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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Ithaca, New York » Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture & Health » Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303819

Title: PSPTO_3380 and PSPTO_3381: A two-component system that influences the virulence of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000

Author
item FISHMAN, MAXWELL - Cornell University
item ZHANG, JOHNSON - Cornell University
item BRONSTEIN, PHILIP - Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS)
item Filiatrault, Melanie

Submitted to: International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2014
Publication Date: 7/6/2014
Citation: Fishman, M.R., Zhang, J., Bronstein, P.A., Filiatrault, M.J. 2014. PSPTO_3380 and PSPTO_3381: A two-component system that influences the virulence of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC300. International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. p. 48.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A major factor in pathogenesis is the ability of the pathogen to respond and react to the host environment during the infection cycle. For bacteria, external stimuli are mainly sensed by two-component systems (TCS) composed of histidine kinases with external recognition domains and cytoplasmic response regulators that commonly have a DNA-binding domain. Recognition of the proper signal leads to signaling events that result in the regulation of genes important for a given environment. TCS have been shown to be essential for virulence in many pathogenic bacteria. We have identified a novel TCS in the tomato pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst). It is composed of the genes PSPTO_3380 and PSPTO_3381, encoding a histidine kinase and a DNA-binding response regulator, respectively. Previous work in our lab found that expression of this TCS was induced when Pst was grown in the minimal media supplemented with iron. We have also identified calcium and zinc as stimuli for this TCS. 'PSPTO_3380 and 'PSPTO_3381 strains grew as well as wild-type in minimal and rich media, however when inoculated in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum these mutants displayed reduced growth and virulence. When testing for hypersensitive response in Nicotiana tabacum var. xanthi we found no difference between 'PSPTO_3380 and 'PSPTO_3381 mutants and wild-type. These mutants also displayed no difference in coronatine production as compared to wild-type. Future studies will involve identifying the virulence factors that this TCS regulates.