title: Light regulates motility, attachment and virulence in the plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000.
abstract: Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 (Pto) is the causal agent of the bacterial speck of tomato, which leads to significant economic losses in this crop. Pto inhabits the tomato phyllosphere, where the pathogen is highly exposed to light, among other environmental factors. Light represents a stressful condition and acts as a source of information associated with different plant defence levels. Here, we analysed the presence of both blue and red light photoreceptors in a group of Pseudomonas. In addition, we studied the effect of white, blue and red light on Pto features related to epiphytic fitness. While white and blue light inhibit motility, bacterial attachment to plant leaves is promoted. Moreover, these phenotypes are altered in a blue-light receptor mutant. These light-controlled changes during the epiphytic stage cause a reduction in virulence, highlighting the relevance of motility during the entry process to the plant apoplast. This study demonstrated the key role of light perception in the Pto phenotype switching and its effect on virulence.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid-Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de la UPM. Campus de Montegancedo, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, 28223, Spain; Departamento de Biotecnología, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, UPM. Avda. Complutense S/N, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Río-Álvarez
authors.forename: José Juan
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Herva
authors.forename: Pedro Manuel
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: González-Melendi
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Casado
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Palenzuela
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López-Solanilla
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000528:radiation effects; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008027:Light; D055537:Light Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D009068:Movement; D020283:Photoreceptors, Microbial / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology; D044224:Pseudomonas syringae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000528:radiation effects; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D020283:Photoreceptors, Microbial