Novel quorum-sensing-controlled genes in Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora: identification of a fungal elicitor homologue in a soft-rotting bacterium

• Published in: Molecular plant-microbe interactions Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 343 - 353
• Main Authors: Pemberton, C.L, Whitehead, N.A, Sebaihia, M, Bell, K.S, Hyman, L.J, Harris, S.J, Matlin, A.J, Robson, N.D, Birch, P.R.J, Carr, J.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: St Paul, MN APS Press 01.04.2005; American Phytopathological Society; The American Phytopathological Society
• Subjects: 4-Butyrolactone; 4-Butyrolactone - analogs & derivatives; 4-Butyrolactone - metabolism; Amino Acid Sequence; amino acid sequences; analogs & derivatives; bacterial diseases of plants; Bacterial plant pathogens; bacterial proteins; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; DNA Transposable Elements; Erwinia carotovora; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal plant pathogens; Fusarium oxysporum; gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Genetic Complementation Test; genetics; Homoserine; Homoserine - analogs & derivatives; Homoserine - metabolism; lactones; metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutagenesis; N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone; nucleotide sequences; Pectobacterium carotovorum; Pectobacterium carotovorum - genetics; Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. atrosepticum; Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; plant pathogenic bacteria; potatoes; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; secretion; Sequence Alignment; soft rot; Solanum tuberosum; Solanum tuberosum - genetics; tubers; Plant pathogen; Microbiology; Secretion; Identification; Elicitor; Erwinia carotovora; Fungi; Plant; Gene; Bacteria; Quorum sensing; soft rot; Enterobacteriaceae; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0894-0282; 1943-7706
• DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-18-0343

Seven new genes controlled by the quorum-sensing signal molecule N-(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (OHHL) have been identified in Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora. Using TnphoA as a mutagen, we enriched for mutants defective in proteins that could play a role in the interaction between E. carotovora subsp. carotovora and its plant hosts, and identified Nip Ecc and its counterpart in E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica. These are members of a growing family of proteins related to Nep1 from Fusarium oxysporum which can induce necrotic responses in a variety of dicotyledonous plants. Nip Ecc produced necrosis in tobacco, Nip Eca affected potato stem rot, and both affected virulence in potato tubers. In E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, nip was shown to be subject to weak repression by the LuxR family regulator, EccR, and may be regulated by the negative global regulator RsmA.