Identification of a virulence tal gene in the cotton pathogen, Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum strain Xss-V2\u201318

Fazal Haq,Zhengyin Xu,Shiwang Xie,Kunxuan Huang,Xiameng Xu,Sai Wang,Gongyou Chen,Lifang Zou,Lulu Cai,Bo Zhu,Wenxiu Ma,Syed Mashab Ali Shah

doi:10.1186/s12866-020-01783-x

Abstract

BackgroundBacterial blight of cotton (BBC), which is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm), is a destructive disease in cotton. Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs), encoded by tal-genes, play critical roles in the pathogenesis of xanthomonads. Characterized strains of cotton pathogenic Xcm harbor 8–12 different tal genes and only one of them is functionally decoded. Further identification of novel tal genes in Xcm strains with virulence contributions are prerequisite to decipher the Xcm-cotton interactions.ResultsIn this study, we identified six tal genes in Xss-V2–18, a highly-virulent strain of Xcm from China, and assessed their role in BBC. RFLP-based Southern hybridization assays indicated that Xss-V2–18 harbors the six tal genes on a plasmid. The plasmid-encoded tal genes were isolated by cloning BamHI fragments and screening clones by colony hybridization. The tal genes were sequenced by inserting a Tn5 transposon in the DNA encoding the central repeat region (CRR) of each tal gene. Xcm TALome evolutionary relationship based on TALEs CRR revealed relatedness of Xss-V2–18 to MSCT1 and MS14003 from the United States. However, Tal2 of Xss-V2–18 differs at two repeat variable diresidues (RVDs) from Tal6 and Tal26 in MSCT1 and MS14003, respectively, inferred functional dissimilarity. The suicide vector pKMS1 was then used to construct tal deletion mutants in Xcm Xss-V2–18. The mutants were evaluated for pathogenicity in cotton based on symptomology and growth in planta. Four mutants showed attenuated virulence and all contained mutations in tal2. One tal2 mutant designated M2 was further investigated in complementation assays. When tal2 was introduced into Xcm M2 and expressed in trans, the mutant was complemented for both symptoms and growth in planta, thus indicating that tal2 functions as a virulence factor in Xcm Xss-V2–18.ConclusionsOverall, the results demonstrated that Tal2 is a major pathogenicity factor in Xcm strain Xss-V2–18 that contributes significantly in BBC. This study provides a foundation for future efforts aimed at identifying susceptibility genes in cotton that are targeted by Tal2.

Highlights

Bacterial blight of cotton (BBC), which is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm), is a destructive disease in cotton
G. hirsutum is the predominant species and produces with 90% of the world’s cotton fiber production [5]. This species is impacted by a devastating bacterial disease known as bacterial blight of cotton (BBC), which is caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum
Since most tal genes retain two BamHI sites, Xcm Xss-V2–18 plasmid and genomic DNAs were digested with BamHI and analyzed by Southern blotting as described above

Summary

Introduction

Bacterial blight of cotton (BBC), which is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm), is a destructive disease in cotton. Bacterial blight of cotton (BBC), which is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. Malvacearum (Xcm), is a destructive disease in cotton. G. hirsutum is the predominant species and produces with 90% of the world’s cotton fiber production [5]. This species is impacted by a devastating bacterial disease known as bacterial blight of cotton (BBC), which is caused by Xanthomonas citri pv. The first detailed description of BBC was reported in the USA [6] This disease currently occurs in all cotton production areas and causes significant yield losses (5–35%) either by injury to the plant or direct damage to the boll [7]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion