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A large, mobile pathogenicity island confers plant pathogenicity on Streptomyces species
Author(s) -
Kers Johan A.,
Cameron Kimberly D.,
Joshi Madhumita V.,
Bukhalid Raghida A.,
Morello Joanne E.,
Wach Michael J.,
Gibson Donna M.,
Loria Rosemary
Publication year - 2005
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2004.04461.x
Subject(s) - streptomyces coelicolor , biology , streptomyces , operon , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , pathogenicity island , gene , mutant , bacteria
Summary Potato scab is a globally important disease caused by polyphyletic plant pathogenic Streptomyces species. Streptomyces acidiscabies , Streptomyces scabies and Streptomyces turgidiscabies possess a conserved biosynthetic pathway for the nitrated dipeptide phytotoxin thaxtomin. These pathogens also possess the nec1 gene which encodes a necrogenic protein that is an independent virulence factor. In this article we describe a large (325–660 kb) pathogenicity island (PAI) conserved among these three plant pathogenic Streptomyces species. A partial DNA sequence of this PAI revealed the thaxtomin biosynthetic pathway, nec1 , a putative tomatinase gene, and many mobile genetic elements. In addition, the PAI from S. turgidiscabies contains a plant fasciation ( fas ) operon homologous to and colinear with the fas operon in the plant pathogen Rhodococcus fascians . The PAI was mobilized during mating from S. turgidiscabies to the non‐pathogens Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces diastatochromogenes on a 660 kb DNA element and integrated site‐specifically into a putative integral membrane lipid kinase. Acquisition of the PAI conferred a pathogenic phenotype on S. diastatochromogenes but not on S. coelicolor . This PAI is the first to be described in a Gram‐positive plant pathogenic bacterium and is responsible for the emergence of new plant pathogenic Streptomyces species in agricultural systems.