Toxin-antitoxin systems in Xanthomonas citri subsp citri: function and strategy for programmed cell death induction

• Grant number: 16/01273-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: June 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Alessandra Alves de Souza
• Grantee: Paula Maria Moreira Martins
• Host Institution: Instituto Agronômico (IAC). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/18550-0 - Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri and the persister cell phenotype: determinants to its occurrence and in-depth analysis of its biology, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

In early 80's, a curious prokaryotic death system was described. Plasmid-encoded operons coded for toxins and antitoxins, being this latter unstable and dependent on continuous production. Cells that occasionally ended up losing these plasmids eventually died, heightening the prevalence of such extra-chromosomal DNAs in the bacterial population. Nowadays, the biotechnological use of toxin-antitoxin systems (TA) is restricted as tools in cloning systems, but the possibility of exogenous activation of TA systems to induce cell death has been analyzed with the recent advances in the study of TAs in prokaryotic species. The application of this strategy can open a new front in the fight against countless pathogens, including phytopathogens like Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, the etiological agent of citrus canker. This disease has no control, causing economic losses in citrus-producing areas worldwide, with an increasing incidence in Brazil over the last few years. We verified that X. citri presents many TA systems to which little or no information is available. Among these, we identified the X. citri - exclusive operons and we propose in this project to study in more detail one of them: the chpBS system. We will evaluate the gene expression modulation of this operon in front of stressor agents, as well as the role of this system in the stable maintenance of pXAC33 plasmid in X. citri populations and how the presence of this TA interferes in plant-microbe interaction. Besides, we will assess the responsiveness of the toxin to the presence of extracellular peptides capable of programmed cell death induction.

Scientific publications

(6)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PEREIRA, WILLIAN EDUARDO LINO; DE ANDRADE, SHEILA MARIA PEREIRA; DEL PONTE, EMERSON M.; ESTEVES, MARIANA BOSSI; CANALE, MARIA CRISTINA; TAKITA, MARCO AURELIO; COLETTA-FILHO, HELVECIO DELLA; DE SOUZA, ALESSANDRA ALVES. Severity assessment in the Nicotiana tabacum-Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca pathosystem: design and interlaboratory validation of a standard area diagram set. ROPICAL PLANT PATHOLOG, v. 45, n. 6, p. 13-pg., 2020-11-09. (11/14629-2, 16/01273-9, 13/10957-0, 14/50880-0)

PEREIRA, WILLIAN EDUARDO LINO; DE ANDRADE, SHEILA MARIA PEREIRA; DEL PONTE, EMERSON M.; ESTEVES, MARIANA BOSSI; CANALE, MARIA CRISTINA; TAKITA, MARCO AURELIO; COLETTA-FILHO, HELVECIO DELLA; DE SOUZA, ALESSANDRA ALVES. Severity assessment in the Nicotiana tabacum-Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca pathosystem: design and interlaboratory validation of a standard area diagram set. TROPICAL PLANT PATHOLOGY, v. 45, n. 6, SI, NOV 2020. (14/50880-0, 16/01273-9, 13/10957-0, 11/14629-2)

DE SOUZA-NETO, REINALDO RODRIGUES; BARBOSA CARVALHO, ISIS GABRIELA; MOREIRA MARTINS, PAULA MARIA; PICCHI, SIMONE CRISTINA; TOMAZ, JUAREZ PIRES; CASERTA, RAQUEL; TAKITA, MARCO AURELIO; DE SOUZA, ALESSANDRA ALVES. qsR toxin as a biotechnological tool for plant pathogen bacterial contro. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 12, n. 1, FEB 18 2022. (17/13885-1, 17/16142-0, 13/10957-0, 16/15741-4, 14/50880-0, 16/01273-9)

PEREIRA, W. E. L.; FERREIRA, C. B.; CASERTA, R.; MELOTTO, M.; DE SOUZA, A. A.. Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca and fastidiosa Colonize Arabidopsis Systemically and Induce Anthocyanin Accumulation in Infected Leaves. PHYTOPATHOLOGY, v. 109, n. 2, p. 225-232, FEB 2019. (15/50462-6, 16/01273-9, 13/10957-0)

MARTINS, PAULA M. M.; MERFA, MARCUS V.; TAKITA, MARCO A.; DE SOUZA, ALESSANDRA A.. Persistence in Phytopathogenic Bacteria: Do We Know Enough?. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY, v. 9, MAY 25 2018. (16/01273-9, 14/50880-0, 13/10957-0)

MOREIRA MARTINS, PAULA MARIA; ANDRADE, MAXUEL DE OLIVEIRA; BENEDETTI, CELSO EDUARDO; DE SOUZA, ALESSANDRA ALVES. Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri: host interaction and control strategies. ROPICAL PLANT PATHOLOG, v. 45, n. 3, p. 24-pg., 2020-06-08. (13/10957-0, 18/18550-0, 14/50880-0, 18/08535-4, 17/18570-9, 16/01273-9)