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Interplay between the cyclic di‐GMP network and the cell–cell signalling components coordinates virulence‐associated functions in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Author(s) -
Kakkar Akanksha,
Verma Raj Kumar,
Samal Biswajit,
Chatterjee Subhadeep
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.15664
Subject(s) - xanthomonas oryzae , virulence , xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae , biology , xanthomonas , phenotype , microbiology and biotechnology , mutant , pathogen , genetics , gene
Summary Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes a serious disease of rice known as bacterial leaf blight. Several virulence‐associated functions have been characterized in Xoo. However, the role of important second messenger c‐di‐GMP signalling in the regulation of virulence‐associated functions still remains elusive in this phytopathogen. In this study we have performed an investigation of 13 c‐di‐GMP modulating deletion mutants to understand their contribution in Xoo virulence and lifestyle transition. We show that four Xoo proteins, Xoo 2331, Xoo 2563, Xoo 2860 and Xoo 2616, are involved in fine‐tuning the in vivo c‐di‐GMP abundance and also play a role in the regulation of virulence‐associated functions. We have further established the importance of the GGDEF domain of Xoo 2563, a previously characterized c‐di‐GMP phosphodiesterase, in the virulence‐associated functions of Xoo. Interestingly the strain harbouring the GGDEF domain deletion ( ΔXoo2563 GGDEF ) exhibited EPS deficiency and hypersensitivity to streptonigrin, indicative of altered iron metabolism. This is in contrast to the phenotype exhibited by an EAL overexpression strain wherein, the ΔXoo2563 GGDEF exhibited other phenotypes, similar to the strain overexpressing the EAL domain. Taken together, our results indicate a complex interplay of c‐di‐GMP signalling with the cell–cell signalling to coordinate virulence‐associated function in Xoo.