title: Mutability in Pseudomonas viridiflava as a programmed balance between antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity.
abstract: Mutable bacterial cells are defective in their DNA repair system and often have a phenotype different from that of their wild-type counterparts. In human bacterial pathogens, the mutable and hypermutable phenotypes are often associated with general antibiotic resistance. Here, we quantified the occurrence of mutable cells in Pseudomonas viridiflava, a phytopathogenic bacterium in the P. syringae complex with a broad host range and capacity to live as a saprophyte. Two phenotypic variants (transparent and mucoid) were produced by this bacterium. The transparent variant had a mutator phenotype, showed general antibiotic resistance and could not induce disease on the plant species tested (bean). In contrast, the mucoid variant did not display mutability or resistance to antibiotics and was capable of inducing disease on bean. Both the transparent and mucoid variants were less fit when grown in vitro, whereas, in planta, both of the variants and wild-types attained similar population densities. Given the importance of the methyl-directed mismatch repair system (MMR) in the occurrence of mutable and hypermutable cells in human bacterial pathogens, we investigated whether mutations in mut genes were associated with mutator transparent cells in P. viridiflava. Our results showed no mutations in MMR genes in any of the P. viridiflava cells tested. Here, we report that a high mutation rate and antibiotic resistance are inversely correlated with pathogenicity in P. viridiflava, but are not associated with mutations in MMR. In addition, P. viridiflava variants differ from variants produced by other phytopathogenic bacteria in the absence of reversion to the wild-type phenotype.
authors: Department of Science and Technology for Agriculture, Forestry, Nature and Energy (DAFNE), Tuscia University, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.|INRA, UR0407 Pathologie Végétale, F-84143, Montfavet cedex, France.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Bartoli
authors: Department of Science and Technology for Agriculture, Forestry, Nature and Energy (DAFNE), Tuscia University, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.|INRA, UR0407 Pathologie Végétale, F-84143, Montfavet cedex, France.
authors: Jay Ram
authors: JR
authors: Lamichhane
authors: INRA, UR0407 Pathologie Végétale, F-84143, Montfavet cedex, France.
authors: Odile
authors: O
authors: Berge
authors: Department of Science and Technology for Agriculture, Forestry, Nature and Energy (DAFNE), Tuscia University, 01100, Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Leonardo
authors: L
authors: Varvaro
authors: INRA, UR0407 Pathologie Végétale, F-84143, Montfavet cedex, France.
authors: Cindy E
authors: CE
authors: Morris
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: fitness cost; methyl-directed mismatch repair system; mutation rate; plasticity
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