New linear lipopeptides produced by Pseudomonas cichorii SF1-54 are involved in virulence, swarming motility, and biofilm formation

Both GacS-regulated lipopeptides and the type three secretion system contribute to Pseudomonas cichorii induced necrosis in lettuce and chicory

Pseudomonas cichorii SF1-54, the causal agent of lettuce midrib rot disease, produces lipopeptides cichofactins and cichopeptins which are important virulence factors. The GacS/GacA two-component system is well known to regulate production of lipopeptides in pseudomonads. Additionally, the functions of the type three secretion system (T3SS) in P. cichorii-plant interactions are not clarified. In this study, we investigated the role of the GacS-regulated lipopeptides and the T3SS in pathogenicity of P. cichorii SF1-54 on two host plants, chicory and lettuce, by constructing mutants in hrpL, which encodes the key sigma factor to control T3SS expression, and gacS. Compared with the wildtype, the hrpL mutant produced lipopeptides at a similar level but the gacS mutant was strongly impaired in lipopeptide production. The mutant deficient in hrpL did not significantly differ from the wildtype in virulence on chicory and lettuce. The gacS mutant exhibited significantly less symptoms on both host plants compared to the wildtype and the hrpL mutant. Intriguingly, the gacS hrpL-double mutant no longer produced lipopeptides, lost virulence and showed impaired colonization on chicory, but was still weakly virulent on lettuce. Thus, contribution of both the GacS-regulated lipopeptides and T3SS to virulence of P. cichorii SF1-54 is host plant dependent.

LOV1 protein of Pseudomonas cichorii JBC1 modulates its virulence and lifestyles in response to blue light

Bacteria perceive light signals via photoreceptors and modulate many physiological and genetic processes. The impacts played by light, oxygen, or voltage (LOV) and blue light (BL) photosensory proteins on the virulence-related traits of plant bacterial pathogens are diverse and complex. In this study, we identified LOV protein (Pc-LOV1) from Pseudomonas cichorii JBC1 (PcJBC1) and characterized its function using LOV1-deficient mutant (JBC1Δlov1). In the dark state, the recombinant Pc-LOV1 protein showed an absorption band in UV-A region with a double peak at 340 nm and 365 nm, and within the blue-region, it exhibited a main absorption at 448 nm along with two shoulder peaks at 425 nm and 475 nm, which is a typical feature of oxidized flavin within LOV domain. The adduct-state lifetime (τrec) of Pc-LOV1 was 67.03 ± 4.34 min at 25 °C. BL negatively influenced the virulence of PcJBC1 and the virulence of JBC1Δlov1 increased irrespective of BL, indicating that Pc-LOV1 negatively regulates PcJBC1 virulence. Pc-LOV1 and BL positively regulated traits relevant to colonization on plant surface, such as adhesion to the plant tissue and biofilm formation. In contrast, swarming motility, exopolysaccharide production, and siderophore synthesis were negatively controlled. Gene expression supported the modulation of bacterial features by Pc-LOV1. Overall, our results suggest that the LOV photosensory system plays crucial roles in the adaptive responses and virulence of the bacterial pathogen PcJBC1. The roles of other photoreceptors, sensing of other wavelengths, and signal networking require further investigation.

Does regulation hold the key to optimizing lipopeptide production in Pseudomonas for biotechnology?

Lipopeptides (LPs) produced by Pseudomonas spp. are specialized metabolites with diverse structures and functions, including powerful biosurfactant and antimicrobial properties. Despite their enormous potential in environmental and industrial biotechnology, low yield and high production cost limit their practical use. While genome mining and functional genomics have identified a multitude of LP biosynthetic gene clusters, the regulatory mechanisms underlying their biosynthesis remain poorly understood. We propose that regulation holds the key to unlocking LP production in Pseudomonas for biotechnology. In this review, we summarize the structure and function of Pseudomonas-derived LPs and describe the molecular basis for their biosynthesis and regulation. We examine the global and specific regulator-driven mechanisms controlling LP synthesis including the influence of environmental signals. Understanding LP regulation is key to modulating production of these valuable compounds, both quantitatively and qualitatively, for industrial and environmental biotechnology.

DnaJ, a heat shock protein 40 family member, is essential for the survival and virulence of plant pathogenic Pseudomonas cichorii JBC1

Bacterial plant pathogens must cope with various environmental conditions and defenses from their hosts for colonization and infection. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play critical roles in a variety of cellular processes, such as the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in response to environmental stress. However, the significance of HSP40 family protein DnaJ in virulence of plant pathogenic bacteria has not yet been explored. To elucidate the function of DnaJ in Pseudomonas cichorii JBC1 (PcJBC1) virulence, we generated dnaJ-deficient (JBC1ΔdnaJ) mutant using CRISPR-CAS9. The disease severity by JBC1ΔdnaJ was significantly reduced compared with wild-type (WT) and dnaJ-complemented (JBC1ΔdnaJ + pdnaJ) strain. The defect of DnaJ suppressed siderophore production, extracellular DNA (eDNA) release, biofilm formation, and swarming motility and made the strain sensitive to stresses such as heat and H2O2. The supplementation of eDNA recovered the amount of biofilm formation by JBC1ΔdnaJ. Our results indicate that DnaJ is a key player in the survival and colonization of bacterial plant pathogens on plant surfaces as well as bacterial responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, which are determinative to cause disease. These findings can broaden our understanding of plant and bacterial pathogen interactions.

Uncovering Genomic Features and Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Endophytic Bacteria from Roots of the Medicinal Plant Alkanna tinctoria Tausch as a Strategy To Identify Novel Biocontrol Bacteria

The world's population is increasing at a rate not seen in the past. Agriculture, providing food for this increasing population, is reaching its boundaries of space and natural resources. In addition, changing legislation and increased ecological awareness are forcing agriculture to reduce its environmental impact. This entails the replacement of agrochemicals with nature-based solutions. In this regard, the search for effective biocontrol agents that protect crops from pathogens is in the spotlight. In this study, we have investigated the biocontrol activity of endophytic bacteria isolated from the medicinal plant Alkanna tinctoria Tausch. To do so, an extensive collection of bacterial strains was initially genome sequenced and in silico screened for features related to plant stimulation and biocontrol. Based on this information, a selection of bacteria was tested in vitro for antifungal activity using direct antagonism in a plate assay and in planta with a detached-leaf assay. Bacterial strains were tested individually and in combinations to assess the best-performing treatments. The results revealed that many bacteria could produce metabolites that efficiently inhibit the proliferation of several fungi, especially Fusarium graminearum. Among these, Pseudomonas sp. strain R-71838 showed a strong antifungal effect, in both dual-culture and in planta assays, making it the most promising candidate for biocontrol application. Using microbes from medicinal plants, this study highlights the opportunities of using genomic information to speed up the screening of a taxonomically diverse set of bacteria with biocontrol properties. IMPORTANCE Phytopathogenic fungi are a major threat to global food production. The most common management practice to prevent plant infections involves the intensive use of fungicides. However, with the growing awareness of the ecological and human impacts of chemicals, there is a need for alternative strategies, such as the use of bacterial biocontrol agents. Limitations in the design of bacterial biocontrol included the need for labor-intensive and time-consuming experiments to test a wide diversity of strains and the lack of reproducibility of their activity against pathogens. Here, we show that genomic information is an effective tool to select bacteria of interest quickly. Also, we highlight that the strain Pseudomonas sp. R-71838 produced a reproducible antifungal effect both in vitro and in planta. These findings build a foundation for designing a biocontrol strategy based on Pseudomonas sp. R-71838.

The Diversity of Lipopeptides in the Pseudomonas syringae Complex Parallels Phylogeny and Sheds Light on Structural Diversification during Evolutionary History

Pseudomonas spp. colonize diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats and produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites, including lipopeptides. However, previous studies have often examined a limited number of lipopeptide-producing strains. In this study, we performed a systematic analysis of lipopeptide production across a wide data set of strains of the Pseudomonas syringae complex (724) by using a combined bioinformatics, mass spectrometry, and phylogenetics approach. The large P. syringae complex, which is composed of 13 phylogroups, is known to produce factins (including syringafactin-like lipopeptides), mycins (including syringomycin-like lipopeptides), and peptins (such as syringopeptins). We found that 80.8% of P. syringae strains produced lipopeptides and that factins were the most frequently produced (by 96% of the producing strains). P. syringae strains were either factin monoproducers or factin, mycin, and peptin coproducers or lipopeptide nonproducers in relation to their phylogenetic group. Our analyses led to the discovery of 42 new lipopeptides, bringing the number of lipopeptides identified in the P. syringae complex to 75. We also highlighted that factins have high structural resemblance and are widely distributed among the P. syringae complex, while mycins and peptins are highly structurally diverse and patchily distributed. IMPORTANCE This study provides an insight into the P. syringae metabolome that emphasizes the high diversity of lipopeptides produced within the P. syringae complex. The production profiles of strains are closely related to their phylogenetic classification, indicating that structural diversification of lipopeptides parallels the phylogeny of this bacterial complex, thereby further illustrating the inherent importance of lipopeptides in the ecology of this group of bacteria throughout its evolutionary history. Furthermore, this overview of P. syringae lipopeptides led us to propose a refined classification that could be extended to the lipopeptides produced by other bacterial groups.

Bioactive Lipodepsipeptides Produced by Bacteria and Fungi

Natural products are a vital source for agriculture, medicine, cosmetics and other fields. Lipodepsipeptides (LPDs) are a wide group of natural products distributed among living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts, virus, insects, plants and marine organisms. They are a group of compounds consisting of a lipid connected to a peptide, which are able to self-assemble into several different structures. They have shown different biological activities such as phytotoxic, antibiotic, antiviral, antiparasitic, antifungal, antibacterial, immunosuppressive, herbicidal, cytotoxic and hemolytic activities. Their biological activities seem to be due to their interactions with the plasma membrane (MP) because they are able to mimic the architecture of the native membranes interacting with their hydrophobic segment. LPDs also have surfactant properties. The review has been focused on the lipodepsipeptides isolated from fungal and bacterial sources, on their biological activity, on the structure-activity relationships of some selected LPD subgroups and on their potential application in agriculture and medicine. The chemical and biological characterization of lipodepsipeptides isolated in the last three decades and findings that resulted from SCI-FINDER research are reported. A critical evaluation of the most recent reviews dealing with the same argument has also been described.

Beyond Soil-Dwelling Actinobacteria: Fantastic Antibiotics and Where to Find Them

Bacterial secondary metabolites represent an invaluable source of bioactive molecules for the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Although screening campaigns for the discovery of new compounds have traditionally been strongly biased towards the study of soil-dwelling Actinobacteria, the current antibiotic resistance and discovery crisis has brought a considerable amount of attention to the study of previously neglected bacterial sources of secondary metabolites. The development and application of new screening, sequencing, genetic manipulation, cultivation and bioinformatic techniques have revealed several other groups of bacteria as producers of striking chemical novelty. Biosynthetic machineries evolved from independent taxonomic origins and under completely different ecological requirements and selective pressures are responsible for these structural innovations. In this review, we summarize the most important discoveries related to secondary metabolites from alternative bacterial sources, trying to provide the reader with a broad perspective on how technical novelties have facilitated the access to the bacterial metabolic dark matter.

Pan-genome analysis identifies intersecting roles for Pseudomonas specialized metabolites in potato pathogen inhibition

Agricultural soil harbors a diverse microbiome that can form beneficial relationships with plants, including the inhibition of plant pathogens. Pseudomonas spp. are one of the most abundant bacterial genera in the soil and rhizosphere and play important roles in promoting plant health. However, the genetic determinants of this beneficial activity are only partially understood. Here, we genetically and phenotypically characterize the Pseudomonas fluorescens population in a commercial potato field, where we identify strong correlations between specialized metabolite biosynthesis and antagonism of the potato pathogens Streptomyces scabies and Phytophthora infestans. Genetic and chemical analyses identified hydrogen cyanide and cyclic lipopeptides as key specialized metabolites associated with S. scabies inhibition, which was supported by in planta biocontrol experiments. We show that a single potato field contains a hugely diverse and dynamic population of Pseudomonas bacteria, whose capacity to produce specialized metabolites is shaped both by plant colonization and defined environmental inputs.

Potato scab and blight are two major diseases which can cause heavy crop losses. They are caused, respectively, by the bacterium Streptomyces scabies and an oomycete (a fungus-like organism) known as Phytophthora infestans.

Fighting these disease-causing microorganisms can involve crop management techniques – for example, ensuring that a field is well irrigated helps to keep S. scabies at bay. Harnessing biological control agents can also offer ways to control disease while respecting the environment. Biocontrol bacteria, such as Pseudomonas, can produce compounds that keep S. scabies and P. infestans in check. However, the identity of these molecules and how irrigation can influence Pseudomonas population remains unknown.

To examine these questions, Pacheco-Moreno et al. sampled and isolated hundreds of Pseudomonas strains from a commercial potato field, closely examining the genomes of 69 of these. Comparing the genetic information of strains based on whether they could control the growth of S. scabies revealed that compounds known as cyclic lipopeptides are key to controlling the growth of S. scabies and P. infestans. Whether the field was irrigated also had a large impact on the strains forming the Pseudomonas population.

Working out how Pseudomonas bacteria block disease could speed up the search for biological control agents. The approach developed by Pacheco-Moreno et al. could help to predict which strains might be most effective based on their genetic features. Similar experiments could also work for other combinations of plants and diseases.

Transporter Gene-mediated Typing for Detection and Genome Mining of Lipopeptide-producing Pseudomonas

Pseudomonas lipopeptides (LPs) are involved in diverse ecological functions and have biotechnological application potential associated with their antimicrobial and/or antiproliferative activities. They are synthesized by multimodular nonribosomal peptide synthetases which, together with transport and regulatory proteins, are encoded by large biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). These secondary metabolites are classified in distinct families based on the sequence and length of the oligopeptide and size of the macrocycle, if present. The phylogeny of PleB, the MacB-like transporter that is part of a dedicated ATP-dependent tripartite efflux system driving export of Pseudomonas LPs, revealed a strong correlation with LP chemical diversity. As each LP BGC carries its cognate pleB, PleB is suitable as a diagnostic sequence for genome mining, allowing assignment of the putative metabolite to a particular LP family. In addition, pleB proved to be a suitable target gene for an alternative PCR method for detecting LP-producing Pseudomonas sp. and did not rely on amplification of catalytic domains of the biosynthetic enzymes. Combined with amplicon sequencing, this approach enabled typing of Pseudomonas strains as potential producers of a LP belonging to one of the known LP families, underscoring its value for strain prioritization. This finding was validated by chemical characterization of known LPs from three different families secreted by novel producers isolated from the rice or maize rhizosphere, namely, the type strains of Pseudomonas fulva (putisolvin), Pseudomonas zeae (tensin), and Pseudomonas xantholysinigenes (xantholysin). In addition, a new member of the Bananamide family, prosekin, was discovered in the type strain of Pseudomonas prosekii, which is an Antarctic isolate.

IMPORTANCEPseudomonas spp. are ubiquitous bacteria able to thrive in a wide range of ecological niches, and lipopeptides often support their lifestyle but also their interaction with other micro- and macro-organisms. Therefore, the production of lipopeptides is widespread among Pseudomonas strains. Consequently, Pseudomonas lipopeptide research not only affects chemists and microbiologists but also touches a much broader audience, including biochemists, ecologists, and plant biologists. In this study, we present a reliable transporter gene-guided approach for the detection and/or typing of Pseudomonas lipopeptide producers. Indeed, it allows us to readily assess the lipopeptide diversity among sets of Pseudomonas isolates and differentiate strains likely to produce known lipopeptides from producers of potentially novel lipopeptides. This work provides a valuable tool that can also be integrated in a genome mining strategy and adapted for the typing of other specialized metabolites.

Discovery of Thanafactin A, a Linear, Proline-Containing Octalipopeptide from Pseudomonas sp. SH-C52, Motivated by Genome Mining

Genome mining of the bacterial strains Pseudomonas sp. SH-C52 and Pseudomonas fluorescens DSM 11579 showed that both strains contained a highly similar gene cluster encoding an octamodular nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) system which was not associated with a known secondary metabolite. Insertional mutagenesis of an NRPS component followed by comparative profiling led to the discovery of the corresponding novel linear octalipopeptide thanafactin A, which was subsequently isolated and its structure determined by two-dimensional NMR and further spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. In bioassays, thanafactin A exhibited weak protease inhibitory activity and was found to modulate swarming motility in a strain-specific manner.

Lipopeptide families at the interface between pathogenic and beneficial Pseudomonas-plant interactions

Lipopeptides (LPs) are a prominent class of molecules among the steadily growing spectrum of specialized metabolites retrieved from Pseudomonas, in particular soil-dwelling and plant-associated isolates. Among the multiple LP families, pioneering research focussed on phytotoxic and antimicrobial cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) of the ubiquitous plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae (syringomycin and syringopeptin). Their non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are embedded in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that are tightly co-clustered on a pathogenicity island. Other members of the P. syringae group (Pseudomonas cichorii) and some species of the Pseudomonas asplenii group and Pseudomonas fluorescens complex have adopted these biosynthetic strategies to co-produce their own mycin and peptin variants, in some strains supplemented with an analogue of the P. syringae linear LP (LLP), syringafactin. This capacity is not confined to phytopathogens but also occurs in some biocontrol strains, which indicates that these LP families not solely function as general virulence factors. We address this issue by scrutinizing the structural diversity and bioactivities of LPs from the mycin, peptin, and factin families in a phylogenetic and evolutionary perspective. BGC functional organization (including associated regulatory and transport genes) and NRPS modular architectures in known and candidate LP producers were assessed by genome mining.

Structure, properties, and biological functions of nonribosomal lipopeptides from pseudomonads

Bacteria of the genusPseudomonasdisplay a fascinating metabolic diversity. In this review, we focus our attention on the natural product class of nonribosomal lipopeptides, which help pseudomonads to colonize a wide range of ecological niches.

Structure elucidation of the syringafactin lipopeptides provides insight in the evolution of nonribosomal peptide synthetases

Modular biosynthetic machineries such as polyketide synthases (PKSs) or nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) give rise to a vast structural diversity of bioactive metabolites indispensable in the treatment of cancer or infectious diseases. Here, we provide evidence for different evolutionary processes leading to the diversification of modular NRPSs and thus, their respective products. Discovery of a novel lipo-octapeptide family from Pseudomonas, the virginiafactins, and detailed structure elucidation of closely related peptides, the cichofactins and syringafactins, allowed retracing recombinational diversification of the respective NRPS genes. Bioinformatics analyses allowed us to spot an evolutionary snapshot of these processes, where recombination occurred both within the same and between different biosynthetic gene clusters. Our systems feature a recent diversification process, which may represent a typical paradigm to variations in modular biosynthetic machineries.

Gram-negative bacilli-derived peptide antibiotics developed since 2000

Gram-negative bacilli such as Pseudomonas spp., Pseudoalteromonas sp., Angiococcus sp., Archangium sp., Burkholderia spp., Chromobacterium sp., Chondromyces sp., Cystobacter sp., Jahnella sp., Janthinobacterium sp., Lysobacter spp., Paraliomyxa sp., Photobacterium spp., Photorhabdus sp., Pontibacter sp., Ruegeria sp., Serratia sp., Sorangium sp., Sphingomonas sp., and Xenorhabdus spp. produce an enormous array of short peptides of 30 residues or fewer that are potential pharmaceutical drugs and/or biocontrol agents. The need for novel lead antibiotic compounds is urgent due to increasing drug resistance, and this review summarises 150 Gram-negative bacilli-derived compounds reported since 2000, including 40 cyclic lipopeptides from Pseudomonas spp.; nine aromatic peptides; eight glycopeptides; 45 different cyclic lipopeptides; 24 linear lipopeptides; eight thiopeptides; one lasso peptide; ten typical cyclic peptides; and five standard linear peptides. The current and potential therapeutic applications of these peptides, including structures and antituberculotic, anti-cyanobacterial, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, insecticidal, and antiprotozoal activities are discussed.

Genomics-driven discovery of a linear lipopeptide promoting host colonization by endofungal bacteria

The linear lipopeptide holrhizin is an important mediator of the Burkholderia-Rhizopus interaction that promotes bacterial colonization of the fungal host.

Virulence of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 Is Influenced by the Catabolite Repression Control Protein Crc

Pseudomonas syringae infects diverse plant species and is widely used as a model system in the study of effector function and the molecular basis of plant diseases. Although the relationship between bacterial metabolism, nutrient acquisition, and virulence has attracted increasing attention in bacterial pathology, it is largely unexplored in P. syringae. The Crc (catabolite repression control) protein is a putative RNA-binding protein that regulates carbon metabolism as well as a number of other factors in the pseudomonads. Here, we show that deletion of crc increased bacterial swarming motility and biofilm formation. The crc mutant showed reduced growth and symptoms in Arabidopsis and tomato when compared with the wild-type strain. We have evidence that the crc mutant shows delayed hypersensitive response (HR) when infiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana and tobacco. Interestingly, the crc mutant was more susceptible to hydrogen peroxide, suggesting that, in planta, the mutant may be sensitive to reactive oxygen species generated during pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). Indeed, HR was further delayed when PTI-induced tissues were challenged with the crc mutant. The crc mutant did not elicit an altered PTI response in plants compared with the wild-type strain. We conclude that Crc plays an important role in growth and survival during infection.

Indexing the Pseudomonas specialized metabolome enabled the discovery of poaeamide B and the bananamides

Pseudomonads are cosmopolitan microorganisms able to produce a wide array of specialized metabolites. These molecules allow Pseudomonas to scavenge nutrients, sense population density and enhance or inhibit growth of competing microorganisms. However, these valuable metabolites are typically characterized one-molecule-one-microbe at a time, instead of being inventoried in large numbers. To index and map the diversity of molecules detected from these organisms, 260 strains of ecologically diverse origins were subjected to mass-spectrometry-based molecular networking. Molecular networking not only enables dereplication of molecules, but also sheds light on their structural relationships. Moreover, it accelerates the discovery of new molecules. Here, by indexing the Pseudomonas specialized metabolome, we report the molecular-networking-based discovery of four molecules and their evolutionary relationships: a poaeamide analogue and a molecular subfamily of cyclic lipopeptides, bananamides 1, 2 and 3. Analysis of their biosynthetic gene cluster shows that it constitutes a distinct evolutionary branch of the Pseudomonas cyclic lipopeptides. Through analysis of an additional 370 extracts of wheat-associated Pseudomonas, we demonstrate how the detailed knowledge from our reference index can be efficiently propagated to annotate complex metabolomic data from other studies, akin to the way in which newly generated genomic information can be compared to data from public databases.

Bioinformatics Tools for the Discovery of New Nonribosomal Peptides

This chapter helps in the use of bioinformatics tools relevant to the discovery of new nonribosomal peptides (NRPs) produced by microorganisms. The strategy described can be applied to draft or fully assembled genome sequences. It relies on the identification of the synthetase genes and the deciphering of the domain architecture of the nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). In the next step, candidate peptides synthesized by these NRPSs are predicted in silico, considering the specificity of incorporated monomers together with their isomery. To assess their novelty, the two-dimensional structure of the peptides can be compared with the structural patterns of all known NRPs. The presented workflow leads to an efficient and rapid screening of genomic data generated by high throughput technologies. The exploration of such sequenced genomes may lead to the discovery of new drugs (i.e., antibiotics against multi-resistant pathogens or anti-tumors).

High-Level Culturability of Epiphytic Bacteria and Frequency of Biosurfactant Producers on Leaves

To better characterize the bacterial community members capable of biosurfactant production on leaves, we distinguished culturable biosurfactant-producing bacteria from nonproducers and used community sequencing to compare the composition of these distinct cultured populations with that from DNA directly recovered from leaves. Communities on spinach, romaine, and head lettuce leaves were compared with communities from adjacent samples of soil and irrigation source water. Soil communities were poorly described by culturing, with recovery of cultured representatives from only 21% of the prevalent operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (>0.2% reads) identified. The dominant biosurfactant producers cultured from soil included bacilli and pseudomonads. In contrast, the cultured communities from leaves are highly representative of the culture-independent communities, with over 85% of the prevalent OTUs recovered. The dominant taxa of surfactant producers from leaves were pseudomonads as well as members of the infrequently studied genus Chryseobacterium The proportions of bacteria cultured from head lettuce and romaine leaves that produce biosurfactants were directly correlated with the culture-independent proportion of pseudomonads in a given sample, whereas spinach harbored a wider diversity of biosurfactant producers. A subset of the culturable bacteria in irrigation water also became enriched on romaine leaves that were irrigated overhead. Although our study was designed to identify surfactant producers on plants, we also provide evidence that most bacteria in some habitats, such as agronomic plant surfaces, are culturable, and these communities can be readily investigated and described by more classical culturing methods.

IMPORTANCE

The importance of biosurfactant production to the bacteria that live on waxy leaf surfaces as well as their ability to be accurately assessed using culture-based methodologies was determined by interrogating epiphytic populations by both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Biosurfactant production was much more frequently observed in cultured communities on leaves than in other nearby habitats, such as soil and water, suggesting that this trait is important to life on a leaf by altering either the leaf itself or the interaction of bacteria with water. While pseudomonads were the most common biosurfactant producers isolated, this habitat also selects for taxa, such as Chryseobacterium, for which this trait was previously unrecognized. The finding that most epiphytic bacterial taxa were culturable validates strategies using more classical culturing methodologies for their study in this habitat.

Burkholderia genome mining for nonribosomal peptide synthetases reveals a great potential for novel siderophores and lipopeptides synthesis

Burkholderia is an important genus encompassing a variety of species, including pathogenic strains as well as strains that promote plant growth. We have carried out a global strategy, which combined two complementary approaches. The first one is genome guided with deep analysis of genome sequences and the second one is assay guided with experiments to support the predictions obtained in silico. This efficient screening for new secondary metabolites, performed on 48 gapless genomes of Burkholderia species, revealed a total of 161 clusters containing nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), with the potential to synthesize at least 11 novel products. Most of them are siderophores or lipopeptides, two classes of products with potential application in biocontrol. The strategy led to the identification, for the first time, of the cluster for cepaciachelin biosynthesis in the genome of Burkholderia ambifaria AMMD and a cluster corresponding to a new malleobactin‐like siderophore, called phymabactin, was identified in Burkholderia phymatum STM815 genome. In both cases, the siderophore was produced when the strain was grown in iron‐limited conditions. Elsewhere, the cluster for the antifungal burkholdin was detected in the genome of B. ambifaria AMMD and also Burkholderia sp. KJ006. Burkholderia pseudomallei strains harbor the genetic potential to produce a novel lipopeptide called burkhomycin, containing a peptidyl moiety of 12 monomers. A mixture of lipopeptides produced by Burkholderia rhizoxinica lowered the surface tension of the supernatant from 70 to 27 mN·m⁻¹. The production of nonribosomal secondary metabolites seems related to the three phylogenetic groups obtained from 16S rRNA sequences. Moreover, the genome‐mining approach gave new insights into the nonribosomal synthesis exemplified by the identification of dual C/E domains in lipopeptide NRPSs, up to now essentially found in Pseudomonas strains.

Efficacy of lactoferricin B in controlling ready-to-eat vegetable spoilage caused by Pseudomonas spp

The microbial content of plant tissues has been reported to cause the spoilage of ca. 30% of chlorine-disinfected fresh vegetables during cold storage. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial peptides in controlling microbial vegetable spoilage under cold storage conditions. A total of 48 bacterial isolates were collected from ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables and identified as belonging to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Aeromonas media, Pseudomonas cichorii, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas jessenii, Pseudomonas koreensis, Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas simiae and Pseudomonas viridiflava species. Reddish or brownish pigmentation was found when Pseudomonas strains were inoculated in wounds on leaves of Iceberg and Trocadero lettuce and escarole chicory throughout cold storage. Bovine lactoferrin (BLF) and its hydrolysates (LFHs) produced by pepsin, papain and rennin, were assayed in vitro against four Pseudomonas spp. strains selected for their heavy spoiling ability. As the pepsin-LFH showed the strongest antimicrobial effect, subsequent experiments were carried out using the peptide lactoferricin B (LfcinB), well known to be responsible for its antimicrobial activity. LfcinB significantly reduced (P ≤ 0.05) spoilage by a mean of 36% caused by three out of four inoculated spoiler pseudomonads on RTE lettuce leaves after six days of cold storage. The reduction in the extent of spoilage was unrelated to viable cell density in the inoculated wounds. This is the first paper providing direct evidence regarding the application of an antimicrobial peptide to control microbial spoilage affecting RTE leafy vegetables during cold storage.

Interplay between orfamides, sessilins and phenazines in the control of Rhizoctonia diseases by Pseudomonas sp. CMR12a

We investigated the role of phenazines and cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) (orfamides and sessilins), antagonistic metabolites produced by Pseudomonas sp. CMR12a, in the biological control of damping-off disease on Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis) caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-1 and root rot disease on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) caused by R. solani AG 4-HGI. A Pseudomonas mutant that only produced phenazines suppressed damping-off disease on Chinese cabbage to the same extent as CMR12a, while its efficacy to reduce root rot on bean was strongly impaired. In both pathosystems, the phenazine mutant that produced both CLPs was equally effective, but mutants that produced only one CLP lost biocontrol activity. In vitro microscopic assays revealed that mutants that only produced sessilins or orfamides inhibited mycelial growth of R. solani when applied together, while they were ineffective on their own. Phenazine-1-carboxamide suppressed mycelial growth of R. solani AG 2-1 but had no effect on AG 4-HGI. Orfamide B suppressed mycelial growth of both R. solani anastomosis groups in a dose-dependent way. Our results point to an additive interaction between both CLPs. Moreover, phenazines alone are sufficient to suppress Rhizoctonia disease on Chinese cabbage, while they need to work in tandem with the CLPs on bean.

Characterization of Cichopeptins, New Phytotoxic Cyclic Lipodepsipeptides Produced by Pseudomonas cichorii SF1-54 and Their Role in Bacterial Midrib Rot Disease of Lettuce

The lettuce midrib rot pathogen Pseudomonas cichorii SF1-54 produces seven bioactive compounds with biosurfactant properties. Two compounds exhibited necrosis-inducing activity on chicory leaves. The structure of the two phytotoxic compounds, named cichopeptin A and B, was tentatively characterized. They are related cyclic lipopeptides composed of an unsaturated C12-fatty acid chain linked to the N-terminus of a 22-amino acid peptide moiety. Cichopeptin B differs from cichopeptin A only in the last C-terminal amino acid residue, which is probably Val instead of Leu/Ile. Based on peptide sequence similarity, cichopeptins are new cyclic lipopeptides related to corpeptin, produced by the tomato pathogen Pseudomonas corrugata. Production of cichopeptin is stimulated by glycine betaine but not by choline, an upstream precursor of glycine betaine. Furthermore, a gene cluster encoding cichopeptin synthethases, cipABCDEF, is responsible for cichopeptin biosynthesis. A cipA-deletion mutant exhibited significantly less virulence and rotten midribs than the parental strain upon spray inoculation on lettuce. However, the parental and mutant strains multiplied in lettuce leaves at a similar rate. These results demonstrate that cichopeptins contribute to virulence of P. cichorii SF1-54 on lettuce.

FleQ coordinates flagellum-dependent and -independent motilities in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000

Motility plays an essential role in bacterial fitness and colonization in the plant environment, since it favors nutrient acquisition and avoidance of toxic substances, successful competition with other microorganisms, the ability to locate the preferred hosts, access to optimal sites within them, and dispersal in the environment during the course of transmission. In this work, we have observed that the mutation of the flagellar master regulatory gene, fleQ, alters bacterial surface motility and biosurfactant production, uncovering a new type of motility for Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 on semisolid surfaces. We present evidence that P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 moves over semisolid surfaces by using at least two different types of motility, namely, swarming, which depends on the presence of flagella and syringafactin, a biosurfactant produced by this strain, and a flagellum-independent surface spreading or sliding, which also requires syringafactin. We also show that FleQ activates flagellum synthesis and negatively regulates syringafactin production in P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Finally, it was surprising to observe that mutants lacking flagella or syringafactin were as virulent as the wild type, and only the simultaneous loss of both flagella and syringafactin impairs the ability of P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 to colonize tomato host plants and cause disease.

The Novel Lipopeptide Poaeamide of the Endophyte Pseudomonas poae RE*1-1-14 Is Involved in Pathogen Suppression and Root Colonization

Endophytic Pseudomonas poae strain RE*1-1-14 was originally isolated from internal root tissue of sugar beet plants and shown to suppress growth of the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani both in vitro and in the field. To identify genes involved in its biocontrol activity, RE*1-1-14 random mutagenesis and sequencing led to the identification of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene cluster predicted to encode a lipopeptide (LP) with a 10-amino-acid peptide moiety. The two unlinked gene clusters consisted of three NRPS genes, designated poaA (cluster 1) and poaB and poaC (cluster 2), spanning approximately 33.7 kb. In silico analysis followed by chemical analyses revealed that the encoded LP, designated poaeamide, is a structurally new member of the orfamide family. Poaeamide inhibited mycelial growth of R. solani and different oomycetes, including Phytophthora capsici, P. infestans, and Pythium ultimum. The novel LP was shown to be essential for swarming motility of strain RE*1-1-14 and had an impact on root colonization of sugar beet seedlings The poaeamide-deficient mutant colonized the rhizosphere and upper plant cortex at higher densities and with more scattered colonization patterns than the wild type. Collectively, these results indicate that Pseudomonas poae RE*1-1-14 produces a structurally new LP that is relevant for its antagonistic activity against soilborne plant pathogens and for colonization of sugar beet roots.

The hygroscopic biosurfactant syringafactin produced by Pseudomonas syringae enhances fitness on leaf surfaces during fluctuating humidity

Biosurfactant production by bacteria on leaf surfaces is poorly documented, and its role in this habitat has not been explored. Therefore, we investigated the production and fitness benefits of syringafactin by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a on leaves. Syringafactin largely adsorbed to the waxy leaf cuticle both when topically applied and when produced by cells on plants. Syringafactin increased the rate of diffusion of water across isolated cuticles and attracted water to hydrophobic surfaces exposed to high relative humidity due to its hygroscopic properties. While a wild-type and syringafactin mutant exhibited similar fitness on bean leaves incubated in static conditions, the fitness of the wild-type strain was higher under fluctuating humidity conditions typical of field conditions. When co-inoculated onto either the host plant bean or the non-host plant romaine lettuce, the proportion of viable wild-type cells recovered from plants relative to that of a mutant unable to produce syringafactin increased 10% over 10 days. The number of disease lesions incited by the wild-type strain on bean was also significantly higher than that of the syringafactin mutant. The production of hygroscopic biosurfactants on waxy leaf surfaces apparently benefits bacteria by both attracting moisture and facilitating access to nutrients.

To settle or to move? The interplay between two classes of cyclic lipopeptides in the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas CMR12a

Pseudomonas CMR12a is a biocontrol strain that produces phenazine antibiotics and as yet uncharacterized cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs). The CLPs of CMR12a were studied by chemical structure analysis and in silico analysis of the gene clusters encoding the non-ribosomal peptide synthetases responsible for CLP biosynthesis. CMR12a produces two different classes of CLPs: orfamides B, D and E, whereby the latter two represent new derivatives of the orfamide family, and sessilins A-C. The orfamides are made up of a 10 amino acid peptide coupled to a β-hydroxydodecanoyl or β-hydroxytetradecanoyl fatty acid moiety, and are related to orfamides produced by biocontrol strain Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5. The sessilins consist of an 18-amino acid peptide linked to a β-hydroxyoctanoyl fatty acid and differ in one amino acid from tolaasins, toxins produced by the mushroom pathogen Pseudomonas tolaasii. CLP biosynthesis mutants were constructed and tested for biofilm formation and swarming motility. Orfamides appeared indispensable for swarming while sessilin mutants showed reduced biofilm formation, but enhanced swarming motility. The interplay between the two classes of CLPs fine tunes these processes. The presence of sessilins in wild type CMR12a interferes with swarming by hampering the release of orfamides and by co-precipitating orfamides to form a white line in agar.

Prediction of monomer isomery in Florine: a workflow dedicated to nonribosomal peptide discovery

Nonribosomal peptides represent a large variety of natural active compounds produced by microorganisms. Due to their specific biosynthesis pathway through large assembly lines called NonRibosomal Peptide Synthetases (NRPSs), they often display complex structures with cycles and branches. Moreover they often contain non proteogenic or modified monomers, such as the D-monomers produced by epimerization. We investigate here some sequence specificities of the condensation (C) and epimerization (E) domains of NRPS that can be used to predict the possible isomeric state (D or L) of each monomer in a putative peptide. We show that C- and E- domains can be divided into 2 sub-regions called Up-Seq and Down-Seq. The Up-Seq region corresponds to an InterPro domain (IPR001242) and is shared by C- and E-domains. The Down-Seq region is specific to the enzymatic activity of the domain. Amino-acid signatures (represented as sequence logos) previously described for complete C-and E-domains have been restricted to the Down-Seq region and amplified thanks to additional sequences. Moreover a new Down-Seq signature has been found for Ct-domains found in fungi and responsible for terminal cyclization of the peptides. The identification of these signatures has been included in a workflow named Florine, aimed to predict nonribosomal peptides from NRPS sequence analyses. In some cases, the prediction of isomery is guided by genus-specific rules. Florine was used on a Pseudomonas genome to allow the determination of the type of pyoverdin produced, the update of syringafactin structure and the identification of novel putative products.

The antimicrobial compound xantholysin defines a new group of Pseudomonas cyclic lipopeptides

The rhizosphere isolate Pseudomonas putida BW11M1 produces a mixture of cyclic lipopeptide congeners, designated xantholysins. Properties of the major compound xantholysin A, shared with several other Pseudomonas lipopeptides, include antifungal activity and toxicity to Gram-positive bacteria, a supportive role in biofilm formation, and facilitation of surface colonization through swarming. Atypical is the lipopeptide’s capacity to inhibit some Gram-negative bacteria, including several xanthomonads. The lipotetradecadepsipeptides are assembled by XtlA, XtlB and XtlC, three co-linearly operating non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) displaying similarity in modular architecture with the entolysin-producing enzymes of the entomopathogenic Pseudomonas entomophila L48. A shifted serine-incorporating unit in the eight-module enzyme XtlB elongating the central peptide moiety not only generates an amino acid sequence differing at several equivalent positions from entolysin, but also directs xantholysin’s macrocyclization into an octacyclic structure, distinct from the pentacyclic closure in entolysin. Relaxed fatty acid specificity during lipoinitiation by XtlA (acylation with 3-hydroxydodec-5-enoate instead of 3-hydroxydecanoate) and for incorporation of the ultimate amino acid by XtlC (valine instead of isoleucine) account for the production of the minor structural variants xantholysin C and B, respectively. Remarkably, the genetic backbones of the xantholysin and entolysin NRPS systems also bear pronounced phylogenetic similarity to those of the P. putida strains PCL1445 and RW10S2, albeit generating the seemingly structurally unrelated cyclic lipopeptides putisolvin (undecapeptide containing a cyclotetrapeptide) and WLIP (nonapeptide containing a cycloheptapeptide), respectively. This similarity includes the linked genes encoding the cognate LuxR-family regulator and tripartite export system components in addition to individual modules of the NRPS enzymes, and probably reflects a common evolutionary origin. Phylogenetic scrutiny of the modules used for selective amino acid activation by these synthetases indicates that bacteria such as pseudomonads recruit and reshuffle individual biosynthetic units and blocks thereof to engineer reorganized or novel NRPS assembly lines for diversified synthesis of lipopeptides.