may be related to the ecological similarity between the biocontrol agent and the target pathogen. Therefore, a number of different Pseudomonas syringae strains were evaluated for their antagonistic activities in vitro (agar-diffusion assay) and in planta (greenhouse assay) against the target pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea. Six strains of five different pathovars were found to be antagonistic in vitro as well as in planta. The epiphytic fitness of the antagonistic Pseudomonas syringae strain 22d/93 and its two antibiotic-resistant mutants were examined on soybean plants in the fields. After adaptation the parental strain and its mutants had the ability to establish and maintain large epiphytic populations (about 106 cfu/g FW) over the whole growing season after a single spray inoculation. The epiphytic behaviors of the mutants and the parent were not significantly different. The introduced bacteria did not influence the total bacterial population size. When the antagonist was coinoculated with the pathogen, the development of the pathogen was significantly reduced during the whole growing season. When the antagonistic strain was inoculated 4 weeks in advance of the pathogen, this antagonistic effect could be markedly enhanced. The final population size of the pathogen reached just 104 cfu/g FW and was significantly reduced to 0.12% compared to the pathogen alone. This study demonstrates that biological control of foliar pathogens through colonization of the host plants with near isogenic or ecologically similar antagonistical strains seems to be a realistic goal.

Polyphasic study of plant- and clinic-associated Pantoea agglomerans strains reveals indistinguishable virulence potential.

Pantoea species are ubiquitous in nature and occasionally associated with infections caused by contaminated clinical material. Hence, Pantoea agglomerans is considered as an opportunistic pathogen of humans. Since species of the genus Pantoea and closely related species of other Enterobacteriaceae genera are phenotypically very similar, many clinical isolates are misassigned into P. agglomerans based on the use of quick commercial-offered biochemical tests. Our objective was to find markers enabling discrimination between clinical and plant isolates and to assess their virulence potential. We characterized 27 Pantoea strains, including 8 P. agglomerans isolates of clinical, and 11 of plant origin by biochemical tests and genotyping, including analysis of 16S rDNA and gapA gene sequences, and pattern polymorphisms of ITS- and ERIC/REP-DNA. All data showed that no discrete evolution occurred between plant-associated and clinical P. agglomerans isolates. Based on the typing results, five clinical- and five plant-associated P. agglomerans strains representing the majority of clades were tested on a model plant and in embryonated eggs. On soybean plants P. agglomerans strains independent of their origin could develop stable epiphytic populations. Surprisingly, in the embryonated egg model there was no difference of virulence between clinical and vegetable P. agglomerans isolates. However, these strains were significantly less virulent than a phytopathogenic P. ananatis isolate. We suggest that, independent of their origin, all P. agglomerans strains might possess indistinguishable virulence potential.

2-Amino-3-(oxirane-2,3-dicarboxamido)-propanoyl-valine, an effective peptide antibiotic from the epiphyte Pantoea agglomerans 48b/90

ABSTRACT The epiphyte Pantoea agglomerans 48b/90, which has been isolated from soybean leaves, belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae, as does the plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora, which causes fire blight on rosaceous plants such as apples and leads to severe economic losses. Since P. agglomerans efficiently antagonizes phytopathogenic bacteria, the P. agglomerans strain C9-1 is used as a biocontrol agent (BlightBan C9-1). Here we describe the bioassay-guided isolation of a peptide antibiotic that is highly active against the plant pathogen E. amylovora and pathovars of Pseudomonas syringae, and we elucidate its structure. Bioassay-guided fractionation using anion-exchange chromatography followed by hydrophobic interaction liquid chromatography yielded the bioactive, highly polar antibiotic. The compound was identified as 2-amino-3-(oxirane-2,3-dicarboxamido)-propanoyl-valine by using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. This peptide was found to be produced by three of the nine P. agglomerans strains analyzed. Notably, the biocontrol strain P. agglomerans C9-1 also produces 2-amino-3-(oxirane-2,3-dicarboxamido)-propanoyl-valine. Previously, 2-amino-3-(oxirane-2,3-dicarboxamido)-propanoyl-valine has been characterized only from Serratia plymuthica. 2-Amino-3-(oxirane-2,3-dicarboxamido)-propanoyl-valine has been shown to inhibit the growth of the human pathogen Candida albicans efficiently, but its involvement in the defense of epiphytes against phytopathogenic bacteria has not been investigated so far.

Identification and population dynamics of bacteria in leaf spots of soybean

The qualitative and quantitative composition of bacterial flora occurring inside the leaf spots of field grown soybeans was studied during the growing seasons (June to October) of 1989 and 1990. As a rule these leaf spots (necrotic lesions with chlorotic haloes) were caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea. This pathogenic bacterium was predominantly found during the whole season in the symptomatic leaf tissue. Other species, mainly Erwinia herbicola, were also found in the same habitat. The population sizes of P. s. pv. glycinea increased from the beginning of symptom occurrence until July, stabilized until September, and then decreased a little. In general, the size of saprophytic populations was orders of magnitude lower than that of the pathogenic populations. The number of different bacterial genera per sample increased up to four genera per leaf spot by the end of the season. No significant influence of the occurring saprophytes on the population dynamics of the pathogen in planta could be observed.