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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 #348834
Research Project: Characterization of Molecular Networks in Diseases Caused by Emerging and Persistent Bacterial Plant Pathogens

Location: Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research

Title: Identification and characterization of a carbonic anhydrase involved in virulence and bacterial competition of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000

Author
item FISHMAN, MAXWELL - Cornell University
item COHN, ALEXA - Cornell University
item Filiatrault, Melanie

Submitted to: International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/27/2018
Publication Date: 7/11/2018
Citation: Fishman, M., Cohn, A., Filiatrault, M.J. 2018. Identification and characterization of a carbonic anhydrase involved in virulence and bacterial competition of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings. 227-P.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Carbonic anhydrases play important roles in balancing pH, lipid biogenesis, calcification, and pathogenesis of bacteria. We recently discovered a gene (cynT) in the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pto) that encodes a putative carbonic anhydrase. To determine the role of cynT in Pto, we investigated the transcriptional regulation and the impact of deleting this gene in Pto. Bioinformatics analysis identified alternative transcripts in the 5 prime UTR of cynT as well as a predicted binding site for the sigma factor RpoF within the promoter region. We demonstrate that RpoF regulates transcription of cynT and a putative small RNA is produced within this genomic location. A deltacynT strain displayed reduced symptoms and growth in tomato plants and showed a delay in the hypersensitive response in Nicotiana benthamiana. Furthermore, we show that cynT controls cellulose production in Pto and affects bacterial competition of Pto with other bacteria. Our data support a role of cynT in deployment of effectors into host cells and other bacterial cells, linking cynT to regulation of the Type III and VI secretion systems. The involvement of cynT in critical steps of the Pto life cycle suggests an important role for carbonic anhydrases during bacterial plant-pathogen interactions. Since carbonic anhydrases are conserved among bacterial plant pathogens, these enzymes represent promising new targets for the development of anti-bacterial agents.