Plant signal molecules activate the syrB gene, which is required for syringomycin production by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae

The syrB gene is required for syringomycin production by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and full virulence during plant pathogenesis. Strain B3AR132 containing a syrB::lacZ fusion was used to detect transcriptional activation of the syrB gene in syringomycin minimal medium by plant metabolites with signal activity. Among 34 plant phenolic compounds tested, arbutin, phenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and salicin were shown to be strong inducers of syrB, giving rise to approximately 1,200 U of beta-galactosidase activity at 100 microM; esculin and helicin were moderate inducers, with about 250 to 400 U of beta-galactosidase activity at 100 microM. Acetosyringone and Flavonoids that serve as signal molecules in Agrobacterium and Rhizobium species, respectively, did not induce the syrB::lacZ fusion. All syrB inducers were phenolic glucosides and none of the aglucone derivatives were active, suggesting that the beta-glycosidic linkage was necessary for signal activity. Phenyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside containing galactose substituted for glucose in the beta-glycosidic linkage also lacked inducer activity. Phenolic signal activity was enhanced two- to fivefold by specific sugars common to plant tissues, including D-fructose, D-mannose, and sucrose. The effect of sugars on syrB induction was most noticeable at low concentrations of phenolic glucoside (i.e., 1 to 10 microM), indicating that sugars such as D-fructose increase the sensitivity of P. syringae pv. syringae to the phenolic plant signal. Besides induction of syrB, syringomycin biosynthesis by parental strain B3A-R was induced to yield over 250 U of toxin by the additions of arbutin and D-fructose to syringomycin minimal medium. These data indicate that syringomycin production by most strains of P. syringae pv. syringae is modulated by the perception of two classes of plant signal molecules and transduced to the transcriptional apparatus of syringomycin (syr) genes such as syrB.