HCA degradation is widely conserved in the R. solanacearum species complex. A, Genetic and functional conservation of HCA degradation. A whole genome comparison phylogenetic tree is shown on the left. Presence of HCA degradation genes and growth of R. solanacearum strains on ferulate (Fer), p-coumarate (Cou), vanillin (Van), vanillate (VA), p-hydroxybenzoate (HBA), and protocatechuate (PCA) are indicated. aGrowth phenotype differs from genotype prediction; B,
fcs encodes a functional feruloyl-CoA synthetase in strain GMI1000. Strains were grown in minimal media supplemented with 0.2 mM succinate, p-coumarate, caffeate, ferulate, or no carbon (−) for 72 hr. Bars represent the mean of 3 biological replicates and error bars indicate standard error of the mean.