Deletion of pilA, a minor pilin-like gene, from Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri influences bacterial physiology and pathogenesis.

MARCELA N. CABRINI; MATIAS BELTRAMINO; ELENA G. ORELLANO; MARCELA N. CABRINI; MATIAS BELTRAMINO; ELENA G. ORELLANO; MAITE R. ARANA; LAURA MOYANO; ALICIA S. COUTO; MAITE R. ARANA; S. PETROCELLI; LAURA MOYANO; ADRIANA C. CASABUONO; ALICIA S. COUTO; LEANDRO M. MOREIRA; S. PETROCELLI; ADRIANA C. CASABUONO; LEANDRO M. MOREIRA

CURRENT MICROBIOLOGY

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2016 vol. 73 p. 904 - 914

0343-8651

Type IV pili (Tfp) are widely distributed adhesinsof bacterial surfaces. In plant pathogenic bacteria, Tfpare involved in host colonization and pathogenesis. Xanthomonascitri subsp. citri (Xcc) is the phytopathogenresponsible for citrus canker disease. In this work, threeTfp structural genes, fimA, fimA1, and pilA from Xcc werestudied. A pilA mutant strain from Xcc (XccDpilA) wasconstructed and differences in physiological features, suchas motilities, adhesion, and biofilm formation, wereobserved. A structural study of the purified Tfp fractionsfrom Xcc wild-type and XccDpilA showed that pilins areglycosylated in both strains and that FimA and FimA1 arethe main structural components of the pili. Furthermore,smaller lesion symptoms and reduced bacterial growthwere produced by XccDpilA in orange plants compared tothe wild-type strain. These results indicate that the minorpilin-like gene, pilA, is involved in Tfp performance duringthe infection process.