Gustavo E. Gudesblat

Xanthomonas campestris overcomes Arabidopsis stomatal innate immunity through a DSF cell-to-cell signal-regulated virulence factor.

Pathogen-induced stomatal closure is part of the plant innate immune response. Phytopathogens using stomata as a way of entry into the leaf must avoid the stomatal response of the host. In this article, we describe a factor secreted by the bacterial phytopathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris (Xcc) capable of interfering with stomatal closure induced by bacteria or abscisic acid (ABA). We found that living Xcc, as well as ethyl acetate extracts from Xcc culture supernatants, are capable of reverting stomatal closure induced by bacteria, lipopolysaccharide, or ABA. Xcc ethyl acetate extracts also complemented the infectivity of Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato (Pst) mutants deficient in the production of the coronatine toxin, which is required to overcome stomatal defense. By contrast, the rpfF and rpfC mutant strains of Xcc, which are unable to respectively synthesize or perceive a diffusible molecule involved in bacterial cell-to-cell signaling, were incapable of reverting stomatal closure, indicating that suppression of stomatal response by Xcc requires an intact rpf/diffusible signal factor system. In addition, we found that guard cell-specific Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase3 (MPK3) antisense mutants were unresponsive to bacteria or lipopolysaccharide in promotion of stomatal closure, and also more sensitive to Pst coronatine-deficient mutants, showing that MPK3 is required for stomatal immune response. Additionally, we found that, unlike in wild-type Arabidopsis, ABA-induced stomatal closure in MPK3 antisense mutants is not affected by Xcc or by extracts from Xcc culture supernatants, suggesting that the Xcc factor might target some signaling component in the same pathway as MPK3.

Differential expression of the members of the Asr gene family in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Abstract In this work, we continued to dissect the Asr (ABA/water stress/ripening-induced) gene family originally described in tomato. A RT-PCR-based strategy was developed to assess the organ (leaf, root and fruit) and developmental (immature and ripe fruit) specificity of expression of the three known members of the Asr gene family under normal and stress conditions. Our results allow us to conclude that whereas Asr 1 and Asr 2 are the members of the family preferentially induced by desiccation in leaves, Asr 2 is the only one activated in the roots from water-deficit-stressed plants. We also observed that expression of the three genes does not change significantly in fruit at different developmental stages, except for that of Asr 2, which decreases after the breaker yellow stage. In addition, we identified a 72-amino acid polar peptide region, rich in His, Lys, Glu and Ala, which contains two internal imperfect repeats and is highly conserved in more recently discovered Asr -like proteins from other plant species exposed to different kinds of abiotic stress such as water deficit, salt, cold and/or limiting amount of light.

Expression of ABA signalling genes and ABI5 protein levels in imbibed Sorghum bicolor caryopses with contrasting dormancy and at different developmental stages.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Pre-harvest sprouting susceptibility in grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is related to low seed dormancy and reduced embryo sensitivity to inhibition of germination by abscisic acid (ABA). Intra-specific variability for pre-harvest sprouting might involve differential regulation of ABA signalling genes. METHODS Sorghum genes encoding homologues for ABA signalling components from other species (ABI5, ABI4, VP1, ABI1 and PKABA1) were studied at the transcriptional and protein level (ABI5) during grain imbibition for two sorghum lines with contrasting sprouting phenotypes and in response to hormones. KEY RESULTS Transcript levels of these genes and protein levels of ABI5 were higher in imbibed immature caryopses of the more dormant line. Dormancy loss was related to lower transcript levels of these genes and lower ABI5 protein levels in both genotypes. Exogenous ABA inhibited germination of isolated embryos but failed to prevent ABI5 rapid decrease supporting a role for the seed coat in regulating ABI5 levels. CONCLUSIONS Several genes involved in ABA signalling are regulated differently in imbibed caryopses from two sorghum lines with contrasting pre-harvest sprouting response before - but not after - physiological maturity. A role for ABI5 in the expression of dormancy during grain development is discussed.

Analysis of an abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive gene promoter belonging to the Asr gene family from tomato in homologous and heterologous systems

Asr is a family of genes that maps to chromosome 4 of tomato. Asr2, a recently reported member of this family, is believed to be regulated by abscisic acid (ABA), stress and ripening. A genomic Asr2 clone has been fully sequenced, and candidate upstream regulatory elements have been identified. To prove that the promoter region is functional in vivo, we fused it upstream of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. The resulting chimeric gene fusion was used for transient expression assays in papaya embryogenic calli and leaves. In addition, the same construct was used to produce transgenic tomato, papaya, tobacco, and potato plants. Asr2 upstream sequences showed promoter function in all of these systems. Under the experimental conditions tested, ABA stimulated GUS expression in papaya and tobacco, but not in tomato and potato systems.

Stomata and pathogens: Warfare at the gates

Bacteria and fungi are capable of triggering stomatal closure through pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which prevents penetration through these pores. Therefore, the stomata can be considered part of the plant innate immune response. Some pathogens have evolved mechanisms to evade stomatal defense. The bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), which infects plants of the Brassicaceae family mainly through hydathodes, has also been reported to infect plants through stomata. A recent report shows that penetration of Xcc in Arabidopsis leaves through stomata depends on a secreted small molecule whose synthesis is under control of the rpf/diffusible signal factor (DSF) cell-to-cell signaling system, which also controls genes involved in biofilm formation and pathogenesis. The same reports shows that Arabidopsis ROS- and PAMP-activated MAP kinase 3 (MPK3) is essential for stomatal innate response. Other recent and past findings about modulation of stomatal behaviour by pathogens are also discussed. In all, these findings support the idea that PAMP-triggered stomatal closure might be a more effective and widespread barrier against phytopathogens than previously thought, which has in turn led to the evolution in pathogens of several mechanisms to evade stomatal defense.

Arabidopsis MPK3, a Key Signalling Intermediate in Stomatal Function

Regulation of stomatal aperture is of critical importance to plants to balance gas exchange and water loss, and also to control ingress of bacterial pathogens. MAP kinase signal transduction pathways are mediators of biotic and abiotic stress, and have been indicted in the control of stomatal movements. Cell-specific antisense was used to down-regulate MPK3 gene expression in Arabidopsis guard cells, resulting in ABA insensitivity during inhibition of stomatal opening, but a normal ABA response in promotion of closure assays. This response is similar to that of the heterotrimeric G protein alpha subunit mutant gpa1, as is the imposition of ABA insensitivity during stomatal closure by butyrate treatment, suggesting that MPK3 and GPA1 are in the same ABA signal transduction pathway and adding further evidence for parallel signalling pathways during ABA-induced closure. By contrast, antisense plants were less sensitive to H2O2 in both promotion of closure and inhibition of opening assays, although H2O2 production in response to ABA was not affected. Regulation of stomatal aperture by PAMPs has recently been shown to be an important plant defense mechanism; since MPK3 is also activated by such pathogen elicitors, we postulate that in addition to a signalling role in guard cell movements, MPK3 is involved in the active prevention of bacterial infection through stomata.

Coronatine Inhibits Stomatal Closure through Guard Cell-Specific Inhibition of NADPH Oxidase-Dependent ROS Production.

Microbes trigger stomatal closure through microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). The bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) synthesizes the polyketide toxin coronatine, which inhibits stomatal closure by MAMPs and by the hormone abscisic acid (ABA). The mechanism by which coronatine, a jasmonic acid-isoleucine analog, achieves this effect is not completely clear. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential second messengers in stomatal immunity, therefore we investigated the possible effect of coronatine on their production. We found that coronatine inhibits NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS production induced by ABA, and by the flagellin-derived peptide flg22. This toxin also inhibited NADPH oxidase-dependent stomatal closure induced by darkness, however, it failed to prevent stomatal closure by exogenously applied H2O2 or by salicylic acid, which induces ROS production through peroxidases. Contrary to what was observed on stomata, coronatine did not affect the oxidative burst induced by flg22 in leaf disks. Additionally, we observed that in NADPH oxidase mutants atrbohd and atrbohd/f, as well as in guard cell ABA responsive but flg22 insensitive mutants mpk3, mpk6, npr1-3, and lecrk-VI.2-1, the inhibition of ABA stomatal responses by both coronatine and the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium was markedly reduced. Interestingly, coronatine still impaired ABA-induced ROS synthesis in mpk3, mpk6, npr1-3, and lecrk-VI.2-1, suggesting a possible feedback regulation of ROS on other guard cell ABA signaling elements in these mutants. Altogether our results show that inhibition of NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS synthesis in guard cells plays an important role during endophytic colonization by Pst through stomata.

Xanthan Pyruvilation Is Essential for the Virulence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

Xanthan, the main exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesized by Xanthomonas spp., contributes to bacterial stress tolerance and enhances attachment to plant surfaces by helping in biofilm formation. Therefore, xanthan is essential for successful colonization and growth in planta and has also been proposed to be involved in the promotion of pathogenesis by calcium ion chelation and, hence, in the suppression of the plant defense responses in which this cation acts as a signal. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between xanthan structure and its role as a virulence factor. We analyzed four Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris mutants that synthesize structural variants of xanthan. We found that the lack of acetyl groups that decorate the internal mannose residues, ketal-pyruvate groups, and external mannose residues affects bacterial adhesion and biofilm architecture. In addition, the mutants that synthesized EPS without pyruvilation or without the external mannose residues did not develop disease symptoms in Arabidopsis thaliana. We also observed that the presence of the external mannose residues and, hence, pyruvilation is required for xanthan to suppress callose deposition as well as to interfere with stomatal defense. In conclusion, pyruvilation of xanthan seems to be essential for Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris virulence.