The MYB transcription factor OsMYBxoc1 regulates resistance to Xoc by directly repressing transcription of the iron transport gene OsNRAMP5 in rice

Bacterial leaf streak caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) is a continuous threat to rice cultivation, leading to substantial yield losses with socioeconomic implications. Iron ions are essential mineral nutrients for plant growth, but little information is available on how they influence mechanisms of rice immunity against Xoc. Here, we investigated the role of the myeloblastosis-related (MYB) transcriptional repressor OsMYBxoc1 in modulation of rice resistance through control of iron ion transport. Overexpression of OsMYBxoc1 significantly increased rice resistance, whereas OsMYBxoc1 RNA-interference lines and knockout mutants showed the opposite result. Suppression of OsMYBxoc1 expression dampened the immune response induced by pathogen-associated molecular patterns. We demonstrated that OsMYBxoc1 binds specifically to the OsNRAMP5 promoter and represses transcription of OsNRAMP5. OsNRAMP5, a negative regulator of rice resistance to bacterial leaf streak, possesses metal ion transport activity, and inhibition of OsMYBxoc1 expression increased the iron ion content in rice. Activity of the ion-dependent H2O2 scavenging enzyme catalase was increased in plants with suppressed expression of OsMYBxoc1 or overexpression of OsNRAMP5. We found that iron ions promoted Xoc infection and interfered with the production of reactive oxygen species induced by Xoc. The type III effector XopAK directly inhibited OsMYBxoc1 transcription, indicating that the pathogen may promote its own proliferation by relieving restriction of iron ion transport in plants. In addition, iron complemented the pathogenicity defects of the RS105_ΔXopAK mutant strain, further confirming that iron utilization by Xoc may be dependent upon XopAK. In conclusion, our study reveals a novel mechanism by which OsMYBxoc1 modulates rice resistance by regulating iron accumulation and demonstrates that Xoc can accumulate iron ions by secreting the effector XopAK to promote its own infection.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis for a Putative Pyridoxal Phosphate-Dependent Aminotransferase Required for Virulence in Acidovorax citrulli

Acidovorax citrulli (Ac) is the causative agent of bacterial fruit blotch disease in watermelon. Since resistant cultivars have not yet been developed, the virulence factors/mechanisms of Ac need to be characterized. This study reports the functions of a putative pyridoxal phosphate-dependent aminotransferase (PpdaAc) that transfers amino groups to its substrates and uses pyridoxal phosphate as a coenzyme. It was observed that a ppdaAc knockout mutant had a significantly reduced virulence in watermelon when introduced via germinated-seed inoculation as well as leaf infiltration. Comparative proteomic analysis predicted the cellular mechanisms related to PpdaAc. Apart from causing virulence, the PpdaAc may have significant roles in energy production, cell membrane, motility, chemotaxis, post-translational modifications, and iron-related mechanisms. Therefore, it is postulated that PpdaAc may possess pleiotropic effects. These results provide new insights into the functions of a previously unidentified PpdaAc in Ac.

Identification of a virulence tal gene in the cotton pathogen, Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum strain Xss-V2-18

Background

Bacterial blight of cotton (BBC), which is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm), is a destructive disease in cotton. Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs), encoded by tal-genes, play critical roles in the pathogenesis of xanthomonads. Characterized strains of cotton pathogenic Xcm harbor 8–12 different tal genes and only one of them is functionally decoded. Further identification of novel tal genes in Xcm strains with virulence contributions are prerequisite to decipher the Xcm-cotton interactions.

Results

In this study, we identified six tal genes in Xss-V₂–18, a highly-virulent strain of Xcm from China, and assessed their role in BBC. RFLP-based Southern hybridization assays indicated that Xss-V₂–18 harbors the six tal genes on a plasmid. The plasmid-encoded tal genes were isolated by cloning BamHI fragments and screening clones by colony hybridization. The tal genes were sequenced by inserting a Tn5 transposon in the DNA encoding the central repeat region (CRR) of each tal gene. Xcm TALome evolutionary relationship based on TALEs CRR revealed relatedness of Xss-V₂–18 to MSCT1 and MS14003 from the United States. However, Tal2 of Xss-V₂–18 differs at two repeat variable diresidues (RVDs) from Tal6 and Tal26 in MSCT1 and MS14003, respectively, inferred functional dissimilarity. The suicide vector pKMS1 was then used to construct tal deletion mutants in Xcm Xss-V₂–18. The mutants were evaluated for pathogenicity in cotton based on symptomology and growth in planta. Four mutants showed attenuated virulence and all contained mutations in tal2. One tal2 mutant designated M2 was further investigated in complementation assays. When tal2 was introduced into Xcm M2 and expressed in trans, the mutant was complemented for both symptoms and growth in planta, thus indicating that tal2 functions as a virulence factor in Xcm Xss-V₂–18.

Conclusions

Overall, the results demonstrated that Tal2 is a major pathogenicity factor in Xcm strain Xss-V₂–18 that contributes significantly in BBC. This study provides a foundation for future efforts aimed at identifying susceptibility genes in cotton that are targeted by Tal2.

Acetylome analysis of lysine acetylation in the plant pathogenic bacterium Brenneria nigrifluens

Protein lysine acetylation, a dynamic and reversible posttranslational modification, plays a crucial role in several cellular processes, including cell cycle regulation, metabolism, enzymatic activities, and protein interactions. Brenneria nigrifluens is a pathogen of walnut trees with shallow bark canker and can cause serious disease in walnut trees. Until now, a little has been known about the roles of lysine acetylation in plant pathogenic bacteria. In the present study, the lysine acetylome of B. nigrifluens was determined by high‐resolution LC‐MS/MS analysis. In total, we identified 1,866 lysine acetylation sites distributed in 737 acetylated proteins. Bioinformatics results indicated that acetylated proteins participate in many different biological functions in B. nigrifluens. Four conserved motifs, namely, LK^ac, K^ac*F, I*K^ac, and L*K^ac, were identified in this bacterium. Protein interaction network analysis indicated that all kinds of interactions are modulated by protein lysine acetylation. Overall, 12 acetylated proteins were related to the virulence of B. nigrifluens.

TALE-carrying bacterial pathogens trap host nuclear import receptors for facilitation of infection of rice

Many plant-pathogenic Xanthomonas rely on the secretion of virulence transcription activator-like effector (TALE) proteins into plant cells to activate plant susceptibility genes to cause disease. The process is dependent on the binding of TALEs to specific elements of host target gene promoters in the plant nucleus. However, it is unclear how TALEs, after injection into host cells, are transferred from the plant cytoplasm into the plant nucleus, which is the key step of successful pathogen infection. Here, we show that the host plant cytoplasm/nuclear shuttle proteins OsImpα1a and OsImpα1b are key components for infection by the TALE-carrying bacterial pathogens Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), the causal agents of bacterial leaf blight and bacterial leaf streak, respectively, in rice. Direct interaction between the second nuclear localization signal of TALEs of Xoo or Xoc and OsImpα1a or OsImpα1b is required for the transportation of TALEs into the nucleus. Conversely, suppression of the expression of OsImpα1a and OsImpα1b genes attenuates the shuttling of TALEs from the cytoplasm into the nucleus and the induction of susceptibility genes, thus improving the broad-spectrum disease resistance of rice to Xoo and Xoc. These results provide an applicable strategy for the improvement of resistance to TALE-carrying pathogens in rice by moderate suppression of the expression of plant nuclear import receptor proteins.

Horizontal gene transfer plays a major role in the pathological convergence of Xanthomonas lineages on common bean

BACKGROUND

Host specialization is a hallmark of numerous plant pathogens including bacteria, fungi, oomycetes and viruses. Yet, the molecular and evolutionary bases of host specificity are poorly understood. In some cases, pathological convergence is observed for individuals belonging to distant phylogenetic clades. This is the case for Xanthomonas strains responsible for common bacterial blight of bean, spread across four genetic lineages. All the strains from these four lineages converged for pathogenicity on common bean, implying possible gene convergences and/or sharing of a common arsenal of genes conferring the ability to infect common bean.

RESULTS

To search for genes involved in common bean specificity, we used a combination of whole-genome analyses without a priori, including a genome scan based on k-mer search. Analysis of 72 genomes from a collection of Xanthomonas pathovars unveiled 115 genes bearing DNA sequences specific to strains responsible for common bacterial blight, including 20 genes located on a plasmid. Of these 115 genes, 88 were involved in successive events of horizontal gene transfers among the four genetic lineages, and 44 contained nonsynonymous polymorphisms unique to the causal agents of common bacterial blight.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that host specificity of common bacterial blight agents is associated with a combination of horizontal transfers of genes, and highlights the role of plasmids in these horizontal transfers.

Insights Into the Roles of Two Genes of the Histidine Biosynthesis Operon in Pathogenicity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola is an X. oryzae pathovar that causes bacterial leaf streak in rice. In this study, we performed functional characterization of a nine-gene his operon in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. Sequence analysis indicates that this operon is highly conserved in Xanthomonas spp. Auxotrophic assays confirmed that the his operon was involved in histidine biosynthesis. We found that two genes within this operon, trpR and hisB, were required for virulence and bacterial growth in planta. Further research revealed that trpR and hisB play different roles in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. The trpR acts as a transcriptional repressor and could negatively regulate the expression of hisG, -D, -C, -B, -H, -A, and -F. hisB, which encodes a bifunctional enzyme implicated in histidine biosynthesis, was shown to be required for xanthomonadin production in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. The disruption of hisB reduced the transcriptional expression of five known shikimate pathway-related genes xanB2, aroE, aroA, aroC, and aroK. We found that the his operon in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola is not involved in hypersensitive response in nonhost tobacco plants. Collectively, our results revealed that two genes in histidine biosynthesis operon play an important role in the pathogenicity of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola Rs105.

Dissecting the virulence-related functionality and cellular transcription mechanism of a conserved hypothetical protein in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Hypothetical proteins without defined functions are largely distributed in all sequenced bacterial genomes. Understanding their potent functionalities is a basic demand for bacteriologists. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight of rice, is one of the model systems for the study of molecular plant pathology. One-quarter of proteins in the genome of this bacterium are defined as hypothetical proteins, but their roles in Xoo pathogenicity are unknown. Here, we generated in-frame deletions for six hypothetical proteins selected from strain PXO99A and found that one of them (PXO_03177) is required for the full virulence of this strain. PXO_03177 is conserved in Xanthomonas, and is predicted to contain two domains relating to polysaccharide synthesis. However, we found that mutation of this gene did not affect the production or modification of extracellular polysaccharides (EPSs) and lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), two major polysaccharides produced by Xoo relating to its infection. Interestingly, we found that inactivation of PXO_03177 significantly impaired biofilm formation and tolerance to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), both of which are considered to play key roles during Xoo infection in rice leaves. These findings thus enable us to define a function for PXO_03177 in the virulence of Xoo. Furthermore, we also found that the global regulator Clp controls the transcription of PXO_03177 by direct binding to its promoter region, presenting the first cellular regulatory pathway for the modulation of expression of this hypothetical protein gene. Our results provide reference information for PXO_03177 homologues in Xanthomonas.

The global strategy employed by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae to conquer low-oxygen tension

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is a notorious rice pathogen that causes bacterial leaf blight (BLB), a destructive rice disease. Low-oxygen tension in the xylem vessels of rice stresses Xoo during infection. In this study, differentially expressed proteins under normoxic and hypoxic conditions were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with LC-MS/MS to investigate the global effects of low oxygen environment on Xoo PXO99^A. A statistically validated list of 187 (normoxia) and 140 (hypoxia) proteins with functional assignments was generated, allowing the reconstruction of central metabolic pathways. Ten proteins involved in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, glycolysis, butanoate metabolism, propanoate metabolism and biological adhesion were significantly modulated under low-oxygen tension. The genes encoded by these proteins were in-frame deleted, and three of them were determined to be required for full virulence in Xoo. The contributions of these three genes to important virulence-associated functions, including extracellular polysaccharide, cell motility and antioxidative ability, are presented.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

To study how Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) conquers low-oxygen tension in the xylem of rice, we identified differentially expressed proteins under normoxic and hypoxia. We found 140 proteins that uniquely expressed under the hypoxia were involved in 33 metabolism pathways. We identified 3 proteins were required for full virulence in Xoo and related to the ability of extracellular polysaccharide, cell motility, and antioxidative. This study is helpful for broadening our knowledge of the metabolism processed of Xoo in the xylem of rice.

The Type III Effector AvrBs2 in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola Suppresses Rice Immunity and Promotes Disease Development

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola, the causal agent of bacterial leaf streak, is one of the most important bacterial pathogens in rice. However, little is known about the functions of individual type III effectors in virulence and pathogenicity of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. Here, we examined the effect of the mutations of 23 putative nontranscription activator-like effector genes on X. oryzae pv. oryzicola virulence. The avrBs2 knock-out mutant was significantly attenuated in virulence to rice. In contrast, the xopAA deletion caused enhanced virulence to a certain rice cultivar. It was also demonstrated that six putative effectors, including XopN, XopX, XopA, XopY, XopF1, and AvrBs2, caused the hypersensitive response on nonhost Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Virulence function of AvrBs2 was further confirmed by transgenic technology. Pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immune responses including the generation of reactive oxygen species and expression of pathogenesis-related genes were strongly suppressed in the AvrBs2-expressing transgenic rice lines. Although not inhibiting flg22-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, heterologous expression of AvrBs2 greatly promotes disease progression in rice caused by two important bacterial pathogens X. oryzae pvs. oryzae and oryzicola. Collectively, these results indicate that AvrBs2 is an essential virulence factor that contributes to X. oryzae pv. oryzicola virulence through inhibiting defense responses and promoting bacterial multiplication in monocot rice.

XocR, a LuxR solo required for virulence in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) causes bacterial leaf streak (BLS) in rice, a serious bacterial disease of rice in Asia and parts of Africa. The virulence mechanisms of Xoc are not entirely clear and control measures for BLS are poorly developed. The solo LuxR proteins are widespread and shown to be involved in virulence in some plant associated bacteria (PAB). Here, we have cloned and characterized a PAB LuxR solo from Xoc, named as XocR. Mutation of xocR almost completely impaired the virulence ability of Xoc on host rice, but did not alter the ability to trigger HR (hypersensitive response, a programmed cell death) on non-host (plant) tobacco, suggesting the diversity of function of xocR in host and non-host plants. We also provide evidence to show that xocR is involved in the regulation of growth-independent cell motility in response to a yet-to-be-identified rice signal, as mutation of xocR impaired cell swimming motility of wild-type Rs105 in the presence but not absence of rice macerate. We further found that xocR regulated the transcription of two characterized virulence-associated genes (recN and trpE) in the presence of rice macerate. The promoter regions of recN and trpE possessed a potential binding motif (an imperfect pip box-like element) of XocR, raising the possibility that XocR might directly bind the promoter regions of these two genes to regulate their transcriptional activity. Our studies add a new member of PAB LuxR solos and also provide new insights into the role of PAB LuxR solo in the virulence of Xanthomonas species.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase is required for extracellular polysaccharide production, cell motility and the full virulence of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (Zwf) catalyzes conversion of glucose 6-phosphate into gluconate 6-phosphate for Entner-Doudoroff (ED) and pentose phosphate pathways in living organisms. However, it is unclear whether the Zwf-coding gene is involved in pathogenesis of phytopathogenic bacterium. In this report, we found that deletion mutation in zwf of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), led the pathogen unable to effectively utilize glucose, sucrose, fructose, mannose and galactose for growth. The transcript level of zwf was strongly induced by glucose, sucrose, fructose, mannose and galactose than that by the NY medium (non sugar). The deletion mutagenesis in zwf also altered the transcript level of key genes, such as rpfF, rpfG and clp, in diffusible signal factor (DSF)-signaling network. In addition, the deletion mutation in zwf impaired bacterial virulence and growth capability in rice leaves, reduced bacterial cell motility and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production. The lost properties mentioned above in the zwf deletion mutant were completely restored to the wild-type level by the presence of zwf in trans. All these results suggest that zwf is required for the full virulence of Xoc in rice leaves by involving carbohydrate metabolisms that impact bacterial DSF-signaling network.

Analysis of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola population in Mali and Burkina Faso reveals a high level of genetic and pathogenic diversity

Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola was first reported in Africa in the 1980s. Recently, a substantial reemergence of this disease was observed in West Africa. Samples were collected at various sites in five and three different rice-growing regions of Burkina Faso and Mali, respectively. Sixty-seven X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains were isolated from cultivated and wild rice varieties and from weeds showing BLS symptoms. X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains were evaluated for virulence on rice and showed high variation in lesion length on a susceptible cultivar. X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains were further characterized by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) using six housekeeping genes. Inferred dendrograms clearly indicated different groups among X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using the transcriptional activator like effector avrXa7 as probe resulted in the identification of 18 haplotypes. Polymerase chain reaction-based analyses of two conserved type III effector (T3E) genes (xopAJ and xopW) differentiated the strains into distinct groups, with xopAJ not detected in most African X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains. XopAJ functionality was confirmed by leaf infiltration on 'Kitaake' rice Rxo1 lines. Sequence analysis of xopW revealed four groups among X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains. Distribution of 43 T3E genes shows variation in a subset of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains. Together, our results show that African X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strains are diverse and rapidly evolving, with a group endemic to Africa and another one that may have evolved from an Asian strain.

AsnB, regulated by diffusible signal factor and global regulator Clp, is involved in aspartate metabolism, resistance to oxidative stress and virulence in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) causes bacterial leaf streak in rice, which is a destructive disease worldwide. Xoc virulence factors are regulated by diffusible signal factor (DSF) and the global regulator Clp. In this study, we have demonstrated that asnB (XOC_3054), encoding an asparagine synthetase, is a novel virulence-related gene regulated by both DSF and Clp in Xoc. A sequence analysis revealed that AsnB is highly conserved in Xanthomonas. An asnB mutation in Xoc dramatically impaired pathogen virulence and growth rate in host rice, but did not affect the ability to trigger the hypersensitive response in nonhost (plant) tobacco. Compared with the wild-type strain, the asnB deletion mutant was unable to grow in basic MMX (-) medium (a minimal medium without ammonium sulphate as the nitrogen source) with or without 10 tested nitrogen sources, except asparagine. The disruption of asnB impaired pathogen resistance to oxidative stress and reduced the transcriptional expression of oxyR, katA and katG, which encode three important proteins responsible for hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) sensing and detoxification in Xanthomonas in the presence of H(2)O(2), and nine important known Xoc virulence-related genes in plant cell-mimicking medium. Furthermore, the asnB mutation did not affect extracellular protease activity, extracellular polysaccharide production, motility or chemotaxis. Taken together, our results demonstrate the role of asnB in Xanthomonas for the first time.

epv, Encoding a hypothetical protein, is regulated by DSF-mediating quorum sensing as well as global regulator Clp and is required for optimal virulence in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola causes bacterial leaf streak in rice, a destructive disease worldwide. In this study, six putative hypothetical secreted proteins, which were absent in X. oryzae pv. oryzae, were detected from X. oryzae pv. oryzicola strain BLS256. Disruption-based mutagenesis study revealed that one of them, Xoc_15235, named as extracellular polysaccharide and virulence-related gene (epv), was required for the optimal virulence in host rice but not for the induction of a hypersensitive reaction in nonhost tobacco. Sequence analysis revealed that epv was highly conserved in Xanthomonas spp. (except X. oryzae pv. oryzae). In-frame deletion of epv in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola dramatically impaired pathogen virulence and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production, one of the important known virulence-associated functions in Xanthomonas spp. Quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that expression of both gumB (a gene encoding exopolysaccharide xanthan biosynthesis export protein) and a known virulence-related gene, pgk (encoding phosphoglycerate kinase), were obviously reduced in the epv-deletion mutant compared with the wild-type strain Rs105. In addition, we observed that epv was positively regulated by both diffusible signal factor and global regulator Clp in X. oryzae pv. oryzicola. Taken together, the novel roles and genetics of epv of X. oryzae pv. oryzicola in the EPS production and virulence were investigated for the first time.

Looking deep inside: detection of low-abundance proteins in leaf extracts of Arabidopsis and phloem exudates of pumpkin

The field of proteomics suffers from the immense complexity of even small proteomes and the enormous dynamic range of protein concentrations within a given sample. Most protein samples contain a few major proteins, which hamper in-depth proteomic analysis. In the human field, combinatorial hexapeptide ligand libraries (CPLL; such as ProteoMiner) have been used for reduction of the dynamic range of protein concentrations; however, this technique is not established in plant research. In this work, we present the application of CPLL to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf proteins. One- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed a decrease in high-abundance proteins and an enrichment of less abundant proteins in CPLL-treated samples. After optimization of the CPLL protocol, mass spectrometric analyses of leaf extracts led to the identification of 1,192 proteins in control samples and an additional 512 proteins after the application of CPLL. Upon leaf infection with virulent Pseudomonas syringae DC3000, CPLL beads were also used for investigating the bacterial infectome. In total, 312 bacterial proteins could be identified in infected Arabidopsis leaves. Furthermore, phloem exudates of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) were analyzed. CPLL prefractionation caused depletion of the major phloem proteins 1 and 2 and improved phloem proteomics, because 67 of 320 identified proteins were detectable only after CPLL treatment. In sum, our results demonstrate that CPLL beads are a time- and cost-effective tool for reducing major proteins, which often interfere with downstream analyses. The concomitant enrichment of less abundant proteins may facilitate a deeper insight into the plant proteome.

Aconitase B is required for optimal growth of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria in pepper plants

The aerobic plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) colonizes the intercellular spaces of pepper and tomato. One enzyme that might contribute to the successful proliferation of Xcv in the host is the iron-sulfur protein aconitase, which catalyzes the conversion of citrate to isocitrate in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and might also sense reactive oxygen species (ROS) and changes in cellular iron levels. Xcv contains three putative aconitases, two of which, acnA and acnB, are encoded by a single chromosomal locus. The focus of this study is aconitase B (AcnB). acnB is co-transcribed with two genes, XCV1925 and XCV1926, encoding putative nucleic acid-binding proteins. In vitro growth of acnB mutants was like wild type, whereas in planta growth and symptom formation in pepper plants were impaired. While acnA, XCV1925 or XCV1926 mutants showed a wild-type phenotype with respect to bacterial growth and in planta symptom formation, proliferation of the acnB mutant in susceptible pepper plants was significantly impaired. Furthermore, the deletion of acnB led to reduced HR induction in resistant pepper plants and an increased susceptibility to the superoxide-generating compound menadione. As AcnB complemented the growth deficiency of an Escherichia coli aconitase mutant, it is likely to be an active aconitase. We therefore propose that optimal growth and survival of Xcv in pepper plants depends on AcnB, which might be required for the utilization of citrate as carbon source and could also help protect the bacterium against oxidative stress.