Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1994 Jun;176(12):3816–3819. doi: 10.1128/jb.176.12.3816-3819.1994

Rhicadhesin-mediated attachment and virulence of an Agrobacterium tumefaciens chvB mutant can be restored by growth in a highly osmotic medium.

S Swart 1, B J Lugtenberg 1, G Smit 1, J W Kijne 1
PMCID: PMC205572  PMID: 8206861

Abstract

Cyclic beta-1,2-glucan is considered to play a role in osmoadaptation of members of the family Rhizobiaceae in hypotonic media. Agrobacterium tumefaciens chvB mutants, lacking beta-1,2-glucan, exhibit a pleiotropic phenotype, including nonmotility, attachment deficiency, and avirulence. Here we report that by growth of chvB mutant cells in tryptone-yeast extract medium supplemented with 7 mM CaCl2 and 100 mM NaCl, the mutant cells become motile, attach to pea root hair tips, and are virulent on Kalanchoë leaves. Moreover, whereas chvB mutants grown in tryptone-yeast extract medium containing 7 mM CaCl2 do not produce active rhicadhesin, addition of 100 mM NaCl to this medium resulted in restoration of rhicadhesin activity. The presence of CaCl2 appeared to be required for attachment, virulence, and activity of rhicadhesin. The results support a role for cyclic beta-1,2-glucan in osmoadaptation and strengthen the notion that rhicadhesin is required for attachment and virulence of A. tumefaciens.

Full text

PDF
3816

Images in this article

3818Image
on p.3818

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beringer J. E. R factor transfer in Rhizobium leguminosarum. J Gen Microbiol. 1974 Sep;84(1):188–198. doi: 10.1099/00221287-84-1-188. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cangelosi G. A., Martinetti G., Nester E. W. Osmosensitivity phenotypes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens mutants that lack periplasmic beta-1,2-glucan. J Bacteriol. 1990 Apr;172(4):2172–2174. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.4.2172-2174.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Douglas C. J., Halperin W., Nester E. W. Agrobacterium tumefaciens mutants affected in attachment to plant cells. J Bacteriol. 1982 Dec;152(3):1265–1275. doi: 10.1128/jb.152.3.1265-1275.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Douglas C. J., Staneloni R. J., Rubin R. A., Nester E. W. Identification and genetic analysis of an Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosomal virulence region. J Bacteriol. 1985 Mar;161(3):850–860. doi: 10.1128/jb.161.3.850-860.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Koekman B. P., Hooykaas P. J., Schilperoort R. A. A functional map of the replicator region of the octopine Ti plasmid. Plasmid. 1982 Mar;7(2):119–132. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(82)90072-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Li C., Louise C. J., Shi W., Adler J. Adverse conditions which cause lack of flagella in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1993 Apr;175(8):2229–2235. doi: 10.1128/jb.175.8.2229-2235.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Matthysse A. G. Characterization of nonattaching mutants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J Bacteriol. 1987 Jan;169(1):313–323. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.1.313-323.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Miller K. J., Kennedy E. P., Reinhold V. N. Osmotic adaptation by gram-negative bacteria: possible role for periplasmic oligosaccharides. Science. 1986 Jan 3;231(4733):48–51. doi: 10.1126/science.3941890. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. O'Connell K. P., Handelsman J. chvA locus may be involved in export of neutral cyclic beta-1,2-linked D-glucan from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 1989 Jan-Feb;2(1):11–16. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ooms G., Klapwijk P. M., Poulis J. A., Schilperoort R. A. Characterization of Tn904 insertions in octopine Ti plasmid mutants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J Bacteriol. 1980 Oct;144(1):82–91. doi: 10.1128/jb.144.1.82-91.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Puvanesarajah V., Schell F. M., Stacey G., Douglas C. J., Nester E. W. Role for 2-linked-beta-D-glucan in the virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J Bacteriol. 1985 Oct;164(1):102–106. doi: 10.1128/jb.164.1.102-106.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Smit G., Kijne J. W., Lugtenberg B. J. Correlation between extracellular fibrils and attachment of Rhizobium leguminosarum to pea root hair tips. J Bacteriol. 1986 Nov;168(2):821–827. doi: 10.1128/jb.168.2.821-827.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Smit G., Kijne J. W., Lugtenberg B. J. Involvement of both cellulose fibrils and a Ca2+-dependent adhesin in the attachment of Rhizobium leguminosarum to pea root hair tips. J Bacteriol. 1987 Sep;169(9):4294–4301. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.9.4294-4301.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Swart S., Smit G., Lugtenberg B. J., Kijne J. W. Restoration of attachment, virulence and nodulation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens chvB mutants by rhicadhesin. Mol Microbiol. 1993 Nov;10(3):597–605. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1993.tb00931.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Zorreguieta A., Geremia R. A., Cavaignac S., Cangelosi G. A., Nester E. W., Ugalde R. A. Identification of the product of an Agrobacterium tumefaciens chromosomal virulence gene. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 1988 Mar;1(3):121–127. doi: 10.1094/mpmi-1-121. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES