The phytotoxin coronatine induces light-dependent reactive oxygen species in tomato seedlings

The phytotoxin coronatine (COR), which is produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (DC3000), has multiple roles in virulence that lead to chlorosis and a reduction in chlorophyll content. However, the physiological significance of COR-induced chlorosis in disease development is still largely unknown. Global expression analysis demonstrated that DC3000 and COR, but not the COR-defective mutant DB29, caused reduced expression of photosynthesis-related genes and result in a 1.5- to 2-fold reduction in maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (F(V)/F(M)). Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seedlings inoculated with DC3000 and incubated in a long daily photoperiod showed more necrosis than inoculated seedlings incubated in either dark or a short daily photoperiod. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected in cotyledons inoculated with either purified COR or DC3000 but not in tissues inoculated with DB29. Interestingly, COR-induced ROS accumulated only in light and was inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and diphenylene iodonium, which function to inhibit electron transport from PSII. Furthermore, COR and DC3000 suppressed expression of the gene encoding the thylakoid Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase but not the cytosolic form of the same enzyme. In conclusion, these results demonstrate a role for COR-induced effects on photosynthetic machinery and ROS in modulating necrotic cell death during bacterial speck disease of tomato.