The plant pathogen rhodococcus fascians colonizes the exterior and interior of the aerial parts of plants

• Published in: Molecular plant-microbe interactions Vol. 14; no. 5; pp. 599 - 608
• Main Authors: CORNELIS, Karen, RITSEMA, Tita, NIJSSE, Jaap, HOLSTERS, Marcelle, GOETHALS, Koen, JAZIRI, Mondher
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: St Paul, MN APS Press 01.05.2001; The American Phytopathological Society
• Subjects: Arabidopsis - cytology; Arabidopsis - microbiology; Bacterial plant pathogens; Biological and medical sciences; Cryoelectron Microscopy; cytokinin; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities. Techniques. Transmission, epidemiology, ecology. Antibacterial substances, control; Laboratorium voor Plantencelbiologie; Laboratory of Plant Cell Biology; Microscopy, Confocal; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Nicotiana - cytology; Nicotiana - microbiology; Nicotiana tabacum; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Plant Leaves - microbiology; Plant Leaves - ultrastructure; Plants, Toxic; Rhodococcus - pathogenicity; Rhodococcus - physiology; Rhodococcus - ultrastructure; Rhodococcus fascians; shoot induction; Scanning electron microscopy; Plant pathogen; Stimulant plant; Confocal microscopy; Rhodococcus fascians; Nicotiana tabacum; Arabidopsis thaliana; Symptomatology; Cruciferae; Malformation; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Fluorescence in situ hybridization; Bacteria; Above ground plant part; Actinomycetes; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; Experimental plant; Colonization; Histochemistry
• ISSN: 0894-0282; 1943-7706
• DOI: 10.1094/mpmi.2001.14.5.599

Rhodococcus fascians is a plant-pathogenic bacterium that causes malformations on aerial plant parts, whereby leafy galls occur at axillary meristems. The colonization behavior on Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana plants was examined. Independent of the infection methods, R. fascians extensively colonized the plant surface where the bacteria were surrounded by a slime layer. R. fascians caused the collapse of epidermal cells and penetrated intercellularly into the plant tissues. The onset of symptom development preceded the extensive colonization of the interior. The meristematic regions induced by pathogenic strain D188 were surrounded by bacteria. The nonpathogenic strain, D188-5, colonized the exterior of the plant equally well, but the linear plasmid (pFiD188) seemed to be involved in the penetration efficiency and colonization of tobacco tissues.