Suppression of Bean Defense Responses by Pseudomonas syringae

We have developed a model system to examine suppression of defense responses in bean by the compatible bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv phaseolicola. Previously, we have shown that there is a general mechanism for the induction of the bean defense genes phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), and chitinase (CHT) by incompatible, compatible, and nonpathogenic bacteria. Here, we show that bean plants infiltrated with isolates of P. s. phaseolicola failed to produce transcripts for PAL, CHS, or CHI up to 120 hr after infiltration and CHT transcript accumulation was significantly delayed when compared to the incompatible P. syringae strains. Infiltration of bean plants with 108 cells per mL of P. s. phaseolicola NPS3121 8 hr prior to infiltration with an equal concentration of incompatible P. s. pv tabaci Pt11528 significantly reduced the typical profile of defense transcript accumulation when compared to plants infiltrated with Pt11528 alone. A corresponding suppression of phytoalexin accumulation was also observed. NPS3121 also suppressed PAL, CHS, CHI, and CHT transcript accumulation and phytoalexin production induced by Escherichia coli DH5[alpha] or the elicitor glutathione. Heat-killed NPS3121 cells or cells treated with protein synthesis inhibitors lost the suppressor activity. Taken together, these experiments suggest that NPS3121 has an active mechanism to suppress the accumulation of defense transcripts and phytoalexin biosynthesis in bean.