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Ralstonia solanacearum produces Hrp‐dependent pili that are required for PopA secretion but not for attachment of bacteria to plant cells
Author(s) -
Van Gijsegem Frédérique,
Vasse Jacques,
Camus JeanChristophe,
Marenda Marc,
Boucher Christian
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.01851.x
Subject(s) - pilus , ralstonia solanacearum , biology , secretion , bacteria , mutant , biogenesis , microbiology and biotechnology , fimbria , bacterial wilt , ralstonia , type three secretion system , gene , biochemistry , escherichia coli , genetics
As in many other Gram‐negative plant pathogenic bacteria, the Ralstonia solanacearum hrp genes are involved in the production of a type III secretion apparatus that allows the translocation of PopA protein to the external medium. Here, we show that hrp genes are also involved in the biogenesis of pili that are mainly composed of the HrpY protein. These pili are produced at one pole of the bacterium and are also released into the external medium where they can form very long straight bundles. An hrpY mutant is defective in pilus production, impaired in interactions with plants and in secretion of the PopA protein but not in attachment to plant cells.