Identification of a Ligand Binding Pocket in LdtR from Liberibacter asiaticus

Evaluation of Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus Efflux Pump Inhibition by Antimicrobial Peptides

Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), is caused by the unculturable bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter spp. (e.g., CLas), and has caused a devastating decline in citrus production in many areas of the world. As of yet, there are no definitive treatments for controlling the disease. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that have the potential to block secretion-dependent effector proteins at the outer-membrane domains were screened in silico. Predictions of drug-receptor interactions were built using multiple in silico techniques, including molecular docking analysis, molecular dynamics, molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area analysis, and principal component analysis. The efflux pump TolC of the Type 1 secretion system interacted with natural bacteriocin plantaricin JLA-9, blocking the β barrel. The trajectory-based principal component analysis revealed the possible binding mechanism of the peptides. Furthermore, in vitro assays using two closely related culturable surrogates of CLas (Liberibacter crescens and Rhizobium spp.) showed that Plantaricin JLA-9 and two other screened AMPs inhibited bacterial growth and caused mortality. The findings contribute to designing effective therapies to manage plant diseases associated with Candidatus Liberibacter spp.

Osmotic stress induces long-term biofilm survival in Liberibacter crescens

Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), is a devastating citrus plant disease caused predominantly by Liberibacter asiaticus. While nearly all Liberibacter species remain uncultured, here we used the culturable L. crescens BT-1 as a model to examine physiological changes in response to the variable osmotic conditions and nutrient availability encountered within the citrus host. Similarly, physiological responses to changes in growth temperature and dimethyl sulfoxide concentrations were also examined, due to their use in many of the currently employed therapies to control the spread of HLB. Sublethal heat stress was found to induce the expression of genes related to tryptophan biosynthesis, while repressing the expression of ribosomal proteins. Osmotic stress induces expression of transcriptional regulators involved in expression of extracellular structures, while repressing the biosynthesis of fatty acids and aromatic amino acids. The effects of osmotic stress were further evaluated by quantifying biofilm formation of L. crescens in presence of increasing sucrose concentrations at different stages of biofilm formation, where sucrose-induced osmotic stress delayed initial cell attachment while enhancing long-term biofilm viability. Our findings revealed that exposure to osmotic stress is a significant contributing factor to the long term survival of L. crescens and, possibly, to the pathogenicity of other Liberibacter species.

Defeating Huanglongbing Pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus With Indigenous Citrus Endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21

Huanglongbing (HLB) has turned into a devastating botanical pandemic of citrus crops, caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). However, until now the disease has remained incurable with very limited control strategies available. Restoration of the affected microbiomes in the diseased host through the introduction of an indigenous endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21 isolated from healthy citrus may provide an innovative approach for disease management. A novel half-leaf method was developed in vitro to test the efficacy of the endophyte L1-21 against CLas. Application of B. subtilis L1-21 at 10⁴ colony forming unit (cfu ml^-1) resulted in a 1,000-fold reduction in the CLas copies per gram of leaf midrib (10⁷ to 10⁴) in 4 days. In HLB-affected citrus orchards over a period of 2 years, the CLas incidence was reduced to < 3%, and CLas copies declined from 10⁹ to 10⁴ g^-1 of diseased leaf midribs in the endophyte L1-21 treated trees. Reduction in disease incidence may corroborate a direct or an indirect biocontrol effect of the endophytes as red fluorescent protein-labeled B. subtilis L1-21 colonized and shared niche (phloem) with CLas. This is the first large-scale study for establishing a sustainable HLB control strategy through citrus endophytic microbiome restructuring using an indigenous endophyte.

Super-activator variants of the cyanobacterial transcriptional regulator ChlR essential for tetrapyrrole biosynthesis under low oxygen conditions

ChlR is a MarR-type transcriptional regulator that activates the transcription of the chlAII-ho2-hemN operon in response to low oxygen conditions in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Upon exposure to low oxygen conditions, ChlR activates transcription of the operon that encodes enzymes critical to tetrapyrrole biosynthesis under low oxygen conditions. We previously identified a super-activator variant, D35H, of ChlR that constitutively activates transcription of the operon. To gain insight into the low-oxygen induced activation of ChlR, we obtained eight additional super-activator variants of ChlR including D35H from pseudorevertants of a chlAI-disrupted mutant. Most substitutions were located in the N-terminal region of ChlR. Mapping of the substituted amino acid residues provided valuable structural insights that uncovered the activation mechanism of ChlR.

Unraveling the metabolite signature of citrus showing defense response towards Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus after application of endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most serious citrus diseases, caused by phloem limited endophytic bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Clas), affecting worldwide citrus production. Metabolomics approaches were employed to gain insight into mechanisms involved in defense against Clas in endophyte Bacillus subtilis L1-21 treated diseased and healthy citrus plants. Using LC-ESI-MS/MS, we compared the metabolic profile of citrus plants before and after treatment with endophyte L1-21. Our analysis indicated large differences in citrus metabolites after endophyte L1-21 application. In total, seven hundred and fourty two metabolites were detected with highest percentage recorded for organic acids, flavone, amino acid derivatives, flavone C-glycosides, nucleotide derivatives, and flavonol. Interestingly, differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) analysis revealed the amino acids, such as lysine and tyrosine which are involved in plant defense agianst pathogen attack were regulated in diseased citrus plants after endophyte application (padj<0.05). In addition, other important metabolites up-regulated were xanthine, leucic acid, and α-Linolenic acid implicated in different plant defense pathways against Clas. Furhter, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed important pathways related to purine metabolism, biotin metabolism, and betalain biosynthesis, terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis, phenylalanine, tyrosine and lysine biosynthesis, isoflavonoid biosynthesis (padj<0.05). Taken together, this is the first study using native endophytes in diseased and healthy state of citrus which has proven to be useful in disease management by strengthening the defense of citrus to Clas pathogen.

An expansin-like protein expands forage cell walls and synergistically increases hydrolysis, digestibility and fermentation of livestock feeds by fibrolytic enzymes

Bacterial expansin-like proteins have synergistically increased cellulose hydrolysis by cellulolytic enzymes during the initial stages of biofuel production, but they have not been tested on livestock feeds. The objectives of this study were to: isolate and express an expansin-like protein (BsEXLX1), to verify its disruptive activity (expansion) on cotton fibers by immunodetection (Experiment 1), and to determine the effect of dose, pH and temperature for BsEXLX1 and cellulase to synergistically hydrolyze filter paper (FP) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) under laboratory (Experiment 2) and simulated ruminal (Experiment 3) conditions. In addition, we determined the ability of BsEXLX1 to synergistically increase hydrolysis of corn and bermudagrass silages by an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) (Experiment 4) and how different doses of BsEXLX1 and EFE affect the gas production (GP), in vitro digestibility and fermentation of a diet for dairy cows (Experiment 5). In Experiment 1, immunofluorescence-based examination of cotton microfiber treated without or with recombinant expansin-like protein expressed from Bacillus subtilis (BsEXLX1) increased the surface area by > 100% compared to the untreated control. In Experiment 2, adding BsEXLX1 (100 μg/g FP) to cellulase (0.0148 FPU) increased release of reducing sugars compared to cellulase alone by more than 40% (P < 0.01) at optimal pH (4.0) and temperature (50°C) after 24 h. In Experiment 3 and 4, adding BsEXLX1 to cellulase or EFE, synergistically increased release of reducing sugars from FP, corn and bermudagrass silages under simulated ruminal conditions (pH 6.0, 39°C). In Experiment 5, increasing the concentration of BsEXLX1 linearly increased (P < 0.01) GP from fermentation of a diet for dairy cows by up to 17.8%. Synergistic effects between BsEXLX1 and EFE increased in vitro NDF digestibility of the diet by 23.3% compared to the control. In vitro digestibility of hemicellulose and butyrate concentration were linearly increased by BsEXLX1 compared to the control. This study demonstrated that BsEXLX1 can improve the efficacy of cellulase and EFE at hydrolyzing pure substrates and dairy cow feeds, respectively.

A high-throughput system to identify inhibitors of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus transcription regulators

Citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing (HLB), is the most devastating disease of Citrus worldwide. This incurable disease is caused primarily by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and spread by feeding of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri Ca L. asiaticus cannot be cultured; its growth is restricted to citrus phloem and the psyllid insect. Management of infected trees includes use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which have disadvantages. Recent work has sought to identify small molecules that inhibit Ca L. asiaticus transcription regulators, based on a premise that at least some regulators control expression of genes necessary for virulence. We describe a synthetic, high-throughput screening system to identify compounds that inhibit activity of Ca L. asiaticus transcription activators LdtR, RpoH, and VisNR. Our system uses the closely related model bacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti, as a heterologous host for expression of a Ca L. asiaticus transcription activator, the activity of which is detected through expression of an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene fused to a target promoter. We used this system to screen more than 120,000 compounds for compounds that inhibited regulator activity, but not growth. Our screen identified several dozen compounds that inhibit regulator activity in our assay. This work shows that, in addition to providing a means of characterizing Ca L. asiaticus regulators, an S. meliloti host can be used for preliminary identification of candidate inhibitory molecules.

Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes and recombinant bacterial expansins synergistically improve hydrolysis and in vitro digestibility of bermudagrass haylage

Four experiments were conducted to examine the effects of a recombinant bacterial expansin-like protein (BsEXLX1) from Bacillus subtilis and a commercial exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) preparation for ruminants on hydrolysis of pure substrates (cellulose and xylan) and in vitro digestibility of bermudagrass haylage (BMH). Recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 strain was used to express BsEXLX1; the protein was purified using an affinity column. In experiment 1, carboxymethylcellulose, Whatman #1 filter paper (General Electric, Boston, MA) and oat-spelt xylan substrates were subjected to 4 treatments (1) sodium citrate buffer (control), (2) BsEXLX1 (162 µg/g of substrate), (3) EFE (2.3 mg/g of substrate), and (4) EFE + BsELX1 in 3 independent runs. Samples were incubated at optimal conditions for both additives (pH 5 and 50°C) or at ruminal (pH 6 and 39°C) or ambient (pH 6 and 25°C) conditions for 24 h and sugar release was measured. In experiment 2, digestibility in vitro of BMH was examined after treatment with the following: (1) control (buffer only), (2) BsEXLX1 (162 µg/g of dry matter), (3) EFE (2.2 mg/g of dry matter), and (4) EFE + BsEXLX1 in 3 independent runs at 39°C for 24 h. Experiment 3 examined effects of EFE and BsEXLX1 on simulated preingestive hydrolysis and profile of released sugars from BMH after samples were suspended in deionized water with sodium azide at 25°C for 24 h in 2 independent runs. In experiment 4, the sequence of the BsEXLX1 purified protein was compared with 447 ruminal bacterial genomes to identify similar proteins from the rumen. In experiment 1, compared with EFE alone, EFE and BsEXLX1 synergistically increased sugar release from carboxymethylcellulose and Whatman #1 filter paper under all simulated conditions; however, hydrolysis of xylan was not improved. In experiment 2, compared with EFE alone, treatment with EFE and BsEXLX1 increased neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibility of bermudagrass haylage (by 5.5 and 15%, respectively) and total volatile fatty acid concentrations, and decreased acetate-propionate ratio. In experiment 3, compared with EFE alone. The EFE and BsEXLX1 synergistically reduced concentrations of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber and increased release of sugars by 9.3%, particularly cellobiose (72.5%). In experiment 4, a similar sequence to that of BsEXLX1 was identified in Bacillus licheniformis, and similar hypothetical protein sequences were identified in Ruminococcus flavefaciens strains along with different protein structures in E. xylanophilum and Lachnospiraceae. This study showed that an expansin-like protein synergistically increased the hydrolysis of pure cellulose substrates and the hydrolysis and digestibility in vitro of BMH.

The Ferredoxin-Like Protein FerR Regulates PrbP Activity in Liberibacter asiaticus

In Liberibacter asiaticus, PrbP is an important transcriptional accessory protein that regulates gene expression through interactions with the RNA polymerase β-subunit and a specific sequence on the promoter region. The constitutive expression of prbP observed upon chemical inactivation of PrbP-DNA interactions in vivo indicated that the expression of prbP was not autoregulated at the level of transcription. This observation suggested that a modulatory mechanism via protein-protein interactions may be involved. In silico genome association analysis identified FerR (CLIBASIA_01505), a putative ferredoxin-like protein, as a PrbP-interacting protein. Using a bacterial two-hybrid system and immunoprecipitation assays, interactions between PrbP and FerR were confirmed. In vitro transcription assays were used to show that FerR can increase the activity of PrbP by 16-fold when present in the PrbP-RNA polymerase reaction mixture. The FerR protein-protein interaction surface was predicted by structural modeling and followed by site-directed mutagenesis. Amino acids V20, V23, and C40 were identified as the most important residues in FerR involved in the modulation of PrbP activity in vitro The regulatory mechanism of FerR abundance was examined at the transcription level. In contrast to prbP of L. asiaticus (prbP _Las), mRNA levels of ferR of L. asiaticus (ferR _Las) are induced by an increase in osmotic pressure. The results of this study revealed that the activity of the transcriptional activator PrbP_Las is modulated via interactions with FerR_Las The induction of ferR _Las expression by osmolarity provides insight into the mechanisms of adjusting gene expression in response to host environmental signals in L. asiaticus IMPORTANCE The rapid spread and aggressive progression of huanglongbing (HLB) in the major citrus-producing areas have raised global recognition of and vigilance to this disease. As a result, the causative agent, Liberibacter asiaticus, has been investigated from various perspectives. However, gene expression regulatory mechanisms that are important for the survival and persistence of this intracellular pathogen remain largely unexplored. PrbP is a transcriptional accessory protein important for L. asiaticus survival in the plant host. In this study, we investigated the interactions between PrbP in L. asiaticus (PrbP_Las) and a ferredoxin-like protein (FerR) in L. asiaticus, FerR_Las We show that the presence of FerR stabilizes and augments the activity of PrbP_Las In addition, we demonstrate that the expression of ferR is induced by increases in osmolarity in Liberibacter crescens Altogether, these results suggest that FerR_Las and PrbP_Las may play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to changing environmental signals during L. asiaticus infection in the citrus host.

Purification and partial characterization of LdtP, a cell envelope modifying enzyme in Liberibacter asiaticus

Background

The aggressive spread of Liberibacter asiaticus, a bacterium closely associated with citrus greening, has given rise to an acute crisis in the citrus industry, making it imperative to expand the scientific knowledge base regarding L. asiaticus. Despite several endeavors to culture L. asiaticus, this bacterium has yet to be maintained in axenic culture, rendering identification and analysis of potential treatment targets challenging. Accordingly, a thorough understanding of biological mechanisms involved in the citrus host-microbe relationship is critical as a means of directing the search for future treatment targets. In this study, we evaluate the biochemical characteristics of CLIBASIA_01175, renamed LdtP (L,D-transpeptidase). Surrogate strains were used to evaluate its potential biological significance in gram-negative bacteria. A strain of E. coli carrying quintuple knock-outs of all genes encoding L,D-transpeptidases was utilized to demonstrate the activity of L. asiaticus LdtP.

Results

This complementation study demonstrated the periplasmic localization of mature LdtP and provided evidence for the biological role of LdtP in peptidoglycan modification. Further investigation highlighted the role of LdtP as a periplasmic esterase involved in modification of the lipid A moiety of the lipopolysaccharide. This work described, for the first time, an enzyme of the L,D-transpeptidase family with moonlighting enzyme activity directed to the modification of the bacterial cell wall and LPS.

Conclusions

Taken together, the data indicates that LdtP is a novel protein involved in an alternative pathway for modification of the bacterial cell, potentially affording L. asiaticus a means to survive within the host.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1348-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Functional Annotation of Bacterial Signal Transduction Systems: Progress and Challenges

Bacteria possess a large number of signal transduction systems that sense and respond to different environmental cues. Most frequently these are transcriptional regulators, two-component systems and chemosensory pathways. A major bottleneck in the field of signal transduction is the lack of information on signal molecules that modulate the activity of the large majority of these systems. We review here the progress made in the functional annotation of sensor proteins using high-throughput ligand screening approaches of purified sensor proteins or individual ligand binding domains. In these assays, the alteration in protein thermal stability following ligand binding is monitored using Differential Scanning Fluorimetry. We illustrate on several examples how the identification of the sensor protein ligand has facilitated the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of the regulatory process. We will also discuss the use of virtual ligand screening approaches to identify sensor protein ligands. Both approaches have been successfully applied to functionally annotate a significant number of bacterial sensor proteins but can also be used to study proteins from other kingdoms. The major challenge consists in the study of sensor proteins that do not recognize signal molecules directly, but that are activated by signal molecule-loaded binding proteins.

Transcriptome sequencing and ITRAQ reveal the detoxification mechanism of Bacillus GJ1, a potential biocontrol agent for Huanglongbing

Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most serious disease affecting citrus production worldwide. No HLB-resistant citrus varieties exist. The HLB pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus is nonculturable, increasing the difficulty of preventing and curing the disease. We successfully screened the biocontrol agent Bacillus GJ1 for the control of HLB in nursery-grown citrus plants. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of the transcriptome and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification of the proteome revealed differences in the detoxification responses of Bacillus GJ1-treated and -untreated Ca. L. asiaticus-infected citrus. Phylogenetic tree alignment showed that GJ1 was classified as B. amyloliquefaciens. The effect of eliminating the HLB pathogen was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and PCR. The results indicate that the rate of detoxification reached 50% after seven irrigations, of plants with an OD600nm≈1 Bacillus GJ1 suspension. Most importantly, photosynthesis-antenna proteins, photosynthesis, plant-pathogen interactions, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum were significantly upregulated (padj < 0.05), as shown by the KEGG enrichment analysis of the transcriptomes; nine of the upregulated genes were validated by qPCR. Transcription factor analysis of the transcriptomes was performed, and 10 TFs were validated by qPCR. Cyanoamino acid metabolism, regulation of autophagy, isoflavonoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, protein export, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, and carotenoid biosynthesis were investigated by KEGG enrichment analysis of the proteome, and significant differences were found in the expression of the genes involved in those pathways. Correlation analysis of the proteome and transcriptome showed common entries for the significantly different expression of proteins and the significantly different expression of genes in the GO and KEGG pathways, respectively. The above results reveal important information about the detoxification pathways.

Zinc is an inhibitor of the LdtR transcriptional activator

LdtR is a master regulator of gene expression in Liberibacter asiaticus, one of the causative agents of citrus greening disease. LdtR belongs to the MarR-family of transcriptional regulators and it has been linked to the regulation of more than 180 genes in Liberibacter species, most of them gathered in the following Clusters of Orthologous Groups: cell motility, cell wall envelope, energy production, and transcription. Our previous transcriptomic evidence suggested that LdtR is directly involved in the modulation of the zinc uptake system genes (znu) in the closely related L. crescens. In this report, we show that LdtR is involved in the regulation of one of the two encoded zinc uptake mechanisms in L. asiaticus, named znu2. We also show that LdtR binds zinc with higher affinity than benzbromarone, a synthetic effector inhibitory molecule, resulting in the disruption of the LdtR:promoter interactions. Using site-directed mutagenesis, electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), and isothermal titration calorimetry, we identified that residues C28 and T43 in LdtR, located in close proximity to the Benz1 pocket, are involved in the interaction with zinc. These results provided new evidence of a high-affinity effector molecule targeting a key player in L. asiaticus' physiology and complemented our previous findings about the mechanisms of signal transduction in members of the MarR-family.

The Candidatus Liberibacter-Host Interface: Insights into Pathogenesis Mechanisms and Disease Control

"Candidatus Liberibacter" species are associated with economically devastating diseases of citrus, potato, and many other crops. The importance of these diseases as well as the proliferation of new diseases on a wider host range is likely to increase as the insects vectoring the "Ca. Liberibacter" species expand their territories worldwide. Here, we review the progress on understanding pathogenesis mechanisms of "Ca. Liberibacter" species and the control approaches for diseases they cause. We discuss the Liberibacter virulence traits, including secretion systems, putative effectors, and lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), as well as other important traits likely to contribute to disease development, e.g., flagella, prophages, and salicylic acid hydroxylase. The pathogenesis mechanisms of Liberibacters are discussed. Liberibacters secrete Sec-dependent effectors (SDEs) or other virulence factors into the phloem elements or companion cells to interfere with host targets (e.g., proteins or genes), which cause cell death, necrosis, or other phenotypes of phloem elements or companion cells, leading to localized cell responses and systemic malfunction of phloem. Receptors on the remaining organelles in the phloem, such as plastid, vacuole, mitochondrion, or endoplasmic reticulum, interact with secreted SDEs and/or other virulence factors secreted or located on the Liberibacter outer membrane to trigger cell responses. Some of the host genes or proteins targeted by SDEs or other virulence factors of Liberibacters serve as susceptibility genes that facilitate compatibility (e.g., promoting pathogen growth or suppressing immune responses) or disease development. In addition, Liberibacters trigger plant immunity response via pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs, such as lipopolysaccharides), which leads to premature cell death, callose deposition, or phloem protein accumulation, causing a localized response and/or systemic effect on phloem transportation. Physical presence of Liberibacters and their metabolic activities may disturb the function of phloem, via disrupting osmotic gradients, or the integrity of phloem conductivity. We also review disease management strategies, including promising new technologies. Citrus production in the presence of Huanglongbing is possible if the most promising management approaches are integrated. HLB management is discussed in the context of local, area-wide, and regional Huanglongbing/Asian Citrus Psyllid epidemiological zones. For zebra chip disease control, aggressive psyllid management enables potato production, although insecticide resistance is becoming an issue. Meanwhile, new technologies such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-derived genome editing provide an unprecedented opportunity to provide long-term solutions.

LdtR is a master regulator of gene expression in Liberibacter asiaticus

Huanglongbing or citrus greening disease is causing devastation to the citrus industry. Liberibacter asiaticus, an obligate intracellular pathogen of citrus, is one the causative agents of the disease. Most of the knowledge about this bacterium has been deduced from the in silico exploration of its genomic sequence. L. asiaticus differentially expresses genes during its transmission from the psyllid vector, Diaphorina citri, to the plant. However, the regulatory mechanisms for the adaptation of the bacterium into either hosts remain unknown. Here we show that LdtR, a MarR family transcriptional regulator, activates or represses transcription genome-wide. We performed a double approach to identify the components of the LdtR regulon: a transcriptome analysis in both the related bacterium Liberibacter crescens and citrus-infected leaves, strengthened with an in silico prediction of LdtR regulatory sites. Our results demonstrated that LdtR controls the expression of nearly 180 genes in L. asiaticus, distributed in processes such as cell motility, cell wall biogenesis, energy production, and transcription. These results provide new evidence about the regulatory network of L. asiaticus, where the differential expression of genes from these functional categories could be of great importance during the adaptation of the bacterium to either hosts.

Functional characterization of LotP from Liberibacter asiaticus

Liberibacter asiaticus is an unculturable parasitic bacterium of the alphaproteobacteria group hosted by both citrus plants and a psyllid insect vector (Diaphorina citri). In the citrus tree, the bacteria thrive only inside the phloem, causing a systemically incurable and deadly plant disease named citrus greening or Huanglongbing. Currently, all commercial citrus cultivars in production are susceptible to L. asiaticus, representing a serious threat to the citrus industry worldwide. The technical inability to isolate and culture L. asiaticus has hindered progress in understanding the biology of this bacterium directly. Consequently, a deep understanding of the biological pathways involved in the regulation of host–pathogen interactions becomes critical to rationally design future and necessary strategies of control. In this work, we used surrogate strains to evaluate the biochemical characteristics and biological significance of CLIBASIA_03135. This gene, highly induced during early stages of plant infection, encodes a 23 kDa protein and was renamed in this work as LotP. This protein belongs to an uncharacterized family of proteins with an overall structure resembling the LON protease N‐terminus. Co‐immunoprecipitation assays allowed us to identify the Liberibacter chaperonin GroEL as the main LotP‐interacting protein. The specific interaction between LotP and GroEL was reconstructed and confirmed using a two‐hybrid system in Escherichia coli. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that LotP has a native molecular weight of 44 kDa, corresponding to a dimer in solution with ATPase activity in vitro. In Liberibacter crescens, LotP is strongly induced in response to conditions with high osmolarity but repressed at high temperatures. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) results suggest that LotP is a member of the LdtR regulon and could play an important role in tolerance to osmotic stress.

Identification of the Genes Required for the Culture of Liberibacter crescens, the Closest Cultured Relative of the Liberibacter Plant Pathogens

Here Tn5 random transposon mutagenesis was used to identify the essential elements for culturing Liberibacter crescens BT-1 that can serve as antimicrobial targets for the closely related pathogens of citrus, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las) and tomato and potato, Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso). In order to gain insight on the virulence, metabolism, and culturability of the pathogens within the genus Liberibacter, a mini-Tn5 transposon derivative system consisting of a gene specifying resistance to kanamycin, flanked by a 19-base-pair terminal repeat sequence of Tn5, was used for the genome-wide mutagenesis of L. crescens BT-1 and created an insertion mutant library. By analyzing the location of insertions using Sanger and Illumina Mi-Seq sequencing, 314 genes are proposed as essential for the culture of L. crescens BT-1 on BM-7 medium. Of those genes, 76 are not present in the uncultured Liberibacter pathogens and, as a result, suggest molecules necessary for the culturing these pathogens. Those molecules include the aromatic amino acids, several vitamins, histidine, cysteine, lipopolysaccharides, and fatty acids. In addition, the 238 essential genes of L. crescens in common with L. asiaticus are potential targets for the development of therapeutics against the disease.