Abstract
The genome of Xanthomonas citri subsp. Citri strain 306 pathotype A (Xac) was completely sequenced more than 10 years; to date, few studies involving functional genomics Xac and its host compatible have been developed, specially related to adaptive events that allow the survival of Xac within the plant. Proteomic analysis of Xac showed that the processes of chemotactic signal transduction and phosphate metabolism are key adaptive strategies during the interaction of a pathogenic bacterium with its plant host. The results also indicate the importance of a group of proteins that may not be directly related to the classical virulence factors, but that are likely fundamental to the success of the initial stages of the infection, such as methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (Mcp) and phosphate specific transport (Pst). Furthermore, the analysis of the mutant of the gene pstB which codifies to an ABC phosphate transporter subunit revealed a complete absence of citrus canker symptoms when inoculated in compatible hosts. We also conducted an in silico analysis which established the possible network of genes regulated by two-component systems PhoPQ and PhoBR (related to phosphate metabolism), and possible transcriptional factor binding site (TFBS) motifs of regulatory proteins PhoB and PhoP, detaching high degree of conservation of PhoB TFBS in 84 genes of Xac genome. This is the first time that chemotaxis signal transduction and phosphate metabolism were therefore indicated to be fundamental to the process of colonization of plant tissue during the induction of disease associated with Xanthomonas genus bacteria.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, CNPEM-ABTLuS, Campinas, Brazil for their support with the mass spectrometry analysis. MR Soares received a post-doctoral scholarship from FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo). We also thank Dr. Ricardo Tavares (DEEST-UFOP) for assistance in the statistical analysis of protein expression on putative genome islands. This work was supported by grants from Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo—FAPESP (04/02006-7). All biological data were stored in a specialized Xac database that was developed with funding from Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG-CBB- APQ-04425-10). The founders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
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Leandro Marcio Moreira and Agda Paula Facincani contributed equally to this work.
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Additional file 1
Identification of Xac proteins involved at flagellum biosynthesis and regulation mediated by chemotaxis signal transduction during infectious conditions. (DOCX 28 kb)
Additional file 2
Genes can have predicted promoter region for binding of PhoB or PhoP based on the respective regulons of Escherichia coli 168 K12 and Bacillus subtilis. (DOCX 37 kb)
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Moreira, L.M., Facincani, A.P., Ferreira, C.B. et al. Chemotactic signal transduction and phosphate metabolism as adaptive strategies during citrus canker induction by Xanthomonas citri . Funct Integr Genomics 15, 197–210 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10142-014-0414-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10142-014-0414-z