Plants require protection against a wide range of attackers such as insects and pathogens. The adequate plant defense responses are regulated via sophisticated signal cascades, which are activated following the perception of specific cues... more
Plants require protection against a wide range of attackers such as insects and pathogens. The adequate plant defense responses are regulated via sophisticated signal cascades, which are activated following the perception of specific cues of the attackers. Plants might, however, gain a significant fitness advantage when pre-empting enemy attack before it actually occurs. Monitoring cues from attacked neighbors can permit plants to reach this goal. We have recently found airborne disease resistance against a bacterial pathogen in uninfected lima bean plants when these were located close to conspecific, resistance-expressing neighbors. The emitters could be chemically induced with benzothiadiazole or biologically with an avirulent pathogen. Unexpectedly, receiver plants, although expressing a functioning resistance, did not show reduced growth rates, which represent a common side-effect of directly induced pathogen resistance. Nonanal was identified as an active volatile and, rather t...
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Citrinin, amycotoxin fromPenicillium citrinum ,plays a role in inducingmotilityofPaenibacilluspolymyxa Soo-Young Park, Rumi Kim, Choong-Min Ryu, Soo-Keun Choi, Choong-Hwan Lee, Jong-Guk Kim & Seung-Hwan Park Systems Microbiology Research... more
Citrinin, amycotoxin fromPenicillium citrinum ,plays a role in inducingmotilityofPaenibacilluspolymyxa Soo-Young Park, Rumi Kim, Choong-Min Ryu, Soo-Keun Choi, Choong-Hwan Lee, Jong-Guk Kim & Seung-Hwan Park Systems Microbiology Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, Korea; Department of Microbiology, College of Nature Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea; and Natural Medicines Research Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, Korea
, maximum scaffoldsizeof1,991,923bp)wereobtained.Notonlywerethetwoassem-bly results consistent with each other by direct comparison usingMUMmer (6), but they were also the largest aligned blocks... more
, maximum scaffoldsizeof1,991,923bp)wereobtained.Notonlywerethetwoassem-bly results consistent with each other by direct comparison usingMUMmer (6), but they were also the largest aligned blocks be-tweentwo100%identicalresults(593,857bp),suggestingthattheassembled sequences were accurate regardless of the assemblysoftware.AutomaticgenepredictionandfunctionalannotationofCLC assemblies were carried out using the RAST server (2).Among the 3,892 putative protein-coding genes, 47% were as-signed to 446 subsystem categories. Average nucleotide identityanalysis using completely sequenced
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Twenty-nine P. polymyxa strains isolated from rhizospheres of various crops were clustered into five genotypic groups on the basis of BOX-PCR analysis. The characteristics of several plant growth-promoting factors among the isolates... more
Twenty-nine P. polymyxa strains isolated from rhizospheres of various crops were clustered into five genotypic groups on the basis of BOX-PCR analysis. The characteristics of several plant growth-promoting factors among the isolates revealed the distinct attributes in each allocated group. Under gnotobiotic conditions, inoculation of pepper roots with P. polymyxa isolates significantly increased the biomass in 17 of total 29 treated plants with untreated plants. Experiments on induced systemic resistance (ISR) against bacterial spot pathogen Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria in pepper by P. polymyxa strains were conducted and only one isolate (KNUC265) was selected. Further studies into ISR mediation by the KNUC265 strain against the soft-rot pathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora in tobacco demonstrated that the tobacco seedlings exposed to either bacterial volatiles or diffusible metabolites exhibited a reduction in disease severity. In conclusion, ISR and plant growth...
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Plant association with microorganisms elicits dramatic effects on the local phytobiome and often causes systemic and transgenerational modulation on plant immunity against insect pests and microbial pathogens. Previously, we introduced... more
Plant association with microorganisms elicits dramatic effects on the local phytobiome and often causes systemic and transgenerational modulation on plant immunity against insect pests and microbial pathogens. Previously, we introduced the concept of the plant social networking system (pSNS) to highlight the active involvement of plants in the recruitment of potentially beneficial microbiota upon exposure to insects and pathogens. Microbial association stimulates the physiological responses of plants and induces the development of their immune mechanisms while interacting with multiple enemies. Thus, beneficial microbes serve as important mediators of interactions among multiple members of the multitrophic, microscopic and macroscopic communities. In this review, we classify the steps of pSNS such as elicitation, signaling, secreting root exudates, and plant protection; summarize, with evidence, how plants and beneficial microbes communicate with each other; and also discuss how the...
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Bacteria produce a huge diversity of metabolites, many of which mediate ecological relations. Among these, volatile compounds cause broad-range effects at low doses and, therefore, may be exploited for plant defence strategies and... more
Bacteria produce a huge diversity of metabolites, many of which mediate ecological relations. Among these, volatile compounds cause broad-range effects at low doses and, therefore, may be exploited for plant defence strategies and agricultural production, but such applications are still in their early development. Here, we review the latest technologies involving the use of bacterial volatile compounds for phytosanitary inspection, biological control, plant growth promotion, and crop quality. We highlight a variety of effects with a potential applicative interest, based on either live biocontrol and/or biostimulant agents, or the isolated metabolites responsible for the interaction with hosts or competitors. Future agricultural technologies may benefit from the development of new analytical tools to understand bacterial interactions with the environment.
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ABSTRACT Plant tissues naturally senesce over time. Attempts to improve plant robustness and increase longevity have involved genetic modification, application of synthetic chemicals, and use of beneficial microbes. Recently, culture... more
ABSTRACT Plant tissues naturally senesce over time. Attempts to improve plant robustness and increase longevity have involved genetic modification, application of synthetic chemicals, and use of beneficial microbes. Recently, culture supernatant from a microalga Chlorella fusca was found to prime innate immunity against Pseudomonas syringae in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the capacity of Chlorella culture supernatants to prevent or delay aging in higher plants has not been elucidated. In this study, roots of the ornamental flowering plant Erinus alpinus L. were drenched with cell-free supernatants from three Chlorella species. Flower and leaf senescence in E. alpinus was significantly reduced and delayed with all three Chlorella supernatants. Investigations of the mode of action underlying delayed senescence showed that the Chlorella supernatants did not act as a chemical trigger to elicit plant immunity or as a growth-promoting fertilizer in E. alpinus. The mechanisms underlying the anti-aging effects remain undetermined, and several possible hypotheses are discussed. Several Chlorella species are industrially cultivated, and disposal of cell-free supernatant can be economically and environmentally challenging. This study provides a novel method for extending plant lifespan through use of Chlorella supernatant and discusses the potential of using industrial waste supernatants in agriculture and horticulture to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides and genetic modification.
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Research Interests: Biology and Plant Disease
Since the discovery of the role of microbes in the phytobiome, microbial communities (microbiota) have been identified and characterized based on host species, development, distribution, and condition. The microbiota in the plant... more
Since the discovery of the role of microbes in the phytobiome, microbial communities (microbiota) have been identified and characterized based on host species, development, distribution, and condition. The microbiota in the plant rhizosphere is believed to have been established prior to seed germination and innate immune development. However, the microbiota in seeds has received little attention. Although our knowledge of the distribution of microbiota in plant seeds and rhizosphere is currently limited, the impact of these microbiota is likely to be greater than expected. This minireview suggests a new function of microbial inheritance from the seed to root and from the first generation of plants to the next. Surprisingly, recruitment and accumulation of microbiota by biotic and abiotic stresses affect plant immunity in the next generation through plant-soil feedback and soil memory. To illustrate this process, we propose a new term called 'microbiota-induced soil inheritance (MISI).' A comprehensive understanding of MISI will provide novel insights into plant-microbe interactions and plant immunity inheritance.
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Abstract Microalgal interactions with bacteria are ubiquitous, and are crucial for algal survival. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms underpinning the bacterial interactions and their beneficial consequences are unclear. In the current... more
Abstract Microalgal interactions with bacteria are ubiquitous, and are crucial for algal survival. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms underpinning the bacterial interactions and their beneficial consequences are unclear. In the current study, we studied the interactions of the model microalga Chlorella vulgaris with a model prokaryote Escherichia coli. We employed a complete set of E. coli K-12 ORF archive (ASKA) library overexpressing a complete set of E. coli K-12 open reading frames to identify the target bacterial genes whose products enhance C. vulgaris growth. During three successive screening rounds, 32 genes were selected whose overexpression resulted in >1.4-fold increase in algal chlorophyll a content. Four genes ribA, ribD, ribE and ssuE that exerted a growth-promoting effect on C. vulgaris were finally identified. These genes were involved in the bacterial riboflavin biosynthesis pathway, which was validated by determining the riboflavin content in the four selected E. coli clones and confirmed by the analysis of the growth-promoting effect of synthetic riboflavin on C. vulgaris. Collectively, these observations revealed a new bacterial determinant involved in microalgae growth promotion. The genome-wide high-throughput screening system provided insight into the long-term adaptation of C. vulgaris to bacterial interactions.
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The volatile compound 2,3-butanediol, which is produced by certain strains of root-associated bacteria, consists of three stereoisomers, namely, two enantiomers (2R,3R- and 2S,3S-butanediol) and one meso compound (2R,3S-butanediol). The... more
The volatile compound 2,3-butanediol, which is produced by certain strains of root-associated bacteria, consists of three stereoisomers, namely, two enantiomers (2R,3R- and 2S,3S-butanediol) and one meso compound (2R,3S-butanediol). The ability of 2,3-butanediol to induce plant resistance against pathogenic fungi and bacteria has been investigated; however, little is known about its effects on induced resistance against viruses in plants. To investigate the effects of 2,3-butanediol on plant systemic defense against viruses, we evaluated the disease control capacity of each of its three stereoisomers in pepper. Specifically, we investigated the optimal concentration of 2,3-butanediol to use for disease control against and in the greenhouse and examined the effects of drench application of these compounds in the field. In the field trial, treatment with 2R,3R-butanediol and 2R,3S-butanediol significantly reduced the incidence of naturally occurring viruses compared with 2S,3S-butaned...
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CR-Eb1 and sp. CR-Ec1 were isolated from the larval gut of , the greater wax moth. Here, we report the completed and annotated genome sequences of insect gut-dwelling bacteria.
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Seed priming is to expose seeds to specific compounds to enhance seed germination. Few studies of plant immune activation through seed priming have been conducted. Here, we introduce an emerging technology that combines seed priming with... more
Seed priming is to expose seeds to specific compounds to enhance seed germination. Few studies of plant immune activation through seed priming have been conducted. Here, we introduce an emerging technology that combines seed priming with elicitation of plant immunity using biologically active compounds. This technology is named 'seed defense biopriming' (SDB). We prepared heat-stable metabolites from 1,825 root-associated Bacillus spp. isolated from the rhizosphere in South Korea. These preparations were tested for their ability to induce SDB in cucumber and pepper seeds and trigger plant immunity. SDB with heat-stable metabolites of the selected Bacillus gaemokensis strain PB69 significantly reduced subsequent bacterial diseases under in vitro and field conditions and increased fruit yield. Transcriptional analysis of induced resistance marker genes confirmed the upregulation of salicylic acid, ethylene, and jasmonic acid signaling. Mortality of the insect pest Spodoptera l...
Receptor-like kinases are important signaling components that regulate a variety of cellular processes. In this study, an Arabidopsis cDNA microarray analysis led to the identification of the cysteine-rich receptor-like kinase CRK36... more
Receptor-like kinases are important signaling components that regulate a variety of cellular processes. In this study, an Arabidopsis cDNA microarray analysis led to the identification of the cysteine-rich receptor-like kinase CRK36 responsive to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen, Alternaria brassicicola. To determine the function of CRK36 in plant immunity, T-DNA-insertion knockdown (crk36) and overexpressing (CRK36OE) plants were prepared. CRK36OE plants exhibited increased hypersensitive cell death and ROS burst in response to avirulent pathogens. Treatment with a typical pathogen-associated molecular pattern, flg22, markedly induced pattern-triggered immune responses, notably stomatal defense, in CRK36OE plants. The immune responses were weakened in crk36 plants. Protein-protein interaction assays revealed the in vivo association of CRK36, FLS2, and BIK1. CRK36 enhanced flg22-triggered BIK1 phosphorylation, which showed defects with Cys mutations in the DUF26 motifs of CRK36. Dis...
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Research Interests: Biology and Plant Disease
The Gac/Rsm network regulates at the transcriptional level many beneficial traits in biocontrol-active pseudomonads. In this study, we used Phenotype MicroArrays followed by specific growth studies and mutational analysis to understand... more
The Gac/Rsm network regulates at the transcriptional level many beneficial traits in biocontrol-active pseudomonads. In this study, we used Phenotype MicroArrays followed by specific growth studies and mutational analysis to understand how catabolism is regulated by this sensor kinase system in the biocontrol isolate, Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6. Growth of a gacS mutant was decreased significantly compared to that of the wild-type on ornithine and arginine, and the precursor of these amino acids, N-acetyl-l-glutamic acid. The gacS mutant also showed reduced production of polyamines. Expression of the genes encoding arginine decarboxylase (speA) and ornithine decarboxylases (speC) was controlled at the transcriptional level by the GacS sensor of P. chlororaphis O6. Polyamine production was reduced in the speC mutant, and was eliminated in the speAspeC mutant. Addition of exogenous polyamines to the speAspeC mutant restored in vitro growth inhibition of two fungal pathogens as well as...
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Airborne chemical signals emitted by bacteria influence the behavior of other bacteria and plants. We present an overview of in vitro methods for evaluating bacterial and plant responses to bacterial volatile compounds (BVCs). Three types... more
Airborne chemical signals emitted by bacteria influence the behavior of other bacteria and plants. We present an overview of in vitro methods for evaluating bacterial and plant responses to bacterial volatile compounds (BVCs). Three types of equipment have been used to physically separate the bacterial test strains from either other bacterial strains or plants (in our laboratory we use either Arabidopsis or tobacco plant seedlings): a Petri dish containing two compartments (BI Petri dish); two Petri dishes connected with tubing; and a microtiter-based assay. The optimized procedure for the BI Petri dish system is described in this protocol and can be widely used for elucidation of potential function in interactions between diverse microbes and those plant and chemical volatiles emitted by bacteria that are most likely to mediate bacterial or plant responses to BVCs. We also describe a procedure for metabolome-based BVC profiling via dynamic (i.e., continuous airflow) or static heads...
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To detect the outer membrane protein (OMP), which plays a key role in carbapenem resistance, whole-genome and transcriptome analysis of the clinical carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was carried out. The index strain lacked both... more
To detect the outer membrane protein (OMP), which plays a key role in carbapenem resistance, whole-genome and transcriptome analysis of the clinical carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was carried out. The index strain lacked both OmpK35 and OmpK36, whereas the other strains lacked only OmpK35. After SDS-PAGE, the putative OMP bands were excised and identified as OmpA and OmpK36. MALDI-TOF MS showed peaks at ~36 and ~38 kDa that corresponded to OmpA and OmpK36, respectively. In all the strains except YMC2014/03/P345, the ~38 kDa peaks were present. The K. pneumoniae ATCC 13883 isolate showed three bands on SDS-PAGE and three corresponding peaks on MALDI-TOF MS. The additional third peak at ~37 kDa corresponding to OmpK35 was observed. To verify OmpK35 peak detection in other K. pneumoniae isolates by MALDI-TOF MS, we analyzed six strains from our laboratory's strain bank. Whole genome sequence indicated that only two isolates had intact OmpK35. Both MALDI-TOF MS and SDS-P...
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Circular RNAs (circ-RNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNAs, are a popular topic in animal research because they have potential as post-transcriptional regulators and diagnostic markers. Research in plants is only now emerging, but... more
Circular RNAs (circ-RNAs), a novel class of noncoding RNAs, are a popular topic in animal research because they have potential as post-transcriptional regulators and diagnostic markers. Research in plants is only now emerging, but indicates that circ-RNAs could also be a crucial class of noncoding regulators.
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Yeast associates with many plant parts including the phyllosphere, where it is subject to harsh environmental conditions. Few studies have reported on biological control of foliar pathogens by yeast. Here, we newly isolated... more
Yeast associates with many plant parts including the phyllosphere, where it is subject to harsh environmental conditions. Few studies have reported on biological control of foliar pathogens by yeast. Here, we newly isolated leaf-colonizing yeasts from leaves of field-grown pepper plants in a major pepper production area of South Korea. The yeast was isolated using semi-selective medium supplemented with rifampicin to inhibit bacterial growth and its disease control capacity against Xanthomonas axonopodis infection of pepper plants in the greenhouse was evaluated. Of 838 isolated yeasts, foliar spray of Pseudozyma churashimaensis strain RGJ1 at 10(8) cfu/mL conferred significant protection against X. axonopodis and unexpectedly against Cucumber mosaic virus, Pepper mottle virus, Pepper mild mottle virus, and Broad bean wilt virus under field conditions. Direct antagonism between strain RGJ1 and X. axonopodis was not detected from co-culture assays, suggesting that disease is suppress...
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Volatile compounds, such as short chain alcohols, acetoin, and 2,3-butanediol, produced by certain strains of root-associated bacteria (rhizobacteria) elicit induced systemic resistance in plants. The effects of bacterial volatile... more
Volatile compounds, such as short chain alcohols, acetoin, and 2,3-butanediol, produced by certain strains of root-associated bacteria (rhizobacteria) elicit induced systemic resistance in plants. The effects of bacterial volatile compounds (BVCs) on plant and fungal growth have been extensively studied; however, the impact of bacterial BVCs on bacterial growth remains poorly understood. In this study the effects of a well-characterized bacterial volatile, 2,3-butanediol, produced by the rhizobacterium Bacillus subtilis, were examined in the rhizosphere. The nature of 2,3-butanediol on bacterial cells was assessed, and the effect of the molecule on root colonization was also determined. Pepper roots were inoculated with three B. subtilis strains: the wild type, a 2,3-butanediol overexpressor, and a 2,3-butanediol null mutant. The B. subtilis null strain was the first to be eliminated in the rhizosphere, followed by the wild-type strain. The overexpressor mutant was maintained at roo...
Since plants first appeared about 1.1 billion years ago, they have been faced with biotic and abiotic stresses in their environment. To overcome these stresses, plants developed defense strategies. Accumulating evidence suggests that the... more
Since plants first appeared about 1.1 billion years ago, they have been faced with biotic and abiotic stresses in their environment. To overcome these stresses, plants developed defense strategies. Accumulating evidence suggests that the whitefly [Bemisia tabaci (Genn.)] affects the regulation of plant defenses and physiology. A recent study demonstrates that aboveground whitefly infestation positively modulates root biomass and anthocyanin pigmentation on brace roots of maize plants (Zea mays L.). In agreement with these observations, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and jasmonic acid (JA) contents and the expression of IAA- and JA-related genes are higher in whitefly-infested maize plants than in non-infected control plants. Interestingly, the fresh weight of whitefly-infested maize plants is approximately 20% higher than in non-infected control plants under water stress conditions. Further investigation has revealed that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulates in whitefly-infested maize p...
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Polymyxins are last-resort antibiotics for treating infections of Gram-negative bacteria. The recent emergence of polymyxin-resistant bacteria, however, urgently demands clinical optimisation of polymyxin use to minimise further evolution... more
Polymyxins are last-resort antibiotics for treating infections of Gram-negative bacteria. The recent emergence of polymyxin-resistant bacteria, however, urgently demands clinical optimisation of polymyxin use to minimise further evolution of resistance. In this study we developed a novel combination therapy using minimal concentrations of polymyxin B. After large-scale screening of Streptomyces secondary metabolites, we identified a reliable polymixin synergist and confirmed as netropsin using high-pressure liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry followed by in vitro assays using various Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. To evaluate the effectiveness of combining polymixin B and netropsin in vivo, we performed survival analysis on greater wax moth Galleria mellonella infected with colistin-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates as well as Escherichia coli, Shigella flexineri, Salmonella typhimuruim, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The survi...
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The increasing prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) strains in intensive care units has caused major problems in public health worldwide. Our aim was to determine whether this phage could be used as an... more
The increasing prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) strains in intensive care units has caused major problems in public health worldwide. Our aim was to determine whether this phage could be used as an alternative therapeutic agent against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, specifically CRAB clinical isolates, using a mouse model. Ten bacteriophages that caused lysis in CRAB strains, including blaOXA-66-like genes, were isolated. YMC13/01/C62 ABA BP (phage Bϕ-C62), which showed the strongest lysis activity, was chosen for further study by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), host range test, one-step growth and phage adsorption rate, thermal and pH stability, bacteriolytic activity test, genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, and therapeutic effect of phage using a mouse intranasal infection model. The phage Bϕ-C62 displayed high stability at various temperatures and pH values and strong cell lysis activity in vitro The phage Bϕ-C62 genome...
Research Interests: Computational Biology, Biology, Bacteriophages, Survival Analysis, Treatment Outcome, and 15 moreMedicine, Multidisciplinary, Mice, Animals, Applied Environmental Microbiology, Phage Therapy, Lung, Genotype, Time Factors, Host Specificity, Acinetobacter baumannii, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Acinetobacter Infections, Beta Lactamases, and Multilocus sequence typing
Defense against diverse biotic and abiotic stresses requires the plant to distinguish between self and non-self signaling molecules. Pathogen/microbe-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/MAMPs) are pivotal for triggering innate immunity... more
Defense against diverse biotic and abiotic stresses requires the plant to distinguish between self and non-self signaling molecules. Pathogen/microbe-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs/MAMPs) are pivotal for triggering innate immunity in plants. Unlike in animals and humans, the precise roles of nucleic acids in plant innate immunity are unclear. We therefore investigated the effects of infiltration of total Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pto DC3000) RNAs into Arabidopsis plants. The pathogen population was 10-fold lower in bacterial RNAs pre-treated Arabidopsis plants than in the control. Bacterial RNAs purity was confirmed by physical (sonication) and chemical (RNase A and proteinase K digestion) methods. The perception of bacterial RNAs, especially ribosomal RNAs, positively regulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and induced a reactive oxygen species burst, callose deposition, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling, and defense-related genes. T...
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TodS is a sensor kinase that responds to various monoaromatic compounds, which either cause an agonistic or antagonistic effect on phosphorylation of its cognate response regulator TodT, and controls tod operon expression in Pseudomonas... more
TodS is a sensor kinase that responds to various monoaromatic compounds, which either cause an agonistic or antagonistic effect on phosphorylation of its cognate response regulator TodT, and controls tod operon expression in Pseudomonas putida strains. We describe a molecular sensing mechanism of TodS that is activated in response to toluene. The crystal structures of the TodS PAS1 sensor domain (residues 43-164), and its complex with toluene (agonist) or 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (antagonist), show a typical β2α3β3 PAS-fold structure (residues 45-149), forming a hydrophobic ligand-binding site. A signal transfer region (STR, residues 150-163) located immediately after the canonical PAS fold may be intrinsically flexible and disordered in both apo-PAS1 and antagonist-bound forms, and dramatically adapt an α-helix upon toluene binding. This structural change in STR is proposed to result in signal transmission to activate the TodS/TodT two-component signal transduction system. Site-direc...
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Up to now, the potential underlying molecular mechanisms by which maize (Zea mays L.) plants elicit defense responses by infestation with a phloem feeding insect whitefly [Bemisia tabaci (Genn.)] have been barely elucidated against... more
Up to now, the potential underlying molecular mechanisms by which maize (Zea mays L.) plants elicit defense responses by infestation with a phloem feeding insect whitefly [Bemisia tabaci (Genn.)] have been barely elucidated against (a)biotic stresses. To fill this gap of current knowledge maize plants were infested with whitefly and these plants were subsequently assessed the levels of water loss. To understand the mode of action, plant hormone contents and the stress-related mRNA expression were evaluated. Whitefly-infested maize plants did not display any significant phenotypic differences in above-ground tissues (infested site) compared with controls. By contrast, root (systemic tissue) biomass was increased by 2-fold by whitefly infestation. The levels of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), jasmonic acid (JA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were significantly higher in whitefly-infested plants. The biosynthetic or signaling-related genes for JA and anthocyanins were highly up-r...
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Aphids are a large group of hemipteran pests that affect the physiology, growth and development of plants by using piercing mouthparts to consume fluids from the host. Based on recent data, aphids modulate the microbiomes of plants and... more
Aphids are a large group of hemipteran pests that affect the physiology, growth and development of plants by using piercing mouthparts to consume fluids from the host. Based on recent data, aphids modulate the microbiomes of plants and thereby affect the overall outcome of the biological interaction. However, in a few reports, aboveground aphids manipulate the metabolism of the host and facilitate infestations by rhizosphere bacteria (rhizobacteria). In this study, we evaluated whether aphids alter the plant resistance that is mediated by the bacterial community of the root system. The rhizobacteria were affected by aphid infestation of pepper, and a large population of Gram-positive bacteria was detected. Notably, Paenibacillus spp. were the unique Gram-positive bacteria to respond to changes induced by the aphids. Paenibacillus polymyxa E681 was used as a rhizobacterium model to assess the recruitment of bacteria to the rhizosphere by the feeding of aphids and to test the effect o...
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Extensive use of antibiotics over recent decades has led to bacterial resistance against antibiotics including gentamicin, one of the most effective aminoglycosides. The emergence of resistance is problematic for hospitals, since... more
Extensive use of antibiotics over recent decades has led to bacterial resistance against antibiotics including gentamicin, one of the most effective aminoglycosides. The emergence of resistance is problematic for hospitals, since gentamicin is an important broad spectrum antibiotic for the control of bacterial pathogens in the clinic. Previous study to identify gentamicin resistance gene from environmental samples have been conducted using culture-dependent screening methods. To overcome these limitations, we employed a metagenome-based culture-independent protocol to identify gentamicin resistance genes. Through functional screening of metagenome libraries derived from soil samples, a fosmid clone was selected as it conferred strong gentamicin resistance. To identify a specific functioning genes conferring gentamicin resistance from a selected fosmid clone (35 - 40 Kb), a shot-gun library was constructed and four shot-gun clones (2 - 3 Kb) were selected. Further characterization of...
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Plants have elaborate defensive machinery to protect against numerous pathogens and insects. Plant hormones function as modulators of defensive mechanisms to maintain plant resistance to natural enemies. Recent our study suggests that... more
Plants have elaborate defensive machinery to protect against numerous pathogens and insects. Plant hormones function as modulators of defensive mechanisms to maintain plant resistance to natural enemies. Recent our study suggests that salicylic acid (SA) is the primary phytohormone regulating plant responses to Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection. Tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) immune responses against Agrobacterium-mediated crown gall disease were activated by exposure to the sucking insect whitefly, which stimulated SA biosynthesis in aerial tissues; in turn, SA synthesized in aboveground tissues systemically modulated SA secretion in root tissues. Further investigation revealed that endogenous SA biosynthesis negatively modulated Agrobacterium-mediated plant genetic transformation. Our study provides novel evidence that activation of the SA-signaling pathway mediated by a sucking insect infestation has a pivotal role in subsequently attenuating Agrobacterium infection. These res...
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Certain bacterial species associate with plant roots in soil. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) stimulate plant growth and yield in greenhouse and field. Here, we examined whether application of known bacilli PGPR strains... more
Certain bacterial species associate with plant roots in soil. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) stimulate plant growth and yield in greenhouse and field. Here, we examined whether application of known bacilli PGPR strains stimulated growth and asexual reproduction in the succulent plant Kalanchoe daigremontiana. Four PGPR strains B. amyloliquefaciens IN937a, B. cereus BS107, B. pumilus INR7, and B. subtilis GB03 were applied to young plantlets by soil-drenching, and plant growth and development was monitored for three months. Aerial growth was significantly stimulated in PGPR-inoculated plants, which was observed as increases in plant height, shoot weight, and stem width. The stimulated growth influenced plant development by increasing the total number of leaves per plant. Treatment with bacilli also increased the total root biomass compared with that of control plants, and led to a 2-fold increase in asexual reproduction and plantlet formation on the leaf. Collectivel...
PacBio's long-read sequencing technologies can be successfully used for a complete bacterial genome assembly using recently developed non-hybrid assemblers in the absence of second-generation, high-quality short reads. However,... more
PacBio's long-read sequencing technologies can be successfully used for a complete bacterial genome assembly using recently developed non-hybrid assemblers in the absence of second-generation, high-quality short reads. However, standardized procedures that take into account multiple pre-existing second-generation sequencing platforms are scarce. In addition to Illumina HiSeq- and Ion Torrent PGM-based genome sequencing results derived from previous studies, we generated further sequencing data, including from the PacBio RS II platform, and applied various bioinformatics tools to obtain complete genome assemblies for five bacterial strains. Our approach revealed that the hierarchical genome assembly process (HGAP) non-hybrid assembler resulted in nearly complete assemblies at a moderate coverage of ~75x, but that different versions produced non-compatible results requiring post processing. The other two platforms further improved the PacBio assembly through scaffolding and a fina...
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3-Pentanol is an active organic compound produced by plants and is a component of emitted insect sex pheromones. A previous study reported that drench application of 3-pentanol elicited plant immunity against microbial pathogens and an... more
3-Pentanol is an active organic compound produced by plants and is a component of emitted insect sex pheromones. A previous study reported that drench application of 3-pentanol elicited plant immunity against microbial pathogens and an insect pest in crop plants. Here, we evaluated whether 3-pentanol and the derivatives 1-pentanol and 2-pentanol induced plant systemic resistance using the in vitro I-plate system. Exposure of Arabidopsis seedlings to 10 μM and 100 nM 3-pentanol evaporate elicited an immune response to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. We performed quantitative real-time PCR to investigate the 3-pentanol-mediated Arabidopsis immune responses by determining Pathogenesis-Related (PR) gene expression levels associated with defense signaling through salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene signaling pathways. The results show that exposure to 3-pentanol and subsequent pathogen challenge upregulated PDF1.2 and PR1 expression. Selected Arabidopsis mutants...
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The common molecular patterns of microbes play a critical role in the regulation of plant innate immunity. However, little is known about the role of nucleic acids in this process in plants. We pre-infiltrated Arabidopsis leaves with... more
The common molecular patterns of microbes play a critical role in the regulation of plant innate immunity. However, little is known about the role of nucleic acids in this process in plants. We pre-infiltrated Arabidopsis leaves with total RNAs from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pto DC3000) and subsequently inoculated these plants with the same bacterial cells. Total Pto DC3000 RNAs pre-infiltrated into Arabidopsis leaves elicited plant immune responses against Pto DC3000. However, sheared RNAs and RNase A application failed to induce immunity, suggesting that intact bacterial RNAs function in plant innate immunity. This notion was supported by the positive regulation of superoxide anion levels, callose deposition, two mitogen-activated protein kinases and defense-related genes observed in bacterial RNA-pre-treated leaves. Intriguingly, the Pto DC3000 population was not compromised in known pattern recognition receptor mutants for chitin, flagellin and elongation factor-Tu...
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In recent years, antimicrobial resistance has become a major medical threat worldwide. Among these threats, the rapid increase in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a particularly challenging global issue in the health... more
In recent years, antimicrobial resistance has become a major medical threat worldwide. Among these threats, the rapid increase in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a particularly challenging global issue in the health care setting. In this study, a novel lytic A. baumannii phage, Βϕ-R3177, infecting carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains was isolated from sewage samples at a hospital. The morphology of the phage as assessed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated that it belongs to the family Siphoviridae within the order Caudovirales. It has a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 47,575 bp with a G+C content of 39.83 %. Eighty open reading frames (ORFs) were predicted; however, only 14 ORFs were annotated as encoding functional proteins, while most of the ORFs encoded hypothetical proteins. Among the total ORFs of the phage genome, no toxin-related genes were detected. A bioinformatics analysis showed that the whole genome sequence of phage Βϕ-R3...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Paenibacillus polymyxa E681, with its plant growth promotion and root colonization ability, has been proven to be a promising biocontrol agent of cucumber and barley. This study investigated the attributes related to the movement of... more
Paenibacillus polymyxa E681, with its plant growth promotion and root colonization ability, has been proven to be a promising biocontrol agent of cucumber and barley. This study investigated the attributes related to the movement of bacteria from the seed to the radicle and to the whole root system. It also illustrated the existing form and population changes of the bacteria on seed and root using the scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The bacteria invaded and colonized the inside of the seed coat while the seeds were soaked in bacterial suspension. Almost the same number of bacteria on seed surface invaded the inside of the seed coat right after seed soaking. The population densities of E681 increased greatly inside as well as on the surface of the seed before the radicle emerged. The bacteria attached on the emerging radicle directly affected the initial population of newly emerg-ing root. The colonized cells on the root were arranged linearly tow...
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to increase plant growth of a number of agronomically important crops, and some PGPR strains have induced systemic resistance (ISR) against multiple pathogens. We have been... more
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to increase plant growth of a number of agronomically important crops, and some PGPR strains have induced systemic resistance (ISR) against multiple pathogens. We have been investigating use of a biopreparation consisting of combinations of PGPR with ISR activity and the organic amendment chitosan in peat-based plant growth media for production of vegetable transplants. These biopreparations were designed to enhance seedling growth and develop disease-suppressive transplant plugs through activation of ISR. Several biopreparations (LS treatments) were tested, with each containing industrially formulated spores of two Bacillus strains and chitosan. Greenhouse experiments indicated that most of the LS treatments significantly enhanced growth and reduced disease severity, compared to controls, in the following systems: tomato against bacterial spot (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria) and late blight (Phytophthora infestans...
Nine plant growth regulators (PGRs) were tested for in vivo antifungal activities against on rice blast. They showed higher in vivo antifungal activities when they were applied on rice plants by soil drench rather than foliar spray.... more
Nine plant growth regulators (PGRs) were tested for in vivo antifungal activities against on rice blast. They showed higher in vivo antifungal activities when they were applied on rice plants by soil drench rather than foliar spray. Except for 2,4-D at , the others showed a very low or no activity against the disease in foliar spray applications. In contrast, 2,4-D, indole butyric acid (IBA) and triiodobenzoic acid, at , showed control values of 98.9, 97.8 and 88.9% in soil drench applications. Furthermore, the control activity of IBA was dependent on its concentration against rice blast; IBA suppressed the development of rice blast by 71.7% at and 85.8% at . IBA also controlled the development of rice blast on adult plants by 63.9% at a dosage of 2.56 kg/10a. The results revealed that IBA has a good activity against rice blast when it is applied by soil drench.