title: Disruption of comA homolog in Ralstonia solanacearum does not impair its twitching motility.
abstract: Ralstonia solanacearum is an important phyto-pathogenic bacterium. The bacterium exhibits type IV pili meditated twitching motility that has been implicated in the process of natural transformation in it. A comA gene homolog, alike in several other naturally competent bacteria, has been already reported in this bacterium. However, there are no report of direct link between comA and twitching motility during the natural transformation process in this pathogen. In order to figure out any connection between comA and twitching motility, we created an insertion mutation in comA gene homolog of R. solanacearum F1C1 strain. As anticipated, the insertion mutant (CBRS01 strain) was inefficient for natural transformation. CBRS01 strain was found to be proficient for twitching motility alike the wild-type F1C1. This is interesting since recent findings of Salzer et al. (2016;Environ Microbiol;18:65-74) showed deficiency of twitching motility due to comEC gene (comA homolog) mutation in another naturally competent Gram-negative bacterium Thermus thermophilus. Additionally, we also found CBRS01 strain to be proficient for extracellular cellulase activity and virulence on tomato seedlings. Our findings in this work indicate that an R. solanacearum strain inefficient in undergoing natural transformation can, however, be proficient in exhibiting twitching motility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Anjan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barman
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Chandrika
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buragohain
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Suvendra Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002480:Cellulase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D043368:Ralstonia solanacearum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C061262:ComA protein, Bacteria; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D002480:Cellulase
keywords: R. solanacearum; comA; natural transformation; twitching motility