Global regulation in Erwinia species by Erwinia carotovora rsmA, a homologue of Escherichia coli csrA: repression of secondary metabolites, pathogenicity and hypersensitive reaction

• Published in: Microbiology (Society for General Microbiology) Vol. 142; no. 2; pp. 427 - 434
• Main Authors: Mukherjee, Asita, Cui, Yaya, Liu, Yang, Dumenyo, C. Korsi, Chatterjee, Arun K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.02.1996; Society for General Microbiology
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - biosynthesis; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Carotenoids - biosynthesis; Escherichia coli - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Bacterial; Genes, Regulator; Genetics; Microbiology; Pectobacterium carotovorum - genetics; Pectobacterium carotovorum - metabolism; Pectobacterium carotovorum - pathogenicity; Plant Diseases - etiology; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - biosynthesis; RNA, Bacterial - genetics; RNA, Bacterial - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Species Specificity; Virulence - genetics; Erwinia carotovora; Pathogenicity; Motility; Regulator gene; Bacteria; Mechanism of action; Metabolism; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 1350-0872; 1465-2080
• DOI: 10.1099/13500872-142-2-427

Department of Plant Pathology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA ABSTRACT Summary: Our previous studies revealed that rsmA of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora strain 71 suppressed the synthesis of the cell density (quorum) sensing signal N -(3-oxohexanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone, the production of extracellular enzymes and tissue macerating ability in soft-rotting Erwinia species and that homologues of this negative regulator gene were present in other Erwinia species. Northern blot data presented here demonstrate that rsmA and rsmA -like genes are also expressed in soft-rotting and non-soft-rotting Erwinia spp. such as E. amylovora, E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica, E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum, E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, E. chrysanthemi, E. herbicola and E. stewartii. A low-copy plasmid carrying rsmA of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora strain 71 caused suppression of antibiotic production in E. carotovora subsp. betavasculorum, flagellum formation in E. carotovora subsp. carotovora, carotenoid production in E. herbicola and E. stewartii, and indigoidine production in E. chrysanthemi. In E. amylovora, rsmA of E. carotovora subsp. carotovora suppressed the elicitation of the hypersensitive reaction in tobacco leaves and the production of disease symptoms in apple shoots, in addition to repressing motility and extracellular polysaccharide production. We conclude that rsmA homologues function as global regulators of secondary metabolic pathways as well as factors controlling host interaction of Erwinia species. Author for correspondence: Arun K. Chatterjee. Tel: +1 314 882 2940. Fax: +1 314 882 0588. Keywords: Erwinia, , motility, pathogenicity factors, global regulation, hypersensitive reaction