Control of Fusarium Wilt of Radish by Combining Pseudomonas putida Strains that have Different Disease-Suppressive Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Biological control of soilborne plant pathogens in the field has given variable results. By combining specific strains of microorganisms, multiple traits antagonizing the pathogen can be combined and this may result in a higher level of protection. Pseudomonas putida WCS358 suppresses Fusarium wilt of radish by effectively competing for iron through the production of its pseudobactin siderophore. However, in some bioassays pseudobactin-negative mutants of WCS358 also suppressed disease to the same extent as WCS358, suggesting that an, as yet unknown, additional mechanism may be operative in this strain. P. putida strain RE8 induced systemic resistance against fusarium wilt. When WCS358 and RE8 were mixed through soil together, disease suppression was significantly enhanced to approximately 50% as compared to the 30% reduction for the single strain treatments. Moreover, when one strain failed to suppress disease in the single application, the combination still resulted in disease control. The enhanced disease suppression by the combination of P. putida strains WCS358 and RE8 is most likely the result of the combination of their different disease-suppressive mechanisms. These results demonstrate that combining biocontrol strains can lead to more effective, or at least, more reliable biocontrol of fusarium wilt of radish.

Pathogen self-defense: mechanisms to counteract microbial antagonism,

Natural and agricultural ecosystems harbor a wide variety of microorganisms that play an integral role in plant health, crop productivity, and preservation of multiple ecosystem functions. Interactions within and among microbial communities are numerous and range from synergistic and mutualistic to antagonistic and parasitic. Antagonistic and parasitic interactions have been exploited in the area of biological control of plant pathogenic microorganisms. To date, biocontrol is typically viewed from the perspective of how antagonists affect pathogens. This review examines the other face of this interaction: how plant pathogens respond to antagonists and how this can affect the efficacy of biocontrol. Just as microbial antagonists utilize a diverse arsenal of mechanisms to dominate interactions with pathogens, pathogens have surprisingly diverse responses to counteract antagonism. These responses include detoxification, repression of biosynthetic genes involved in biocontrol, active efflux of antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance. Understanding pathogen self-defense mechanisms for coping with antagonist assault provides a novel approach to improving the durability of biologically based disease control strategies and has implications for the deployment of transgenes (microorganisms or plants).

Phenazines and their role in biocontrol by Pseudomonas bacteria

Various rhizosphere bacteria are potential (micro)biological pesticides which are able to protect plants against diseases and improve plant yield. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that govern these beneficial plant-microbe interactions enables optimization, enhancement and identification of potential synergistic effects in plant protection. The production of antifungal metabolites, induction of systemic resistance, and the ability to compete efficiently with other resident rhizobacteria are considered to be important prerequisites for the optimal performance of biocontrol agents. Intriguing aspects in the molecular mechanisms of these processes have been discovered recently. Phenazines and phloroglucinols are major determinants of biological control of soilborne plant pathogens by various strains of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. This review focuses on the current state of knowledge on biocontrol by phenazine-producing Pseudomonas strains and the action, biosynthesis, and regulation mechanisms of the production of microbial phenazines.

Diversity of siderophore-mediated iron uptake systems in fluorescent pseudomonads: not only pyoverdines

Fluorescent pseudomonads are gamma-proteobacteria known for their capacity to colonize various ecological niches. This adaptability is reflected by their sophisticated and diverse iron uptake systems. The majority of fluorescent pseudomonads produce complex peptidic siderophores called pyoverdines or pseudobactins, which are very efficient iron scavengers. A tremendous variety of pyoverdines has been observed, each species producing a different pyoverdine. This variety can be used as an interesting tool to study the diversity and taxonomy of fluorescent pseudomonads. Other siderophores, including newly described ones, are also produced by pseudomonads, sometimes endowed with interesting properties in addition to iron scavenging, such as formation of complexes with other metals or antimicrobial activity. Factors other than iron limitation, and different regulatory proteins also seem to influence the production of siderophores in pseudomonads and are reviewed here as well. Another peculiarity of pseudomonads is their ability to use a large number of heterologous siderophores via different TonB-dependent receptors. A first genomic analysis of receptors in four different fluorescent pseudomonads suggests that their siderophore ligand repertoire is likely to overlap, and that not all receptors recognize siderophores as ligands.

Effect of fusaric acid and phytoanticipins on growth of rhizobacteria and Fusarium oxysporum

Suppression of soilborne diseases by biocontrol agents involves complex interactions among biocontrol agents and the pathogen and between these microorganisms and the plant. In general, these interactions are not well characterized. In this work, we studied (i) the diversity among strains of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., and Paenibacillus sp. for their sensitivity to fusaric acid (FAc) and phytoanticipins from different host plants, (ii) the diversity of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Fusarium oxysporum isolates for their sensitivity to phytoanticipins, and (iii) the influence of FAc on the production of pyoverdine by fluorescent Pseudomonas spp. tolerant to this compound. There was a great diversity in the response of the bacterial strains to FAc; however, as a group, Bacillus spp. and Paenibacillus macerans were much more sensitive to FAc than Pseudomonas spp. FAc also affected production of pyoverdine by FAc-tolerant Pseudomonas spp. strains. Phytoanticipins differed in their effects on microbial growth, and sensitivity to a phytoanticipin varied among bacterial and fungal strains. Biochanin A did not affect growth of bacteria, but coumarin inhibited growth of Pseudomonas spp. strains and had no effect on Bacillus circulans and P. macerans. Conversely, tomatine inhibited growth of B. circulans and P. macerans. Biochanin A and tomatine inhibited growth of three pathogenic isolates of F. oxysporum but increased growth of three nonpathogenic F. oxysporum isolates. Coumarin inhibited growth of all pathogenic and nonpathogenic F. oxysporum isolates. These results are indicative of the complex interactions that can occur among plants, pathogens, and biological control agents in the rhizosphere and on the root surface. Also, these results may help to explain the low efficacy of some combinations of biocontrol agents, as well as the inconsistency in achieving disease suppression under field conditions.

Biological substitutes for pesticides

In the 20th century an increasing number of pesticides, based on biocidal molecules, were the means for a substantial increase in food and fibre production and quality. Because of health and environmental concerns continued extensive use of such molecules is intensively debated and substitutes are often urgently required. Beside crop plant resistance, various biological control methods based on natural pest suppressing organisms are regarded as main alternatives. Several approaches and concepts also have been tested and commercial organism-based preparations are steadily increasing. However, further biotechnological efforts are required to give them status of being practical substitutes to pesticides. At present they are not comparable to pesticides in meeting efficacy, market and other expectations, but they still have a promising future, especially where genetically modified organisms can be used.

Exploiting genotypic diversity of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol-producing Pseudomonas spp.: characterization of superior root-colonizing P. fluorescens strain Q8r1-96

The genotypic diversity that occurs in natural populations of antagonistic microorganisms provides an enormous resource for improving biological control of plant diseases. In this study, we determined the diversity of indigenous 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG)-producing Pseudomonas spp. occurring on roots of wheat grown in a soil naturally suppressive to take-all disease of wheat. Among 101 isolates, 16 different groups were identified by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. One RAPD group made up 50% of the total population of DAPG-producing Pseudomonas spp. Both short- and long-term studies indicated that this dominant genotype, exemplified by P. fluorescens Q8r1-96, is highly adapted to the wheat rhizosphere. Q8r1-96 requires a much lower dose (only 10 to 100 CFU seed(-1) or soil(-1)) to establish high rhizosphere population densities (10(7) CFU g of root(-1)) than Q2-87 and 1M1-96, two genotypically different, DAPG-producing P. fluorescens strains. Q8r1-96 maintained a rhizosphere population density of approximately 10(5) CFU g of root(-1) after eight successive growth cycles of wheat in three different, raw virgin soils, whereas populations of Q2-87 and 1M1-96 dropped relatively quickly after five cycles and were not detectable after seven cycles. In short-term studies, strains Q8r1-96, Q2-87, and 1M1-96 did not differ in their ability to suppress take-all. After eight successive growth cycles, however, Q8r1-96 still provided control of take-all to the same level as obtained in the take-all suppressive soil, whereas Q2-87 and 1M1-96 gave no control anymore. Biochemical analyses indicated that the superior rhizosphere competence of Q8r1-96 is not related to in situ DAPG production levels. We postulate that certain rhizobacterial genotypes have evolved a preference for colonization of specific crops. By exploiting diversity of antagonistic rhizobacteria that share a common trait, biological control can be improved significantly.

Involvement of nitrate reductase and pyoverdine in competitiveness of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain C7R12 in soil

Involvement of nitrate reductase and pyoverdine in the competitiveness of the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens C7R12 was determined, under gnotobiotic conditions, in two soil compartments (bulk and rhizosphere soil), with the soil being kept at two different values of matric potential (-1 and -10 kPa). Three mutants affected in the synthesis of either the nitrate reductase (Nar(-)), the pyoverdine (Pvd(-)), or both (Nar(-) Pvd(-)) were used. The Nar(-) and Nar(-) Pvd(-) mutants were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis of the wild-type strain and of the Pvd(-) mutant, respectively. The selective advantage given by nitrate reductase and pyoverdine to the wild-type strain was assessed by measuring the dynamic of each mutant-to-total-inoculant (wild-type strain plus mutant) ratio. All three mutants showed a lower competitiveness than the wild-type strain, indicating that both nitrate reductase and pyoverdine are involved in the fitness of P. fluorescens C7R12. The double mutant presented the lowest competitiveness. Overall, the competitive advantages given to C7R12 by nitrate reductase and pyoverdine were similar. However, the selective advantage given by nitrate reductase was more strongly expressed under conditions of lower aeration (-1 kPa). In contrast, the selective advantage given by nitrate reductase and pyoverdine did not differ in bulk and rhizosphere soil, indicating that these bacterial traits are not specifically involved in the rhizosphere competence but rather in the saprophytic ability of C7R12 in soil environments.

Characterization of fluorescent and nonfluorescent peptide siderophores produced by Pseudomonas syringae strains and their potential use in strain identification

Nonfluorescent highly virulent strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. aptata isolated in different European countries and in Uruguay produce a nonfluorescent peptide siderophore, the production of which is iron repressed and specific to these strains. The amino acid composition of this siderophore is identical to that of the dominant fluorescent peptide siderophore produced by fluorescent P. syringae strains, and the molecular masses of the respective Fe(III) chelates are 1,177 and 1,175 atomic mass units. The unchelated nonfluorescent siderophore is converted into the fluorescent siderophore at pH 10, and colors and spectral characteristics of the unchelated siderophores and of the Fe(III)-chelates in acidic conditions are similar to those of dihydropyoverdins and pyoverdins, respectively. The nonfluorescent siderophore is used by fluorescent and nonfluorescent P. syringae strains. These results and additional mass spectrometry data strongly suggest the presence of a pyoverdin chromophore in the fluorescent siderophore and a dihydropyoverdin chromophore in the nonfluorescent siderophore, which are both ligated to a succinamide residue. When chelated, the siderophores behave differently from typical pyoverdins and dihydropyoverdins in neutral and alkaline conditions, apparently because of the ionization occurring around pH 4.5 of carboxylic acids present in beta-hydroxyaspartic acid residues of the peptide chains. These differences can be detected visually by pH-dependent changes of the chelate colors and spectrophotochemically. These characteristics and the electrophoretic behavior of the unchelated and chelated siderophores offer new tools to discriminate between saprophytic fluorescent Pseudomonas species and fluorescent P. syringae and P. viridiflava strains and to distinguish between the two siderovars in P. syringae pv. aptata.

Diversity of the Burkholderia cepacia complex and implications for risk assessment of biological control strains

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) consists of several species of closely related and extremely versatile gram-negative bacteria found naturally in soil, water, and the rhizosphere of plants. Strains of Bcc have been used in biological control of plant diseases and bioremediation, while some strains are plant pathogens or opportunistic pathogens of humans with cystic fibrosis. The ecological versatility of these bacteria is likely due to their unusually large genomes, which are often comprised of several (typically two or three) large replicons, as well as their ability to use a large array of compounds as sole carbon sources. The original species B. cepacia has been split into eight genetic species (genomovars), including five named species, but taxonomic distinctions have not enabled biological control strains to be clearly distinguished from human pathogenic strains. This has led to a reassessment of the risk of several strains registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for biological control. We review the biology of Bcc bacteria, especially how our growing knowledge of Bcc ecology and pathogenicity might be used in risk assessment. The capability of this bacterial complex to cause disease in plants and humans, as well as to control plant diseases, affords a rare opportunity to explore traits that may function in all three environments.

Molecular determinants of rhizosphere colonization by Pseudomonas

Rhizosphere colonization is one of the first steps in the pathogenesis of soilborne microorganisms. It can also be crucial for the action of microbial inoculants used as biofertilizers, biopesticides, phytostimulators, and bioremediators. Pseudomonas, one of the best root colonizers, is therefore used as a model root colonizer. This review focuses on (a) the temporal-spatial description of root-colonizing bacteria as visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopal analysis of autofluorescent microorganisms, and (b) bacterial genes and traits involved in root colonization. The results show a strong parallel between traits used for the colonization of roots and of animal tissues, indicating the general importance of such a study. Finally, we identify several noteworthy areas for future research.

Heterogeneity of iron bioavailability on plants assessed with a whole-cell GFP-based bacterial biosensor

Ferric iron is an essential element for microbial growth but its water solubility in aerobic environments is considered to be low. Thus it is a limiting resource for which microbes must compete in natural habitats. Since competition for iron occurs at the level of individual cells, knowledge of the variability in iron bioavailability to such individuals is required to assess the nature of the competition in these habitats. Ferric iron availability to cells of Pseudomonas syringae was assessed by quantifying the fluorescence intensity of single cells harbouring a plasmid-borne transcriptional fusion of an iron-regulated promoter from a locus encoding a membrane receptor for a pyoverdine siderophore with a reporter gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) following fluorescence microscopy. Cells of this iron biosensor exhibited iron-dependent GFP fluorescence that was inversely proportional to the amount of iron added to the media, and which differed by over 20-fold in iron-replete compared to iron-deplete culture media. Cells cultured in a medium of a given iron content exhibited a very narrow range of fluorescence intensities. In contrast, the fluorescence intensity of cells of the biosensor strain recovered from the rhizosphere or phylloplane of inoculated bean plants varied greatly. The distribution of fluorescence intensities was strongly right-hand skewed, with about 10% of the cells exhibiting substantially higher GFP fluorescence than that of the median cell. Cells of a positive control strain, harbouring a fusion of the constitutive nptII promoter with the gfp reporter gene, exhibited uniform GFP fluorescence both in culture media and on plants. These results indicate that there is substantial heterogeneity of iron biovailability to cells of P. syringae on plants, with only a small subset of cells experiencing low iron availability. Such heterogeneity places constraints on models of interactions of bacteria in natural habitats that are based on competition for limited iron.

Fitness in soil and rhizosphere of Pseudomonas fluorescens C7R12 compared with a C7R12 mutant affected in pyoverdine synthesis and uptake

Fluorescent pseudomonads have evolved an efficient strategy of iron uptake based on the synthesis of the siderophore pyoverdine and its relevant outer membrane receptor. The possible implication of pyoverdine synthesis and uptake on the ecological competence of a model strain (Pseudomonas fluorescens C7R12) in soil habitats was evaluated using a pyoverdine minus mutant (PL1) obtained by random insertion of the transposon Tn5. The Tn5 flanking DNA was amplified by inverse PCR and sequenced. The nucleotide sequence was found to show a high level of identity with pvsB, a pyoverdine synthetase. As expected, the mutant PL1 was significantly more susceptible to iron starvation than the wild-type strain despite its ability to produce another unknown siderophore. As with the wild-type strain, the mutant PL1 was able to incorporate the wild-type pyoverdine and five pyoverdines of foreign origin, but at a significantly lower rate despite the similarity of the outer membrane protein patterns of the two strains. The survival kinetics of the wild-type and of the pyoverdine minus mutant, in bulk and rhizosphere soil, were compared under gnotobiotic and non-gnotobiotic conditions. In gnotobiotic model systems, both strains, when inoculated separately, showed a similar survival in soil and rhizosphere, suggesting that iron was not a limiting factor. In contrast, when inoculated together, the bacterial competition was favorable to the pyoverdine producer C7R12. The efficient fitness of PL1 in the presence of the indigenous microflora, even when coinoculated with C7R12, is assumed to be related to its ability to uptake heterologous pyoverdines. Altogether, these results suggest that pyoverdine-mediated iron uptake is involved in the ecological competence of the strain P. fluorescens C7R12.

Rhizosphere microbial community structure in relation to root location and plant iron nutritional status

Root exudate composition and quantity vary in relation to plant nutritional status, but the impact of the differences on rhizosphere microbial communities is not known. To examine this question, we performed an experiment with barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants under iron-limiting and iron-sufficient growth conditions. Plants were grown in an iron-limiting soil in root box microcosms. One-half of the plants were treated with foliar iron every day to inhibit phytosiderophore production and to alter root exudate composition. After 30 days, the bacterial communities associated with different root zones, including the primary root tips, nonelongating secondary root tips, sites of lateral root emergence, and older roots distal from the tip, were characterized by using 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fingerprints generated by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Our results showed that the microbial communities associated with the different root locations produced many common 16S rDNA bands but that the communities could be distinguished by using correspondence analysis. Approximately 40% of the variation between communities could be attributed to plant iron nutritional status. A sequence analysis of clones generated from a single 16S rDNA band obtained at all of the root locations revealed that there were taxonomically different species in the same band, suggesting that the resolving power of DGGE for characterization of community structure at the species level is limited. Our results suggest that the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere are substantially different in different root zones and that a rhizosphere community may be altered by changes in root exudate composition caused by changes in plant iron nutritional status.

Utilization of heterologous siderophores enhances levels of iron available to Pseudomonas putida in the rhizosphere

Pseudomonas spp. have the capacity to utilize siderophores produced by diverse species of bacteria and fungi, and the present study was initiated to determine if siderophores produced by rhizosphere microorganisms enhance the levels of iron available to a strain of Pseudomonas putida in this natural habitat. We used a previously described transcriptional fusion (pvd-inaZ) between an iron-regulated promoter (pvd) and the ice nucleation reporter gene (inaZ) to detect alterations in iron availability to P. putida. Ice nucleation activity (INA) expressed from the pvd-inaZ fusion by P. putida N1R or N1R Pvd(-), a derivative deficient in the production of a pyoverdine siderophore, was inversely related to the concentration of ferric citrate in a culture medium. In culture, INA expressed by N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ) was reduced in the presence of the ferric complex of pseudobactin-358, a pyoverdine siderophore produced by P. putida WCS358 that can be utilized as a source of iron by N1R Pvd(-). In the rhizosphere of cucumbers grown in sterilized soil, N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ) expressed INA, indicating that iron availability was sufficiently low in that habitat to allow transcription of the iron-regulated pvd promoter. Coinoculation with WCS358 or N1R significantly decreased INA expressed by N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ) in the rhizosphere, whereas coinoculation with a pyoverdine-deficient mutant of WCS358 did not reduce INA expressed by N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ). These results indicate that iron availability to N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ) in the rhizosphere was enhanced by the presence of another strain of P. putida that produces a pyoverdine that N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ) was able to utilize as a source of iron. In culture, strain N1R Pvd(-) also utilized ferric complexes of the siderophores enterobactin and aerobactin as sources of iron. In the rhizosphere of cucumbers grown in sterilized soil, INA expressed by N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ) was reduced in the presence of strains of Enterobacter cloacae that produced enterobactin, aerobactin, or both siderophores, but INA expressed by N1R Pvd(-) (pvd-inaZ) was not altered in the presence of a mutant of E. cloacae deficient in both enterobactin and aerobactin production. Therefore, the iron status of P. putida was altered by siderophores produced by an unrelated bacterium coinhabiting the rhizosphere. Finally, we demonstrated that INA expressed by N1R containing pvd-inaZ in the rhizosphere differed between plants grown in sterilized versus nonsterilized field soil. The results of this study demonstrate that (i) P. putida expresses genes for pyoverdine production and uptake in the rhizosphere, but the level of gene expression is influenced by other bacteria that coexist with P. putida in this habitat, and (ii) diverse groups of microorganisms can alter the availability of chemical resources in microbial habitats on root surfaces.

The ferripyoverdine receptor FpvA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 recognizes the ferripyoverdines of P. aeruginosa PAO1 and P. fluorescens ATCC 13525

FpvA, the ferripyoverdine outer membrane receptor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15692 (PAO1 strain), is not specific to the pyoverdine produced by PAO1, but is also able to recognize the structurally different (ferri)pyoverdine of P. fluorescens ATCC 13525. The specificity of FpvA was assessed by iron uptake competitions using the wild-type strains P. aeruginosa ATCC 15692 and P. fluorescens ATCC 13525 and their respective ferripyoverdines, and by fpvA gene complementation of a FpvA-deficient mutant of P. aeruginosa ATCC 15692. The receptor mutant was able to utilize none of the two pyoverdines, while the same but fpvA-complemented mutant recovered simultaneously the ability to incorporate iron thanks to each of the two siderophores. The broad specificity of recognition of FpvA is viewed as an advantage for the strain in iron competition. Moreover, it allows an interesting approach for the understanding of the recognition mechanism between a (ferri)pyoverdine and its cognate outer membrane receptor.

Mixtures of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria enhance biological control of multiple cucumber pathogens

ABSTRACT Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains INR7 (Bacillus pumilus), GB03 (Bacillus subtilis), and ME1 (Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens) were tested singly and in combinations for biological control against multiple cucumber pathogens. Investigations under greenhouse conditions were conducted with three cucumber pathogens-Colletotrichum orbiculare (causing anthracnose), Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans (causing angular leaf spot), and Erwinia tracheiphila(causing cucurbit wilt disease)-inoculated singly and in all possible combinations. There was a general trend across all experiments toward greater suppression and enhanced consistency against multiple cucumber pathogens using strain mixtures. The same three PGPR strains were evaluated as seed treatments in two field trials over two seasons, and two strains, IN26 (Burkholderia gladioli) and INR7 also were tested as foliar sprays in one of the trials. In the field trials, the efficacy of induced systemic resistance activity was determined against introduced cucumber pathogens naturally spread within plots through placement of infected plants into the field to provide the pathogen inoculum. PGPR-mediated disease suppression was observed against angular leaf spot in 1996 and against a mixed infection of angular leaf spot and anthracnose in 1997. The three-way mixture of PGPR strains (INR7 plus ME1 plus GB03) as a seed treatment showed intensive plant growth promotion and disease reduction to a level statistically equivalent to the synthetic elicitor Actigard applied as a spray.

Role of the O-antigen of lipopolysaccharide, and possible roles of growth rate and of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (nuo) in competitive tomato root-tip colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365

Colonization-defective, transposon-induced mutants of the efficient root colonizer Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365 were identified with a gnotobiotic system. Most mutants were impaired in known colonization traits, i.e., prototrophy for amino acids, motility, and synthesis of the O-antigen of LPS (lipopolysaccharide). Mutants lacking the O-antigen of LPS were impaired in both colonization and competitive growth whereas one mutant (PCL1205) with a shorter O-antigen chain was defective only in colonization ability, suggesting a role for the intact O-antigen of LPS in colonization. Eight competitive colonization mutants that were not defective in the above-mentioned traits colonized the tomato root tip well when inoculated alone, but were defective in competitive root colonization of tomato, radish, and wheat, indicating they contained mutations affecting host range. One of these eight mutants (PCL1201) was further characterized and contains a mutation in a gene that shows homology to the Escherichia coli nuo4 gene, which encodes a subunit of one of two known NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductases. Competition experiments in an oxygen-poor medium between mutant PCL1201 and its parental strain showed a decreased growth rate of mutant PCL1201. The requirement of the nuo4 gene homolog for optimal growth under conditions of oxygen limitation suggests that the root-tip environment is micro-aerobic. A mutant characterized by a slow growth rate (PCL1216) was analyzed further and contained a mutation in a gene with similarity to the E. coli HtrB protein, a lauroyl transferase that functions in lipid A biosynthesis.

Iron Stress and Pyoverdin Production by a Fluorescent Pseudomonad in the Rhizosphere of White Lupine (Lupinus albus L.) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Induction of high-affinity iron transport during root colonization by Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ) was examined in lupine and barley growing in microcosms. P. fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ) contains a plasmid carrying pvd-inaZ; thus, in this strain, ice nucleation activity is regulated by pyoverdin production. Lupine or barley plants were grown for 18 or 8 days, respectively, in soil amended with 2% calcium carbonate and inoculated with P. fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ) at a density of 4 x 10(sup8) CFU g (dry weight) of soil(sup-1). A filter paper blotting technique was used to sample cells from the rhizosphere in different root zones, and then the cells were resuspended for enumeration and measurement of ice nucleation activity. The population density of P. fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ) in the rhizosphere decreased by one order of magnitude in both lupine and barley over time. The ice nucleation activity ranged from -3.4 to -3.0 log ice nuclei CFU(sup-1) for lupine and -3.0 to -2.8 log ice nuclei CFU(sup-1) for barley, was similar in all root zones, and did not change over time. An in vitro experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between ice nucleation activity and pyoverdin production in P. fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ). An ice nucleation activity of approximately -3.0 log ice nuclei CFU(sup-1) was measured in the in vitro experiment at 25 to 50 (mu)M FeCl(inf3). By using the regression between ice nucleation activity and pyoverdin production determined in vitro and assuming a P. fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ) population density of 10(sup8) CFU g of root(sup-1), the maximum possible pyoverdin accumulation by P. fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ) in the rhizosphere was estimated to be 0.5 and 0.8 nmol g of root(sup-1) for lupine and barley, respectively. The low ice nucleation activity measured in the rhizosphere suggests that nutritional competition for iron in the rhizosphere may not be a major factor influencing root colonization by P. fluorescens Pf-5 (pvd-inaZ).

Availability of iron to Pseudomonas fluorescens in rhizosphere and bulk soil evaluated with an ice nucleation reporter gene

The biological availability of iron in the rhizosphere was assessed by evaluating ice nucleation activity (INA) expressed in situ by Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 containing a transcriptional fusion (pvd-inaZ) of an iron-regulated promoter to an ice nucleation reporter gene (inaZ). Pf-5 containing pvd-inaZ expresses INA that is inversely related to the iron availability of a growth medium (J. E. Loper and S. E. Lindow, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:1934-1941, 1994). INA expressed by rhizosphere populations of Pf-5 containing pvd-inaZ was at a maximum within 12 to 24 h following inoculation of the bacterium onto bean roots and typically decreased gradually during the following 4 days. Iron availability in the soil, which was altered by the addition of chelators, influenced INA expressed by rhizosphere populations of Pf-5 containing pvd-inaZ. In soil adjusted to a pH of 7.0 or 8.0 by adding Ca(OH)2, rhizosphere populations of Pf-5 containing pvd-inaZ expressed greater INA, indicating lower iron availability, than they did in the nonamended soil at a pH of 5.4. Similarly, rhizosphere populations of Pf-5 containing pvd-inaZ expressed less INA in an agricultural soil of pH 5.4 than in other agricultural soils ranging in pH from 6.4 to 7.7. These results conform to the predictions of chemical models stating that pH is a major factor influencing iron availability in soil solutions. The results of this study indicate that P. fluorescens Pf-5 encountered an iron-limited environment immediately after it was inoculated onto bean roots planted in agricultural field soils. One to two days after the bacterium was inoculated onto root surfaces, however, iron became more available to rhizosphere populations of Pf-5. We speculate that iron acquisition systems of plants and other rhizosphere organisms may provide available sources of iron to established rhizosphere populations of P. fluorescens.