Organizing Committee | Clinical Microbiology Conference

Infectious bacteria force host plants to feed them, study finds

2022-04-14 - 2022-04

A species of bacteria that infect corn crops compel their hosts to produce a feast of nutrients that keeps the pathogens alive and thriving long before they start to kill the plant's cells, new research shows. The study in young maize plants reveals that these bacteria not only generate food for themselves in crops they inhabit, but also coax life-sustaining water from the plants. Though the lab conditions don't represent exactly what happens in the field, the research provides insights into fundamental processes central to the ability of a pathogen to cause a corn disease prevalent in the central and northeastern U.S. called Stewart's wilt. These bacteria are also creating problems for rice and jackfruit crops in parts of the Eastern hemisphere. By confirming that a bacterial virulence factor, a protein called WtsE, initiates the mobilization of food and water into spaces where the bacteria reside, the study lays groundwork for future breeding of plants that can put the brakes on these bacterial survivalist tactics. Current breeding practices in corn are based on previous research that focused on boosting the plants' immune response to these infectious bacteria, a species known as Pantoea stewartii. "No one has shown before that a dynamic flow of nutrients from plant to bacteria supports proliferation of the bacteria during the initial stages of infection. Our findings reveal a bacterial feeding frenzy," said lead study author David Mackey, professor of horticulture and crop science at The Ohio State University. "There have been no targeted efforts to control nutrient availability as a means to control Pantoea stewartii, or other plant pathogenic bacteria that rely on proteins similar to WtsE for their virulence. This opens up an opportunity for us to look at the mechanism of how WtsE accomplishes this. How is it manipulating the plant cells?" The research is published today (April 13, 2022) in Cell Host & Microbe. The research focuses on a phase called biotrophy: After infecting a plant, the bacteria initially parasitize living host cells and multiply dramatically. Only later do the bacteria start killing plant cells to release further nutrients and cause disease.

Organising Committee Members

Henryk Kalisz

Hafiz Zaid Mahmood

Ms Fariha Altaaf

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Infectious bacteria force host plants to feed them, study finds

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Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Organising Committee Members

Henryk Kalisz

Hafiz Zaid Mahmood

Ms Fariha Altaaf

Infectious bacteria force host plants to feed them, study finds