Deciphering host-pathogen interaction during Streptomyces spp. infestation of potato

Streptomyces albireticuli lung infection managed as a pulmonary air cyst: a case report and literature review

Streptomyces, the largest genus in the Streptomycetaceae family and a prolific producer of antibacterial drugs, is a saprophytic soil organism that rarely causes invasive infections. Here we report a case of necrotic pneumonia caused by Streptomyces albireticuli in a 75-year-old man who presented with progressive chest tightness and dyspnea. Streptomyces albireticuli was isolated from his bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and identified through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogenetic analysis. The patient responded satisfactorily to clarithromycin therapy. The findings of this study may enhance our vigilance in identifying visceral infections caused by Streptomyces.

Common scab disease: structural basis of elicitor recognition in pathogenic Streptomyces species

IMPORTANCE

Common scab is a disease caused by a few Streptomyces species that affects important root and tuber crops including potato, beet, radish, and parsnip, resulting in major economic losses worldwide. In this work, we unveiled the molecular basis of host recognition by these pathogens by solving the structure of the sugar-binding protein CebE of Streptomyces scabiei in complex with cellotriose, the main elicitor of the pathogenic lifestyle of these bacteria. We further revealed that the signaling pathway from CebE-mediated transport of cellotriose is conserved in all pathogenic species except Streptomyces ipomoeae, which causes soft rot disease in sweet potatoes. Our work also provides the structural basis of the uptake of cellobiose and cellotriose in saprophytic Streptomyces species, the first step activating the expression of the enzymatic system degrading the most abundant polysaccharide on earth, cellulose.