Functional analysis of pilQ gene in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, bacterial blight pathogen of rice

Bacterial blight (BB) of rice, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is the most devastating bacterial disease in rice. A virulence-attenuated mutant strain HNU89K9 of X. oryzae pv. oryzae (KACC10331), with a transposon insertion in the pilQ gene was used for this study. The pilQ was involved in the gene cluster pilMNOPQ of the Xoo genome. Growth rate of the pilQ mutant was similar to that of wild-type. At level of amino acids, PilQ of Xoo showed that a high sequence identities more than 94% and 70% to Xanthomonas species and to Xyllela fastidiosa, respectively but a low sequence homology less than 30% to other bacterial species. The twitching motility forming a marginal fringe on PSA media was observed on colony of the wild-type strain KACC10331, but not in mutant HNU89K9. Wild-type Xoo cells formed a biofilm on the surface of the PVC plastic test tube, while the mutant strain HNU89K9 did not form a biofilm. The results suggest that the pilQ gene of X. oryzae pv. oryzae plays a critical role in pathogenicity, twitching motility, and biofilm formation.