Effect of Plant Systemic Resistance Elicited by Biological and Chemical Inducers on the Colonization of the Lettuce and Basil Leaf Apoplast by Salmonella enterica

Mitigation strategies to prevent microbial contamination of crops are lacking. We tested the hypothesis that induction of plant systemic resistance by biological (induced systemic resistance [ISR]) and chemical (systemic acquired resistance [SAR]) elicitors reduces endophytic colonization of leaves by Salmonella enterica serovars Senftenberg and Typhimurium. S. Senftenberg had greater endophytic fitness than S. Typhimurium in basil and lettuce. The apoplastic population sizes of serovars Senftenberg and Typhimurium in basil and lettuce, respectively, were significantly reduced approximately 10- to 100-fold by root treatment with microbial inducers of systemic resistance compared to H2O treatment. Rhodotorula glutinis effected the lowest population increases of S. Typhimurium in lettuce and S. Senftenberg in basil leaves, respectively 120- and 60-fold lower than those seen with the H2O treatment over 10 days postinoculation. Trichoderma harzianum and Pichia guilliermondii did not have any significant effect on S. Senftenberg in the basil apoplast. The chemical elicitors acidobenzolar-S-methyl and dl-β-amino-butyric acid inhibited S. Typhimurium multiplication in the lettuce apoplast 10- and 2-fold, respectively, compared to H2O-treated plants. All ISR and SAR inducers applied to lettuce roots in this study increased leaf expression of the defense gene PR1, as did Salmonella apoplastic colonization in H2O-treated lettuce plants. Remarkably, both acidobenzolar-S-methyl upregulation and R. glutinis upregulation of PR1 were repressed by the presence of Salmonella in the leaves. However, enhanced PR1 expression was sustained longer and at greater levels upon elicitor treatment than by Salmonella induction alone. These results serve as a proof of concept that priming of plant immunity may provide an intrinsic hurdle against the endophytic establishment of enteric pathogens in leafy vegetables. IMPORTANCE Fruit and vegetables consumed raw have become an important vehicle of foodborne illness despite a continuous effort to improve their microbial safety. Salmonella enterica has caused numerous recalls and outbreaks of infection associated with contaminated leafy vegetables. Evidence is increasing that enteric pathogens can reach the leaf apoplast, where they confront plant innate immunity. Plants may be triggered for induction of their defense signaling pathways by exposure to chemical or microbial elicitors. This priming for recognition of microbes by plant defense pathways has been used to inhibit plant pathogens and limit disease. Given that current mitigation strategies are insufficient in preventing microbial contamination of produce and associated outbreaks, we investigated the effect of plant-induced resistance on S. enterica colonization of the lettuce and basil leaf apoplast in order to gain a proof of concept for the use of such an intrinsic approach to inhibit human pathogens in leafy vegetables.

Colonization and movement of GFP-labeled Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis during tomato infection

The vascular pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis is responsible for bacterial wilt and canker of tomato. Pathogenicity of this bacterium is dependent on plasmid-borne virulence factors and serine proteases located on the chromosomal chp/tomA pathogenicity island (PAI). In this study, colonization patterns and movement of C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis during tomato infection was examined using a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled strain. A plasmid expressing GFP in C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis was constructed and found to be stable in planta for at least 1 month. Confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM) of inoculated stems showed that the pathogen extensively colonizes the lumen of xylem vessels and preferentially attaches to spiral secondary wall thickening of the protoxylem. Acropetal movement of the wild-type strain C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis NCPPB382 (Cmm382) in tomato resulted in an extensive systemic colonization of the whole plant reaching the apical region after 15 days, whereas Cmm100 (lacking the plasmids pCM1 and pCM2) or Cmm27 (lacking the chp/tomA PAI) remained confined to the area surrounding of the inoculation site. Cmm382 formed biofilm-like structures composed of large bacterial aggregates on the interior of xylem walls as observed by CLSM and scanning electron microscopy. These findings suggest that virulence factors located on the chp/tomA PAI or the plasmids are required for effective movement of the pathogen in tomato and for the formation of cellular aggregates.

Sequential expression of bacterial virulence and plant defense genes during infection of tomato with Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis

The molecular interactions between Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and tomato plant were studied by following the expression of bacterial virulence and host-defense genes during early stages of infection. The C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis genes included the plasmid-borne cellulase (celA) and the serine protease (pat-1), and the serine proteases chpC and ppaA, residing on the chp/tomA pathogenicity island (PAI). Gene expression was measured following tomato inoculation with Cmm382 (wild type), Cmm100 (lacking the plasmids pCM1 and pCM2), and Cmm27 (lacking the PAI). Transcriptional analysis revealed that celA and pat-1 were significantly induced in Cmm382 at initial 12 to 72 h, whereas chpC and ppaA were highly expressed only 96 h after inoculation. Interdependence between the expression of chromosomal and of plasmid-located genes was revealed: expression of celA and pat-1 was substantially reduced in the absence of the chp/tomA PAI, whereas chpC and ppaA expressions were reduced in the absence of the virulence plasmids. Transcription of chromosomal genes involved in cell wall degradation (i.e., pelA1, celB, xysA, and xysB), was also induced at early stages of infection. Expression of the host-defense genes, chitinase class II and pathogenesis-related protein-5 isoform was induced in the absence of the PAI at early stages of infection, suggesting that PAI-located genes are involved in suppression of tomato basal defenses.