title: The 3-hydroxy-2-butanone pathway is required for Pectobacterium carotovorum pathogenesis.
abstract: Pectobacterium species are necrotrophic bacterial pathogens that cause soft rot diseases in potatoes and several other crops worldwide. Gene expression data identified Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum budB, which encodes the α-acetolactate synthase enzyme in the 2,3-butanediol pathway, as more highly expressed in potato tubers than potato stems. This pathway is of interest because volatiles produced by the 2,3-butanediol pathway have been shown to act as plant growth promoting molecules, insect attractants, and, in other bacterial species, affect virulence and fitness. Disruption of the 2,3-butanediol pathway reduced virulence of P. c. subsp. carotovorum WPP14 on potato tubers and impaired alkalinization of growth medium and potato tubers under anaerobic conditions. Alkalinization of the milieu via this pathway may aid in plant cell maceration since Pectobacterium pectate lyases are most active at alkaline pH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America.
authors.forename: Maria del Pilar
authors.initials: Mdel P
authors.lastname: Marquez-Villavicencio
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: R Andrews
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Witherell
authors.forename: David K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: Amy O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Charkowski
mesh_terms: D000093:Acetoin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000468:Alkalies; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D002072:Butylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration / Q000187:drug effects; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D016973:Pectobacterium carotovorum / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011198:Solanum tuberosum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D014774:Virulence / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000468:Alkalies; D002072:Butylene Glycols; D003470:Culture Media; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C026978:2,3-butylene glycol; D000093:Acetoin