title: Twitching motility and biofilm formation are associated with tonB1 in Xylella fastidiosa.
abstract: A mutation in the Xylella fastidiosa tonB1 gene resulted in loss of twitching motility and in significantly less biofilm formation as compared with a wild type. The altered motility and biofilm phenotypes were restored by complementation with a functional copy of the gene. The mutation affected virulence as measured by Pierce's disease symptoms on grapevines. The role of TonB1 in twitching and biofilm formation appears to be independent of the characteristic iron-uptake function of this protein. This is the first report demonstrating a functional role for a tonB homolog in X. fastidiosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cursino
authors.forename: Yaxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Paulo A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Zaini
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De La Fuente
authors.forename: Harvey C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Burr
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008124:Locomotion; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009154:Mutation; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence; D027843:Vitis / Q000382:microbiology; D044167:Xylella / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C057616:tonB protein, Bacteria