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Lifestyle of the biotroph Agrobacterium tumefaciens in the ecological niche constructed on its host plant
Author(s) -
GonzálezMula Almudena,
Lang Julien,
Grandclément Catherine,
Naquin Delphine,
Ahmar Mohammed,
Soulère Laurent,
Queneau Yves,
Dessaux Yves,
Faure Denis
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.15164
Subject(s) - agrobacterium tumefaciens , biology , arabidopsis thaliana , transfer dna , plasmid , host (biology) , niche , ti plasmid , gene , mutant , genetics , transformation (genetics) , biochemistry
SummaryAgrobacterium tumefaciens constructs an ecological niche in its host plant by transferring the T‐ DNA from its Ti plasmid into the host genome and by diverting the host metabolism. We combined transcriptomics and genetics for understanding the A. tumefaciens lifestyle when it colonizes Arabidopsis thaliana tumors. Transcriptomics highlighted: a transition from a motile to sessile behavior that mobilizes some master regulators (Hfq, CtrA, DivK and PleD); a remodeling of some cell surface components (O‐antigen, succinoglucan, curdlan, att genes, putative fasciclin) and functions associated with plant defense (Ef‐Tu and flagellin pathogen‐associated molecular pattern‐response and glycerol‐3‐phosphate and nitric oxide signaling); and an exploitation of a wide variety of host resources, including opines, amino acids, sugars, organic acids, phosphate, phosphorylated compounds, and iron. In addition, construction of transgenic A. thaliana lines expressing a lactonase enzyme showed that Ti plasmid transfer could escape host‐mediated quorum‐quenching. Finally, construction of knock‐out mutants in A. tumefaciens showed that expression of some At plasmid genes seemed more costly than the selective advantage they would have conferred in tumor colonization. We provide the first overview of A. tumefaciens lifestyle in a plant tumor and reveal novel signaling and trophic interplays for investigating host–pathogen interactions.